Get a credit card that matches how you spend.
Last year, we spent more than £600 billion on credit and debit cards according to the UK Cards Association. That's a new record, up 8.1% on 2013.
While the bulk of that spending was on debit cards, the number of purchases with a credit card is growing too. The total number of credit card purchases increased by 8.4% to 2.8 billion over the year, accounting for £166 billion worth of transactions.
So with credit card use on the rise and so many to choose from, we’ve picked out the best to go for based on a variety of different spending habits. So whether you're a habitual credit card spender or only have one for emergencies, we've worked out the very best plastic friend for you.
The everyday spender
The UK Cards Association found shoppers are increasingly using their cards for lower value payments as an alternative to cash and for online purchases.
This habit of putting everyday spending onto a card is particularly beneficial if focused on a cashback credit card. That’s because you won’t have to go out of your way to spend more in order to reap the benefits.
The Santander 123 Credit Card for example can cover most everyday spends. It offers an ongoing 1% cashback on supermarket purchases, 2% at department stores and 3% on fuel and rail travel.
The card also comes with 23 months of 0% interest on purchases which is unusual for a cashback deal. Other deals typically won't offer any 0% deal on purchases so if you choose an alternative like the American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card you will need to make sure you pay back what you spend to avoid interest kicking in and detracting from your rewards.
Remember though, the Santander card will set you back £24 a year.
Find other top deals in the best cashback credit cards.
The weekly shop spender
Cardholders spent the most on food and drink last year. According to the UK Cards Association we shelled out a whopping £107 billion.
Though a fair amount probably went on restaurants and nights out, I’d bet more went on the weekly shop. If this type of spending sounds familiar a supermarket reward credit card could be beneficial.
The Tesco Clubcard 21-Month 0% Purchase Credit Card for example allows you to earn Clubcard points as you spend. You’ll get five for every £4 spent in store and on Tesco fuel or one for every £4 spent elsewhere. Clubcard points can be turned into Tesco vouchers or used for days out, cinema trips, restaurant meals and much more.
Sainsbury’s, Asda and M&S also have rewarding credit cards on offer for loyal shoppers. Check out how they all shape up in the best reward credit cards.
The big purchase spender
If you have to make big one-off purchases for something like a train season ticket or a new boiler, a cashback credit card or a 0% purchase credit card could be beneficial, depending on your circumstances.
If you have the money to pay back what you spend right away, a cashback credit card will be rewarding. With the fee-free American Express Platinum Cashback Everyday Credit Card for example you can get 5% on spending of up to £2,000 in your first three months. Thereafter the card earns tiered rates of cashback up to 1.25%.
But if you don’t have a big lump sum saved up you can use a 0% purchase credit card to spread the cost. Right now the Santander 123 Credit Card offers the longest 0% period at 23 months. It does come with a £24 annual fee though.
Take a look at more best buys in the best cashback credit cards and the best 0% purchase credit cards.
The emergency spender
If you only want a credit card to use in an emergency, your perfect match is a probably low APR credit card. This way, even if you can't pay the balance off in one go, you won't be whacked with massive interest charges on top.
These cards don’t come with any 0% introductory periods, instead they offer a consistently low rate which means you know exactly where you stand when you use it. It’s a good card to have as a backup to cope with an unexpected situation like your car breaking down.
[SPOTLIGHT]The Halifax Low Rate Card, Lloyds Bank Platinum Low Rate Credit Card and Bank of Scotland Low Rate Credit Card all offer a market-leading low rate of 6.45% APR.
For more best buys check out The best low APR credit cards.
The holiday spender
We spent £42 billion on travel last year according to the UK Cards Association figures and a further £16 billion on hotels using our cards.
If you’ve planned a few holidays abroad this year you may benefit from teaming up with a credit card that offers fee-free overseas transactions.
One of the best is the Post Office Platinum Credit Card. It won’t charge you a fee for any purchases you make abroad. You can also avoid a cash advance fee when using the credit card to order currency or travellers cheques with the Post Office.
Read the best credit cards to use on your travels for more.
The charity spender
If you enjoy supporting charities, you can get credit cards that donate each time you spend.
MBNA for example has a range supporting the British Heart Foundation, RSPCA, WWF, The National Trust and PDSA.
They all pay a one off donation the first time you spend ranging from £4 to £20, as well as an ongoing rate between 0.25% and 0.35% on purchases. The cards also offer 24 months of 0% interest on balance transfers (with a 2.99% transfer fee).
However these cards are pretty middle of the road. A cashback credit card pays much more on purchases compared to what the charity cards donate, which you could put towards helping your cause, while there are much longer balance transfers available on the market.
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