It may be very tempting to think that in order to get the best UK credit card you need to look for the cheapest card available. Tempting as it may be, it would also be wrong. In order to know whether or not you have the best on offer, you need to make sure that the card meets most, if not all, of your needs. And to that, you need to look at what the card offers:
Fees
In order to be considered among the best deals lists of cards on offer, a number of providers advertise low annual percentage rates of interest, but counter for this by charging their cardholders fees for being members. These fees can include transaction fees and annual membership fees. If you find that your UK credit card company is charging you fees, but a lower APR than other companies are, you may find that adding the amount you pay in fees to the APR you are being charged makes the amount you pay at the end of the day more than if you had selected a card provider who offered a slightly higher APR, but with no fees.
Interest free credit days
These days not all providers offer the same number of interest free credit days in which to make payment following a purchase on your card. Indeed, the number of interest free credit days can be as varied as 36 54 days. So, what's better, to have a UK credit card provider that offers a lower rate of interest but for 36 days, or a UK card issuer that has a slightly higher rate of interest but gives you 54 days of interest free grace before charging you interest on the balance?
Loyalty programs
It is possible, with loyalty programs, to make your credit card work for you. Consider: what if you had a UK credit card company that offered you cash-back rewards with every purchase you made but at a marginally higher APR against a card company that offered you no reward program with a slightly lower APR. Which would be better for you? Well, obviously this would depending on your habit, but is you were the type of card user that paid off your balance at the end of each month, then most certainly the card issuer that offered you the cash-back reward program would be better for you!
Insurance
Under the law, UK credit card companies must offer you insurance on the product that you purchase, i.e. within a select number of days you can return the gift if it is faulty. But, does this apply to overseas purchases? Does it apply to items you break yourself? Indeed, will your card provider offer you additional insurances, like medical insurance when you travel or holiday cancellation insurance when you buy your holiday with your credit card? If not, you may need to purchase these separately and the additional cost may end up costing you more than additional cost of your slightly more expensive credit card.
Determining whether or not you are getting the best UK credit card deal depends very much on what you intend to use the credit card for. One thing it will most probably not depend on, however, is whether the card is the cheapest card available on the market.
In today's society, especially with the internet, it's very seldom that you need to pay full price for anything anymore. The same goes for gasoline . Credit card companies offer a range of reward based credit cards that include savings on gasoline. The nice thing about these gas credit cards are that you're able to save so much per gallon.
If you're unfamiliar how gas credit cards work, it's not a tough process to comprehend at all. A gas credit card is simply a credit card with a reward. It's no different than a card that gives cash back or bonus airline miles. It simply gives back a percentage of your fill-up. Almost every gas credit card will take off a certain percentage per gallon. For instance, the BP Visa credit card will take off ten percent per gallon for the first 90 days. If the current price is three dollars a gallon, you're only going to have to pay $2.70. That's a savings of 30 cents per gallon! You can only imagine how quick it adds up.
Gas credit cards vary from a basic reward card to a credit card that can only be used a particular gasoline station. What you'll find out is that if you apply for a credit card that is only to be used at a certain gas station, you'll be able to save more per gallon compared to a reward card. A reward card is different because not only will you be able to save on gas but you can also get rebates on groceries and other things in that realm.
What type of gas reward credit card should I go for? This is up to you. If you fill up at the same gas station every week, then we would suggest you get a credit card that focuses on 1 gas station, so that you can save more money per gallon. If you're the type that travels a lot and you travel along a lot of foreign grounds, you may find it tough to find the gas station you're looking for. This is when a rewards gas credit card will come in handy. You're not going to be able to save as much money as a sole gas credit card but you'll still be saving.
When you look at all the opportunities in the end, you'll find that most credit cards will suit you. The ones that may not suit you are the particular gas stations that aren't in your area. Even if you can't make up your mind, it never hurts to apply for two separate cards. This way you can use one at that particular gas station and if you're not near your favorite station, you can use your reward card. In the end, there's no such thing as a bad gas credit card.
Both Joseph Kenny & Tom Tessin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Joseph Kenny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Debt Consolidation and Credit Cards. Joe Kenny writes for the Credit Card Guide, offering views on in the UK, visit them today for some great. Joseph Kenny's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.
Tom Tessin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Mileage and Fuel, Education and Finances. Tom Tessin runs and maintains FINDgascards.com that focuses on ?> fuel credit card . Tom Tessin's top article generates over 673000 views. to your Favourites.