Today's top 10 deals
| Best for... | Brand | Deal |
|---|---|---|
| 0% purchases | M&S Bank | 25 months at 0% |
| Cashback | American Express | Up to £125 initial cashback then 0.5% |
| Rewards | American Express | 40,000 welcome points then 1 per £ |
| Rewards (non-Amex) | Yonder | 10,000 welcome points then 5 per £ |
| Balance transfers | HSBC | 35 months at 0% |
| No-fee balance transfers | Barclaycard | 14 months at 0% |
| Spending overseas | Lloyds Bank | 0% forex fees and 0.25% cashback |
| Frequent flyers | American Express | 5,000 welcome points then 1 per £ |
| Frequent flyers (non-Avios) | Virgin Money | 3,000 welcome points then 0.75 per £ |
| Bad credit | Tesco Bank | Credit limits from £200 |
Our experts evaluated the full UK card market and boiled it down to this shortlist. Click on individual deals above to see why we think they're top, plus runners up by category.
0% purchases

M&S Bank Purchase Plus Credit Card
- Finder Score: 9.9/10
- Interest-free periods: 0% interest on purchases for 25 months. 0% interest on balance transfers for 12 months with a fee of 3.49%.
- Benefits: 1 point per £1 spent with M&S and 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere. Enjoy 55 days interest free, preferential rates plus no cash advance fee when buying M&S travel money with the card.
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: Some banks get you on the T&Cs, offering 25 months' 0% interest 'on purchases made in your first 60 days', but with this card it's nice and clear – no interest on purchases for 12 months.
- Need to know: It's possible you could be offered 15 months at 0% 'depending on individual circumstances'. M&S doesn't estimate your credit limit from a 'soft' search of your credit file (no impact on your credit score), but it does give you your 0% period and likelihood of approval.
- Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).
Rather pay in set instalments?

Monzo Flex
- Benefits: If you're open to something new, the Monzo Flex credit card offers the option to spread purchase costs over 3, 6, or 12 months, blending buy now, pay later with a traditional credit card. If you pay in full monthly or over 3 months, you could be eligible for 0% purchases (try to avoid 'flexing' over 6 or 12 months – that'll cost).
- Need to know: To be eligible for this card, you’ll need to have an existing Monzo account.
- Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 29% APR (variable).
Cashback

Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card
- Finder Score: 7.5/10
- Benefits: Get 5% cashback on your purchases (up to £125) for the first 5 months of Cardmembership and 0.5% thereafter (or 1% on annual spend over £10,000). Earn £20 cashback for each friend you invite (provided they're approved).
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: An accessible and easy-to-use card that rewards your everyday spending with cashback. If you spend £500 a month on the card, you stand to earn £142.50 cashback in year one. With no annual fee, provided you pay off your balance in full each month, this card needn't cost you a penny.
- Need to know: If you don't pay off your balance in full every month, you're likely to pay more in interest than you earn in cashback, and a 0% purchase or low rate card might be more suitable for you. You'll need to spend £3,000 per year to qualify for cashback.
- Representative example: Representative 29.4% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.4% p.a. (variable).
Comfortable with an annual fee?

Santander All in One Credit Card
- Benefits: 0.5% cashback is one of an array of benefits (along with 0% on purchases for 15 months and fee-free overseas spending) that come in exchange for a fee of £3 per month (spend £600 per month and your cashback outweighs it).
- Need to know: You’ll need to have a good credit history to be eligible for this card. Cashback is capped, but at a fairly generous £10 per month.
- Representative example: Representative 29.8% APR variable. Based on £3 monthly fee, assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 23.9% p.a. (variable).
Don't want an Amex?

Amazon The Amazon Barclaycard
- Benefits: 1% cashback on Amazon spend and 0.5% cashback elsewhere (0.25% after year one). There's also a £20 Amazon credit welcome bonus and doubled earn rates for Prime Members during key events like Prime Day.
- Need to know: After a year, this card is a lot less rewarding... but you're under no obligation to stick around! Like most rewards cards, this one's only a good bet if you'll be paying your balance off in full every month (otherwise interest will outweigh benefits).
- Representative example: Representative 28.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 28.9% p.a. (variable).
Rewards

