This is an effort to provide a comprehensive and unbiased opinion and review on the credit card market in UK. In our process of review we measured various credit card offers on parameters such as APR, annual fees, balance transfer, reward programs, standard rates, purchases percentage, flexibility for bad credit history etc. While some proved great on one parameter or the other there were some, which were all round winners.
Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards
These cards have low balance transfer percentages and ability to save you thousands of pounds every year. While some offer 0% balance transfer for initial period others offer a fixed percentage of balance transfer with low APR (4 to 6%) and standard rate (10 to 13%). Marbles Credit cards, Egg credit card and Morgan Stanley credit card offer 0% balance transfer in initial period along with low APR and purchase percentage. Whereas Amex Blue and Capital One credit cards offer low balance rates of about 5.9% and low standard rates of about 10 to 13 %.
Best Reward Program Credit Cards
These cards offer best deals in cash back, reward points and free air miles. They are beneficial if you make frequent purchases against your credit card. However, you must select the card that suits your needs or else there is no point accumulating air miles if you never fly. Further, you must take care that these cards have high rate of interest so make sure your spending habits earn your more than the interests takes away. Morgan Stanley. GM Platinum, Amex Blue and Virgin air miles cards are the best reward Program Credit cards available in UK market.
Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit
Some credit card companies take a flexible approach in regards to poor credit history and issue these special credit cards for those with bad credit history. They generally have high interest rate with little or no annual fee, 0% balance transfer, 0% purchases, fairly liberal credit limits and longer interest free grace periods. However, you must use them to steer you through troubled waters and not to aggravate your problem. Barclaycard, Citibank Classic Plus and Capital One Classic credit cards together own the largest slice of bad credit rating credit cards market in UK. They offer the best deals in terms of credit limits, APR, grace period, annual fee etc.
There are several credit cards such as Amex Platinum, Barclaycard, Cahoot low interest, Cahoot Platinum, Morgan Stanley, Egg, Marbles and Virgin credit cards that are the best because of their overall features and benefits. Whereas there are other like Co-operative bank and Cahoot credit cards that provide best deals in standard rates or like Egg and Morgan Stanley credit cards that offer lowest purchase rates.