Issued by Capital One, you could pay 0% on transferred balances for up to 12 months if you're approved for this credit card.
Post Office Classic Card review
By Chris Lilly
- Representative example:
- When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 34.94% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 34.9% APR (variable).
- Minimum credit limit
- £200
- Interest-free each billing period
- Up to 56 days
- 0% interest on balance transfers
- 12 months
Our verdict
The only credit card currently offered by Post Office Money is its Classic Card – a re-skinned Capital One product.Post Office Money hasn't exactly attempted to turn the world of credit cards upside down with this slightly unremarkable card. Instead, you'll get a straightforward option that's available to a fairly broad range of credit scores. You can check whether or not you'd be eligible, without affecting your credit score, using Post Office Money's eligibility checker.
The card is perhaps most competitive as a balance transfer option for those with less than perfect credit scores – going up against specialist cards from the likes of Aqua and Vanquis. These cards allow you to transfer across debt from another credit card (for a fee – in this case 2.9%) in order to save money on interest. Just bear in mind that the specific terms can vary from applicant to applicant, so if you use the eligibility checker and are offered a card, take a close look at the rates and the length of any 0% periods.
The card also lets you spread the cost of an upcoming expenditure for up to 12 months without incurring any interest. Again, the terms of this offer are tailored to the individual applicant, and Post Office Money's eligibility checker can give you a clearer idea of your specific offer.
After the 0% periods have expired, realistically there's not a lot to persuade users to hang on to this card – like ongoing rewards or a low rate. But in the short term, it could be a competitive option for those with less than perfect credit.
Pros
-
If eligible, the 0% balance transfer and purchase periods are fairly competitive
-
There's no annual fee
-
Could be a suitable option for those with bad credit
-
You can check your eligibility with the Post Office's QuickCheck service
Cons
-
Beyond the potential 0% periods, there's not much else to recommend
-
The variable APR can also vary quite a bit, and you might end up with a high rate
Details
Product overview
| Issuer | Capital One |
| Network | Mastercard |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 0% for up to 12 months reverting to 34.94% (subject to status) |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.9% |
| Purchases | 0% for up to 12 months reverting to 34.94% (subject to status) |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Money transfers | 34.94% |
| Cash advances | 34.94% |
| Minimum credit limit | £200 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status: £8,000 |
| Potential costs | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
| Extras | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder score | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
Fees and charges
| Minimum monthly payment | 3% or £5 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges plus 3% of the outstanding balance. |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.9% |
| Money transfer fee | 2.9% |
| Foreign usage charge (EU) | 2.75% |
| Foreign usage charge (rest of world) | 2.75% |
| 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 |
Important: If you opened a Post Office Money credit card account between 2009 and mid 2019 (at which point Post Office Money cards were powered by Bank of Ireland) your credit card account will now have been transferred to Jaja Finance. You should have received a new card, and your Post Office card would have ceased to work 30 days afterwards. Your card account terms, including your PIN and credit limit, did not change in the process. If you believe your account was moved to Jaja Finance but you haven’t received a new card, you can contact Jaja on 0345 607 6500. Since November 2019, Post Office Money has partnered with Capital One to offer its credit cards.
Riding on its long-standing reputation, the Post Office brand has now been stamped on all manner of services. It previously worked with Bank of Ireland to provide credit cards, but its new cards are issued by Capital One (best known for catering to those with fair-to-poor credit scores). As such, Post Office Money is acting as a broker, rather than a direct lender.
The Post Office Classic 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.
All Post Office Money credit cards use MasterCard® SecureCode™ which gives you an extra layer of protection for online transactions. MasterCard® SecureCode™ allows you to add a personal security password to your existing Post Office Money credit card which you then use to validate each online transaction. This helps to protect you from unauthorised use when shopping online.
How does it compare?
Post Office Money's card
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Table: sorted by representative APR, promoted deals first
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 Post Office Money's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone. Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and damaging your credit score – making it harder and more expensive to borrow money in the future – and getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Eligibility requirements
There are basic eligibility requirements you will most likely need to meet to be accepted for a Post Office Money credit card. The eligibility requirements are as follows:
- You are aged 18 years or over.
- You have a permanent UK home address.
- You have a current UK bank or building society account.
- You don’t already have a Post Office Money credit card.
- You are employed, retired or a homemaker with an annual income of over £8,000 excluding unemployment benefits.
- You don’t have any outstanding county court judgements.
Post Office Money have a range of cards with a number of different requirements, so you will need to check your eligibility against each card when you apply (as they may differ). When you do apply, use the QuickCheck eligibility checker to see if you are eligible in a couple of minutes, without affecting your credit score.
How to apply for the Post Office Money Classic Credit Card
You can apply online in 10-15 minutes. Before you can apply, you'll be prompted to use the "QuickCheck" eligibility checker. This will give you a clear picture as to whether or not it's worth applying, without hurting your credit rating. If it's good news and you opt to actually apply, Post Office Money will run a full credit check, which has a small (and usually short-lived) impact on your credit score.
Once you're approved, it takes up to ten working days (yes, seriously) to receive your new credit card. You'll get your PIN first, then your card a day or so later. When you've got your card, you can activate it and register for online banking (then you can start tracking the card in the app too).
The first time you use your new card, you'll need to enter the PIN – from then on you can go contactless to your heart's content (unless your heart wants to spend more than £100, in which case you'll need that PIN again).
Frequently asked questions
What credit limit will I get with the Post Office Classic Card?
If Post Office Money offers you this deal, it will specify a personalised credit limit based on Post Office Money's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on the card is £200, while the maximum is £8,000. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Post Office Money you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.
Can I withdraw cash using the Post Office Classic 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 Post Office Classic 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 34.94%, which is the same as 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 Post Office Classic Card abroad?
Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.75% charge. For example, if you spend 200 euros (£171.48), it'll cost you around £4.72 in fees.
What is the minimum payment on the Post Office Classic Card?
Each month, you must pay at least 3% of your balance at that point or £5.00 – whichever of the 2 figures is greater. So if you had, say, £150.00 outstanding, you'd pay £5.00, and if you had £666.67 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.
Can I transfer money from the Post Office Classic Card to a bank account?
Yes. That's what's known as a "money transfer" (rather than a "balance transfer") in credit card jargon. You can arrange this from your online banking or using Post Office Money's app. This part of your card balance will incur interest of 34.94%. The fee for a money transfer is 2.9%.
Other frequently asked questions
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