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold Credit Card
- Finder Score: 9.4/10
- Benefits: 2 complimentary airport lounge visits every year, 40,000 Membership Rewards Points welcome bonus (provided you spend £5,000 in your first 6 months), plus an otungoing earn rate of 1 point per £1 spent.
- Account fee: £195 per year.
- Why we like it: Amex is working super hard to entice and retain new customers – performing consistently well in our customer satisfaction surveys. This statement rewards card offers points by the bucketload – when you join, as you spend, when you refer friends or add an additional cardholder, and also on the anniversaries of your being a cardholder. Plus, there are more perks to unlock through the app. Did we mention travel inconvenience and travel accident insurance (subject to enrolment)?
- Need to know: While accepting Amex is increasingly becoming the norm, some places still only take Visa or Mastercard.
- Representative example: Representative 86.3% APR variable. Based on £195 annual fee, assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.4% p.a. (variable).
Don't want an annual fee?

The American Express Rewards Credit Card
- Benefits: Enjoy a 10,000-point welcome, then earn points on all your day-to-day spending with no annual fee. Refer friends to earn even more point bonuses. A great first rewards credit card with an engaging app.
- Need to know: If you’re likely to carry a balance over month to month, you might end up paying more in interest than the value you’ll get out of the rewards programme.
- Representative example: Representative 29.4% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.4% p.a. (variable).
Don't want an Amex?

Yonder Credit Card
- Benefits: With the Yonder credit card you can earn 5 points for every £1 you spend. These points can then be redeemed on meals out, flights and selected theatre tickets. The Yonder credit card has a £15 per month fee, but there’s currently a 10,000 points introductory bonus for signing up, plus you’ll get your first month free.
- Need to know: The Yonder credit card is only available in London, Manchester, Bristol, Bath and Birmingham, although it is looking to expand. If you don’t want to spend £15 per month on the card fee, Yonder also has a free version of its card, where you earn 1 point for every £1 spent.
- Representative example: Representative 66% APR variable. Based on £15 monthly fee, assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.32% p.a. (variable).
Balance transfers

HSBC Balance Transfer Credit Card (35 Mths)
- Finder Score: 9.5/10
- Interest-free periods: 0% interest on balance transfers for 35 months with a fee of 3.19%. 0% interest on purchases for 3 months.
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: Just shy of 3 years at 0%! That's a great chunk of time to focus on reducing debt.
- Need to know: HSBC doesn't estimate your credit limit from a soft search, which is a shame (plenty of banks now do this, and it's super-helpful). Balance transfers need to take place in the first 60 days and there's a rather painful 3.19% fee per balance transferred. If you don't need such a long 0% period to clear your debt, then think about the no-fee deal below. As ever, when the 0% period ends, any outstanding balance will be subject to the credit card's standard interest rate.
- Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).
Don't want to pay a balance transfer fee?

Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer (14 Mths)
- Benefits: Up to 14 months 0% on transfers and no balance transfer fee.
- Need to know: Balance transfers need to take place in the first 60 days to qualify for 0% interest, and transfers from existing Barclaycards are not allowed.
- Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).
Transferring from HSBC?

Barclaycard Platinum Balance Transfer (35 Mths)
- Benefits: Up to 35 months 0% on transfers (3.45% transfer fee).
- Need to know: Like HSBC, Barclaycard won't estimate your credit limit before you apply from just a soft search of your credit file. Balance transfers need to take place in the first 60 days.
- Representative example: Representative 24.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 24.9% p.a. (variable).
Travel

Lloyds Bank Ultra Credit Card
- Finder Score: 8.8/10
- Benefits: Benefit from fee-free currency conversion on non-sterling transactions while earning 1% cashback in year 1 and 0.25% thereafter (uncapped).
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: You can add up to 3 additional cardholders at no extra cost. All cards are your responsibility, but you could earn cashback faster! You can freeze cards from the app if you need to.
- Need to know: Although Lloyds shouts about the fact that there's no charge for withdrawing cash with this new card, we wouldn't advise using it for that. Interest kicks in straightaway (no '56 days interest free') on that part of your balance, and the fact you withdrew cash on a credit card will be recorded on your credit file (which some lenders don't like to see).
- Representative example: Representative 12.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 12.94% p.a. (variable).
Looking for hotel perks?

