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  Compare Credit Card and Balance Transfer Hints

Below you can find top ten hints and tips for your Credit Card and Balance Transfers to help you decide which card is the best credit card that may also be able to save you money on Balance Transfers. Let us make things easier for you with our Credit Card guide. Remember - you can compare credit cards with great zero interest promotional deals by visiting our Credit Cards Balance Transfer comparison tables.

1. Keep on top of your Credit Card payment.

If you make payments to your credit card late, then you will be fined up to £12 by the credit card provider. This was capped by the Office of Fair Trading earlier this year. Remember even though you may think that this doesn't seem like much, you also need to consider the damage that this may be doing to your credit rating. If you are unable to make payments that are due to your credit card, then contact the credit card provider and let them know, do not bury your head in the sand! You could also set up a direct debit to pay the minimum amount, this will save you from late payment fees and also the negative effect on your credit score.

2. Cash Back Credit Cards

Some Credit cards offer cash back on purchases and other rewards which can be extremely beneficial to you. One thing to remember though is to make sure that you pay the maximum balance off each month as the interest is always more than the reward.

Always make sure that you know if the interest on credit card purchases is accrued at the end of the month or from the time that the payment is made.

These Cash Back Credit Cards can be good if you’re very disciplined at paying off the credit card balance (as you will incur little or no interest and can gain credit card rewards benefits such as air miles). To make the most of this type of Credit Card you will need to spend as much as you can on the Credit Card. An example of this is that you may need to spend around £50,000 to earn enough air miles to get to New York and back with Amex.

3. Rebuilding Your Credit Score

By taking out a Credit Card you can help to build up your credit score. Not having a previous history of borrowing money and of coourse paying it back can sometimes make it more difficult to obtain credit. Even if you won't use it much, obtaining a Credit Card is better than having savings and no credit history.

If you already have a poor credit rating, with things like CCJs and/or defaulted payments, you need to repay your outstanding debts before you can work on improving your credit rating.

Once you have paid back your outstanding debt you could take out a card that is designed specifically for people with poor credit rating. The interest rates on these credit cards are extremely high compared to other low rate credit cards this is to reflect the risk that the Credit Card providers are taking with you. As long as the Credit Card is used sensibly and you stay on top of any repayments you can rebuild your credit score.

4. Prepaid Cards

This is a new kind of Card that is aimed at younger people and those not yet in a position to take credit. The pre-pay cards can be topped up in a shop, over the phone or online, use the Visa and Mastercard systems to offer a new way of staying on top of spending.

These prepaid cards mean that you can’t overspend, they do cost a lot. There are fees associated with opening the card, a monthly maintenance fee, transaction and loading fees and charges for using ATMs and for using your card abroad. Despite the charges pre-pay cards are good for people who are bad with their money, or for giving to teenagers.

5. Dont use a '0% Balance Transfer' Credit Card for Purchases

It may well be worth taking out a second Credit Card for new Credit Card purchases as they will not be included in your 0% Balance Transfer rate. Using a fixed low-rate card for purchases or a Credit Card with a 0% introductory rate on Credit Card Purchases can help to save you lots of money, as your Balance Transfer Credit Card will take payments to pay off the debt, meaning that you won’t be making any contribution to your new Credit Card purchases.

Remember - Credit Cards can be a very expensive form of borrowing and you need to have a good and realistic repayment plan in place to stay on top of it.

6. Most Credit Cards aren't good for taking out Cash.

Withdrawing cash on a Credit Card is never free, even on those low rate Credit Cards or Credit Cards with special introductory Card Purchase or Balance Transfer rates. The interest is added to your Credit Card account from the moment that you take the money from the ATM.

As well as this a lot of Credit Card providers and banks are widening the category of 'cash transactions' or 'instant cash transactions' to cover the likes of online gambling. Check your terms and conditions and make sure that you are aware of all exclusions applied by your Credit Card so that you ensure that you don’t get caught out with charges that you aren't expecting on your Credit Card.

7. Low Standard Interest Rate Deals

If you don't find that you can put the effort into finding a new Credit Card with a low introductory rate each time your introductory rate on your old Credit Card is about to finish then you should think about going for a Credit Card with the lowest typical APR.

8. Sometimes it can be worth paying a Credit Card charge

Most Credit Cards now charge fees for balance transfers. These can vary greatly from a minimum fee or a percentage of the balance that you would like to transfer. The Credit Card providers started charging fees due to people who continually move their balances to avoid paying off their debt - known as 'Rate Surfers' or 'Rate Tarts'. However this has also ended up leading to some longer interest free periods. Even if you have to pay £50 to transfer your balance, you may well make it back in saved interest over the longer interest free period.

If you have a larger balance that you would like to transfer then work out what the fee will be. If it is a percentage fee with no maximum then the fee can get quite hefty.

9. Take into account the length of your Balance Transfer

There are lots of various offers available when choosing a new Credit Card. You should always be aware of what you want a Credit Card for, and also what your capabilities are to be able to pay back the debt. If you know you will be able to pay the Credit Card balance off during the introductory interest free period, then a 0% interest offer for balance transfers would be very good for your circumstances. However you must try to be realistic, if you are going to transfer a large amount of debt then going for a deal that is for the 'life of the balance' with a low fixed monthly rate will probably work out cheaper for you in the long run.

10. Are Credit Cards the best way for you to borrow money?

Many Credit Card users have moved their Credit Card balances around for years making use of introductory periods and only paying off the minimum amout each month. However you need to keep in mind that having many Credit Cards and only making minimum payments each month is regarded badly by many credit reference agencies.

0% balance transfers should not be totally relied upon. If you are one of the people who move their balance every nine months to avoid paying it off, you could be leaving a long trail of Credit Cards behind you and could find that new Credit Cards may no longer be willing to take you.

 

Hopefully our Credit Card Guide has helped you decide what credit card may be suitable for you! Click here to compare some great Balance Transfer Credit Card Deals.

 

 





 
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