Approval for any credit card will depend on your status. The APR shown represents 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.
Santander Everyday Credit Card review 2021
Last updated:
A competitive balance transfer deal with a few extras bolted on.
Enjoy a 18-month interest-free period on your existing credit card debt when you bring it across to Santander. Plus there’s no fee to transfer your balance.
You say: ★★★★★We say: ★★★★★
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 18.9% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 18.9% APR (variable).
18 months
0% interest on balance transfers
0%
Balance transfer fee
18.9%
Representative APR
£0
Account fee
Details
| Issuer | Santander |
|---|---|
| Network | Mastercard |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Balance transfers | 0% for 18 months reverting to 18.9% |
| Balance transfer fee | 0% for 18 months reverting to 3% (min. £5) |
| Purchases | 0% for 3 months reverting to 18.9% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 29.9% |
| Min credit limit | £500 |
| Max credit limit | Not specified |
| Additional cards available | 3 |
| Incentive | Retailer offers - 5 Welcome offers of up to 25% cashback at well-known retailers (must switch on Retailer Offers within 60 days of activating card). |
Expert review
Review by
Chris Lilly
chris.lilly@finder.comChris Lilly is a publisher at finder.com. He's a specialist in credit-based products including business and personal loans, mortgages and credit cards, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their borrowing. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more.
Expert review
Primarily a no-fee 0% balance transfer offer, Santander’s Everyday Card buys you a 18-month break from interest to focus on clearing your card debt.
If you anticipate adding to your card debt in the short-term, however, then you’ll also benefit from 3 months of 0% interest on purchases. After this point, anything you’ve paid for using the card will start to accrue interest at the card’s less-appealing standard rate of 18.9%. Card issuers are obliged to direct your monthly payments towards the most expensive parts of your balance first and foremost, so when that 3 months is up, your monthly repayments will go towards paying off any balance accrued since taking the card out.
If you opt for this card, be sure to opt in to the Retailer Offers scheme as soon as you can (you can do this in your online/mobile banking), to enjoy cashback from major retailers.
What's in this review?
The Santander Everyday Credit Card is issued on the Mastercard network so it's accepted at nearly 53 million merchants across more than 210 countries and territories.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Customers report excellent customer service when dealing with Santander
- Over a year of 0% interest to focus on reducing existing card debt
- Three months to spread the cost of purchases
- No balance transfer fee
- No annual fee
Cons
- Minimum annual income requirement of £7,500
- Applicants with low credit scores are unlikely to be eligible
How does it compare?
Santander's card
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Table: sorted by length of 0% balance transfer offer, promoted deals first
Repayment options
You can make manual repayments through Santander's app, by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0800 389 9905). Alternatively you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and losing your promotional interest rate as a result (as well as damaging your credit score and incurring the late payment fee of £12). You could use a fixed-amount direct debit to ensure you've cleared your debt before the 0% period expires – simply divide your outstanding balance by 18 to see what you'll need to pay each month (this assumes you don't use the card for additional spending).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
The verdict
As the name suggests, the Santander Everyday credit card is something of a jack of all trades, with an emphasis on an extended 0% balance transfer period. While there’s certainly longer 0% periods available, the 18 months offered by this card should be more than adequate for most situations, and you’ll also get a range of other perks from a 0% purchase period, low rate, and cashback offer.
And with no annual fee, you can keep your costs extremely low, provided you always pay off your balance in full each month.
How to apply
If you've compared cards and settled on the Santander Everyday Credit Card, completing the secure online application form takes about 15 minutes. Before you apply, check that you meet the eligibility requirements and have the information and documents you'll need to make the process as straightforward as possible. You can request a balance transfer as part of your application.
Frequently asked questions
What credit limit will I get with the Santander Everyday Credit Card?
If Santander is able to offer you this deal, the offer will specify a personalised credit limit based on Santander's assessment of your situation. The minimum limit offered on this card is £500 and Santander does not specify a maximum. Once you've had the card for a while and shown Santander that you're reliable, you may wish to apply for a credit limit increase.
Can I withdraw cash using the Santander Everyday Credit Card?
Although it's possible, withdrawing cash from a credit card account is generally not a good idea, as "cash-like transactions" (withdrawing cash at an ATM, getting cashback at the till, spending at a casino, buying currency, etc.) often incur steep fees and/or higher rates of interest.
The cash advance fee on the Santander Everyday 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 29.9%, which is 58% more than the standard purchases 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 Santander Everyday Credit Card abroad?
Non-sterling transactions are subject to a 2.95% charge. For example, if you spend 200 euros (£180.02), it'll cost you around £5.31.
What is the minimum payment on the Santander Everyday Credit Card?
Each month you must pay at least 1% of your balance at that point or £5.00 – whichever of the two 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 makes it much harder to get debt-free before that introductory 0% period expires.
What fees will I pay?
There is no annual or monthly fee on the Santander Everyday credit card, but you may need to pay a fee if you make a late payment, exceed your credit limit or when using your card overseas or for cash advance. Find out how these fees work here.
How do I join Santander Retailer Offers?
You can switch on Retailer Offers using the Santander mobile banking app, or via your online banking account. You’ll need to join within 60 days of activating your card.
How does my interest-free period work?
For the first 3 months, you’ll pay no interest on purchases you make using your card. If you choose to transfer an existing card balance onto the Santander Everyday credit Card, you’ll also have 18 months to pay it off without being charged interest.
Finder credit card ratings
★★★★★ — Excellent
★★★★★ — Good
★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our experts score balance transfer cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like the length of the balance transfer offer, the balance transfer fee, any restrictions to making a transfer, 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.