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
- Benefits: A generous intro bonus (20,000 points) and ongoing rewards for regulars at Marriott properties, where you can earn 6 points per pound spent.
- Need to know: This is an expensive option if you’re likely to carry a balance over month to month.
- Representative example: Representative 52.9% APR variable. Based on £95 annual fee, assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.4% p.a. (variable).
Frequent flyer points

British Airways American Express Credit Card
- Finder Score: 7.7/10
- Benefits: Collect 1 Avios for every £1 you spend plus a 5,000 Avios welcome bonus if you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months. You'll also bag a companion voucher (use this to take a companion with you on the same flight or, if travelling solo, a 50% discount on the Avios price you pay for your flight) if you spend £15,000 in a membership year (membership years start and end on the anniversary of taking out the card).
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: With no annual fee, this is a great introduction to collecting air miles. You can also opt for the Premium Plus version for an even better earn rate and heftier intro bonus in return for an annual fee. If what you'll earn in rewards outweighs the annual fee, then that could be a smart choice.
- Need to know: If you're not going to pay off your balance in full each month, chances are you'll pay more in interest than you'll earn in air miles. If that sounds like you, you could consider a 0% purchase or low rate deal instead.
- Representative example: Representative 29.4% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.4% p.a. (variable).
Don't want an Amex?

Barclaycard Avios Card
- Benefits: Collect 1 Avios for every £1 you spend plus a 5,000 Avios welcome bonus if you spend £1,000 in your first 3 months.
- Need to know: If you’re willing to shell out an annual fee, you might benefit more from the Avios Plus Card (1.5 Avios per pound and discounted lounge access.
- Representative example: Representative 29.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.9% p.a. (variable).
Looking for an alternative to Avios?

Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card
- Benefits: Earn 0.75% Flying Club miles for every £1 spent and 1.5% miles for every £1 spent with Virgin Atlantic or Virgin Holidays.
- Need to know: Unlike other frequent flyer cards, there is no welcome bonus unless you opt for this card’s sister, which comes with an account fee.
- Representative example: Representative 26.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 26.9% p.a. (variable).
Credit building

Tesco Bank Foundation Credit Card
- Finder Score: 8.3/10
- Benefits: Designed for customers with a less-than-perfect credit record or simply not much in the way of credit history, Tesco offers a popular card to help you build your credit.
- Account fee: £0.
- Why we like it: Credit Builders rarely offer much in the way of perks, but Tesco's Foundation card lets you earn Clubcard points on day-to-day spending (at Tesco or elsewhere). It also lets you track your credit score through Tesco Bank CreditView.
- Need to know: The card's standard interest rate is relatively high, making it an expensive option if you don't clear your balance in full each month. Ideally, you should set up a direct debit to clear your full balance each month (Tesco Bank can do this for you). Expect a low initial credit limit – from £200 to £1,500, depending on Tesco Bank's assessment of your situation. After a few months, you may be able to request an increase if you've made all repayments on time.
- Representative example: Representative 29.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 29.9% p.a. (variable).
Prefer shopping at Asda?

Asda Money Select Credit Card
- Benefits: Earn rewards while building your credit: get 0.75% on spend at Asda and 0.2% elsewhere. So if you spend £100 at Asda in a week, and £200 at other merchants, you'd earn £1.15 back that week (75p and 40p). Earn more on Asda's 'Star products' or by completing 'missions'.
- Need to know: You may be offered an opening credit limit as low as £250.
- Representative example: Representative 39.81% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 39.81% p.a. (variable).
Looking for 0% spending?

