0% Credit Cards in the UK
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Brand
Comparisons |
Is
It Better To Get A 0% Card Or One With Incentives? |
The answer to this question depends on the reason you want the credit card. If you are trying to get out of debt by transferring a higher interest credit card to one with 0% then that is your top priority. If you want a 0% card to make a big purchase then that is your guiding factor. If you want a credit card to charge travel expenses, that will be what you look for. There are many ways to compare credit cards. They can be compared by 0% interest rate, length of 0% interest rate, 0% for transfers versus new purchases, ongoing interest rate or APR (annual percentage rate) and finally, incentives. Once you know what your main purpose for the card will be, you can then prioritize what features you want in a credit card. There are some credit cards that offer several, or all, features. Because not all cards offer identical things it can become very complicated to compare cards. Start with the one main purpose of your new card. If that is 0% interest for a certain length of time, start with that. Eliminate any cards that don’t offer this. Next check the time-frame that the 0% interest is offered. If you need to have at least 9 months, don’t settle for a card that allows only 6 months. You’ll be stuck either switching to another card after 6 months, or spending more on interest charges than you would want. Many credit cards now
offer both 0% interest on balance transfers and new purchases and also
offer other added incentives. Make
sure that the company offers exactly what you need first, then look at
incentives. Experts advise
against getting a credit card just for the incentives offered.
In most cases you will more than pay for the cost of these incentives
by interest rate charges over time. Always look at what the APR will be
after the initial incentive period is over.
Although you may not think this matters, you may end up with a
balance at the end of the interest-free period and will end up paying
this rate. These rates can
differ vastly between credit card companies and can also depend on you
credit history.
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Kinds of Cards |
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Copyright 2008 0% Credit Cards UK Guide Articles
By Kate Spencer. All rights reserved |
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