In this guide

  • Our verdict
  • Details
    • Product overview
    • Fees and charges
    • Application requirements
  • Your reviews

TSB Advance Mastercard review 2024

  • Chris Lilly's headshot
TSB Advance Credit Card Mastercard
2.5
★★★★★
Finder score
Representative example:
When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).
Account fee
£0
Balance transfer fee
0%
0% interest on balance transfers
3 months

Our verdict

Low interest is good... no interest is better.

It's not very easy to see what type of customers TSB is attempting to target with this credit card, billed as "your perfect shopping partner".

If you're anticipating a large expenditure, then a market-leading 0% purchases deal would let you spread the cost for longer than the 3 months offered on this card.

Similarly, if you already have outstanding credit card debt then you wouldn't need to look far to find a longer 0% balance transfer deal than this card's 3 months.

The ongoing low rate is competitively low, but the name of the game with credit cards is avoiding paying any interest whatsoever.

Perhaps if you have a fluctuating income and fluctuating expenditure, and if you sometimes need to borrow money for longer than a month, and if you don't want the hassle of having to apply for new credit cards every so often (or find it tough getting approved for better deals), then maybe, just maybe, this card could be an option... but that's a lot of ifs! Is TSB simply hoping that people won't do their homework and shop around for the most suitable deal?

Pros

  • A low ongoing interest rate (variable)
  • Three months to spread the cost of purchases
  • No balance transfer fee
  • No annual fee

Cons

    In this guide

    • Our verdict
    • Details
      • Product overview
      • Fees and charges
      • Application requirements
    • Your reviews

    Details

    Product overview

    Issuer TSB
    Network Mastercard
    Annual/monthly fees £0
    Balance transfers 0% for 3 months reverting to 12.95%
    Balance transfer fee 0% for 3 months reverting to 5%
    Purchases 0% for 3 months reverting to 12.95%
    Purchases interest-free period Up to 56 days
    Cash advances 19.95%
    Minimum credit limit £500
    Maximum credit limit Subject to status
    Additional cards available 1
    Potential costs 2.0 ★★★★★
    Doing its job 2.5 ★★★★★
    Extras 3.0 ★★★★★
    Overall Finder Score 2.5 ★★★★★

    Fees and charges

    Minimum monthly payment 1% or £5 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges plus 1% of the outstanding balance.
    Annual/monthly fees £0
    Balance transfer fee 0% for 3 months reverting to 5%
    Foreign usage charge (EU) 2.95%
    Foreign usage charge (rest of world) 2.95%
    Cash advance fee 3% (min. £3)
    Late payment fee £12
    Duplicate statement fee £0
    Exceeding limit fee £12
    Additional card fee £0
    Dormancy fee £0

    Application requirements

    Minimum Age 18
    Availability Available to new customers

    The TSB Advance Credit Card is issued on the Mastercard network, so it's accepted at more than 50 million merchant locations across more than 210 countries and territories.

    How does it compare?

    TSB's card

    1 - 1 of 1
    Product UKCCF Finder Score Purchases Balance transfers Annual/monthly fees Representative APR Link Key benefit Representative example
    Finder score
    0% for 3 months reverting to 12.95%
    0% for 3 months
    (0% fee)
    £0
    12.9% APR (variable)
    Card details
    Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 12.9% APR (variable).
    loading

    Other popular low rate deals

    Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
    1 - 4 of 10
    Product UKCCF Finder Score Purchases Balance transfers Annual/monthly fees Representative APR Link Key benefit Representative example
    Finder score
    8.9%
    8.9%
    (0% fee)
    £0
    8.9% APR (variable)
    Card details
    Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 8.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 8.9% APR (variable).
    Finder score
    10.941%
    11.457%
    (3.99% fee)
    £0
    10.9% APR (variable)
    Card details
    5 points per £4 spent (£4 minimum) in Tesco and 1 point per £8 spent (£8 minimum) outside Tesco. Must have available credit to earn points. Points are converted to Tesco vouchers or can be exchanged for Partner rewards to receive money off a variety of restaurants, entertainment or Avios points.
    Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 10.941% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 10.9% APR (variable).
    Finder score
    10.94%
    10.94%
    (5% (0% fee if transfer is completed within the first 90 days) fee)
    £0
    10.9% APR (variable)
    Card details
    Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 10.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 10.9% APR (variable).
    Finder score
    10.94%
    10.9%
    (5% (0% fee if transfer is done within the first 90 days) fee)
    £0
    10.9% APR (variable)
    Card details
    Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 10.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 10.9% APR (variable).
    loading

    Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.

    Repayment options

    You can make manual repayments through TSB's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0345 835 3846). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.

    A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and either damaging your credit score, getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) or losing any promotional rates as a result.

    You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.

    Choose from the following direct debit options for your monthly repayments:

    Minimum amount
    Fixed amount
    Fixed percentage
    Full amount

    How to apply for the TSB Advance Mastercard

    If you're already a TSB customer and you've compared cards and want to apply, you can log in to your Internet banking and apply in a matter of minutes. If you're not currently registered for Internet banking, you'll need to register first and then apply once you're up and running. For non-TSB customers, just head to the TSB site where you can check your eligibility and apply online.

    Frequently asked questions

    What credit limit will I get with the TSB Advance Credit Card?

    If TSB offers you this deal, it will specify a personalised credit limit based on TSB's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £500, and TSB does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown TSB you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.

    Can I withdraw cash using the TSB Advance Credit Card?

    Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (such as withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino or buying currency) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.

    The cash advance fee on the TSB Advance Credit Card is 3% (min. £3). For example, if you withdraw £50, you'll incur a fee of £3.00. Withdraw £250 and you'll incur a fee of £7.50.

    The interest rate on this part of your balance will be 19.95%, which is 55% more than the standard purchase rate (chargeable from the day of the transaction – the card's usual "up to 56 days interest-free" grace period won't apply).

    How much does it cost to use the TSB Advance Credit Card abroad?

    Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.95% charge. For example, if you spend 200 euros (£165.54), it'll cost you around £4.88 in fees.

    What is the minimum payment on the TSB Advance Credit Card?

    Each month, you must pay at least 1% of your balance at that point or £5.00 – whichever of the 2 figures is greater. So if you had, say, £450.00 outstanding, you'd pay £5.00, and if you had £2,000.00 outstanding, you'd pay £20.00.

    Paying only the minimum required amount each month is generally not advisable as it tends to be a very expensive way to borrow money, which can lead to persistent debt.

    Finder credit card scores

    ★★★★★ — Excellent
    ★★★★★ — Good
    ★★★★★ — Average
    ★★★★★ — Subpar
    ★★★★★ — Poor

    Our experts score low rate credit cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like exactly how low the low rate is, any perks/benefits, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.

    You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.

    We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

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