Barclaycard Forward Credit Card
- Benefits: Up to 6 months 0% interest on purchases (depending on eligbility) and price promise benefit – meaning a 3% interest rate reduction if you repay on time for your first year and 2% reduction if you do the same in year 2.
- Need to know: You may be offered a personalised opening credit limit as low as £50.
- Representative example: Representative 33.9% APR variable. Based on assumed borrowing of £1,200. Rate of interest 33.9% p.a. (variable).
"Credit cards come in fairly distinct categories – like rewards cards or 0% purchase cards – so Step one is understanding what type you need. Step two: use an eligibility checker (or perhaps a couple) on a comparison site, to see which cards you’re actually eligible eligible for. This step is important, because once you’ve settled on a card and you formally apply for it (Step three), you’ll be “hard” credit checked, which means a small impact on your credit score."
How we choose our top credit cards
Founded in 2006, Finder has been comparing credit cards for more than 15 years. Here’s an overview of the criteria we use to pick our top credit cards:
- The best at doing the job they’re meant to. There’s no absolute “best credit card” for everyone, so our aim is to help you find a card that works for you. That’s why we picked a card for each of the main types.
- Quality and price. Zero annual fees and low APRs sometimes don’t tell the whole story – we take them into account but also look at what you get in return.
- Going the extra mile with rewards. Some credit cards do the job just fine but don’t give you anything else. We like credit cards that offer ongoing rewards, be it tickets for your favourite concert or extra supermarket loyalty points.
Finally, we check whole-market rates, fees and terms every single day to make sure the features on our credit card tables are accurate. Read more about our ratings methodology for credit cards.
Top credit card companies for customer satisfaction
We asked credit card users to rate their card issuer and tell us whether they’d recommend it to a friend. Our independent survey of more than 750 card customers was carried out in January 2025.
| Card issuer | About | Would recommend | Range and review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monzo | Monzo is this year’s winner. Its “Flex” credit card functions like a buy now pay later service – perhaps not surprising given the brand’s popularity with younger adults. | 93% | Read review |
| first direct | first direct is HSBC’s digital-only little sister, offering a boutique (AKA “small”) range of credit cards. | 90% | Read review |
| M&S Bank | M&S Bank was highly commended in 2023. Its cards are provided in partnership with HSBC. | 90% | Read review |
| Yonder | This year was the first time we heard from Yonder customers. Yonder cards are all about local rewards (tailored to specific cities). | 87% | Read review |
| Tesco Bank | Highly commended last year, Tesco Bank, comes in 5th this year. | 87% | Read review |
| Lloyds Bank | Lloyds Bank offers balance transfer cards, all-rounders and more. | 87% | Read review |
| Zable | Lendable brand Zable is a straightforward card for people who don’t have excellent credit, offering a stripped-back fee structure. | 87% | Read review |
| Asda Money | Asada Money’s credit cards are aimed at people with limited/damaged credit, but have the sweetener of “Asda Pound” rewards. | 87% | Read review |
| Barclaycard | Barclaycard offers a wide range of cards and has a long history of providing market-leading deals including some of the longest balance transfer periods going. | 85% | Read review |
| NatWest | NatWest is a high-street staple offering credit cards for balance transfers, rewards and more. | 83% | Read review |
| American Express | Perks specialist American Express was our winner in 2023 and runner up in 2024. | 83% | Read review |
| John Lewis | John Lewis just has the one card, and as you might expect, it particularly rewards shopping at John Lewis or Waitrose. | 83% | Read review |
| Virgin Money | Virgin Money has a broad range of credit cards to suit different financial requirements and a variety of purposes. | 83% | Read review |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Royal Bank of Scotland’s cards are very similar to those of its sister, NatWest. Both banks are part of NatWest Group. | 80% | Read review |
| HSBC | HSBC has a broad range of cards, including for students, for balance transfers and for earning rewards. | 80% | Read review |
| MBNA | Part of the Lloyds Banking Group, MBNA is a frequent table-topper when it comes to ultra-long 0% deals. | 80% | Read review |
| Halifax | Halifax is also part of Lloyds Banking Group and offers a wide range of cards including the holiday favoutite Clarity card (with no fees for transactions abroad). | 80% | Read review |
| Bank of Scotland | Another brand in the Lloyds Banking Group alongside Halifax and MBNA, Bank of Scotland offers a smaller range of cards than its siblings. | 80% | Read review |
| 118 118 Money | 118 118 Money (yes, the two running chaps with moustaches) offers one credit card, tailored to people with low or no credit. | 80% | Read review |
| Sainsbury’s Bank | Sainsbury’s Bank is our lowest-scoring supermarket brand this year. Its cards are all about 0% deals and Nectar points. | 77% | Read review |
| Santander | Santander’s range includes balance transfer cards, and deals with cashback on your spending. | 67% | Read review |
| Capital One | Capital One offers credit cards to help people improve a bad credit rating. | 63% | Read review |
| Vanquis Bank | Vanquis Bank’s credit cards are designed for those who want to build their credit profile. | 67% | Read review |
| Aqua | Bringing up the rear, Aqua offers credit cards designed to help people with a low credit score, or no credit history, to build up their credit records. | 53% | Read review |
Sources
Read more on Credit Cards
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