Moving house is expensive - especially if you need to buy a lot of furniture to fill it, you need to equip a kitchen or you have some home improvements to pay for. A 0% purchase card can let you spread the cost of these purchases interest-free.
A 0% purchase card enables you to spend on credit and spread the cost of your purchases over several months without being charged any interest.
For example, if you make a purchase worth £1,500 on a 0% purchase card with an interest-free period of 20 months, you can settle what you owe without interest by repaying £75 every month.
The length of the interest-free period can range from just three months and go up to around 21 months on some cards. However, the 0% interest period you get depends on your credit history and individual finances.
Once the 0% introductory period ends, you'll be charged interest based on the card's revert rate for any outstanding balance on your card.
Moving house is expensive - especially if you need to buy a lot of furniture to fill it, you need to equip a kitchen or you have some home improvements to pay for. A 0% purchase card can let you spread the cost of these purchases interest-free.
Getting a 0% purchase card ahead of a big trip abroad can let you pay for flights and accommodation, then pay back the money in instalments over the introductory period. You also get extra refund rights if your holiday is cancelled thanks to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
Weddings are one of the most expensive days of your life but are planned months in advance. Interest-free purchase cards come into their own when you know you'll be spending a lot of cash in a short amount of time and want to split that cost over months or even years to come. In many ways, it's a perfect match.
Equipping a nursery and buying car seats, cots, prams and baby monitors - you can get all of this ahead of time and then pay back the sum in interest-free instalments, keeping costs manageable.
Moving house is expensive - especially if you need to buy a lot of furniture to fill it, you need to equip a kitchen or you have some home improvements to pay for. A 0% purchase card can let you spread the cost of these purchases interest-free.
Getting a 0% purchase card ahead of a big trip abroad can let you pay for flights and accommodation, then pay back the money in instalments over the introductory period. You also get extra refund rights if your holiday is cancelled thanks to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
Weddings are one of the most expensive days of your life but are planned months in advance. Interest-free purchase cards come into their own when you know you'll be spending a lot of cash in a short amount of time and want to split that cost over months or even years to come. In many ways, it's a perfect match.
Equipping a nursery and buying car seats, cots, prams and baby monitors - you can get all of this ahead of time and then pay back the sum in interest-free instalments, keeping costs manageable.
Combination 0% purchase cards offer an interest-free period on both purchases and balance transfers. You need to be careful here as the two 0% periods do not always match, and the balance transfer element can come with a transfer fee.
Some 0% purchase cards come with rewards for spending on them, meaning you get to spread the cost of your purchases interest-free and get a bonus on top. Rewards for spending can include supermarket points, Avios and even straight-up cash back.
A few 0% purchase cards are available for people with relatively low credit scores. These typically offer shorter 0% periods - typically between three and six months - and lower credit limits than prime cards. But they can be a valuable option for those without an excellent credit score.
Combination 0% purchase cards offer an interest-free period on both purchases and balance transfers. You need to be careful here as the two 0% periods do not always match, and the balance transfer element can come with a transfer fee.
Some 0% purchase cards come with rewards for spending on them, meaning you get to spread the cost of your purchases interest-free and get a bonus on top. Rewards for spending can include supermarket points, Avios and even straight-up cash back.
A few 0% purchase cards are available for people with relatively low credit scores. These typically offer shorter 0% periods - typically between three and six months - and lower credit limits than prime cards. But they can be a valuable option for those without an excellent credit score.
Our editors have picked out some of our best 0% purchase card deals.
This credit card is available to new HSBC customers and there are no annual or monthly fees. You also get 0% balance transfers for 17 months, 0% on purchases for 18 months, and a host of exclusive discounts and offers through HSBC Home and Away.”
Representative example: The standard interest rate on purchases is 24.9% p.a. (variable), so if you borrow £1,200 the Representative APR will be 24.9% (variable).
We are classed as a credit broker for consumer credit, not a lender.
The amount you can borrow depends on your credit limit. This is the maximum amount your provider is willing to let you borrow on your credit card, and it will depend on factors such as your credit history, your income and how much debt you already have.
The credit limit of a credit card can range from just a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands of pounds. You can borrow any amount at any time within this limit.
Most credit card providers won’t tell you your credit limit until after you’ve applied for your card and they’ve assessed your suitability for the card you’ve chosen.
CardFinder is a tool that matches you with the credit cards you're likely to get based on your needs and circumstances. It uses a “soft search” credit check, so your credit score will not be affected.
It's a good idea for most people to use CardFinder because it ensures that you only apply for the cards you can get, which means you won’t hurt your credit score through rejected applications
CardFinder is a quick and low-risk way to ensure you only apply for a card you're likely to be accepted for.”
Before deciding whether a 0% purchase card is right for you, it’s important to consider the alternatives.
Personal loan
If you need to borrow a fairly large sum of money, say £10,000, you’re unlikely to be able to use a credit card as most credit limits won’t stretch far enough. A better alternative could be a personal loan which will let you borrow a lump sum of money (often up to £25,000) over a set term of say one to five years.
Your monthly repayments will be fixed, not flexible as they are with a credit card, but this can make personal loans better for those who need to budget. You’ll also need to pay interest on your repayments, but interest rates can be competitive for sums of between £7,500 and £15,000.
Overdraft
If you only need to borrow from time to time and your borrowing requirements are fairly small, another option is an overdraft. If you don’t already have an overdraft on your current account, applying for one is usually straightforward and your overdraft will often be ready to use instantly. It’s best to look for an overdraft that’s interest-free, otherwise rates can be high. If you can’t get an interest-free overdraft, aim to pay off your overdraft as soon as possible.
Money transfer credit card
A third option is to use a 0% money transfer credit card. This enables you to move money from your credit card into your bank account. You can then use these funds to pay for a purchase or pay off debt. Interest-free periods can last several months, but you’ll usually need to pay a transfer fee of up to 4%. Remember that if you don’t pay off your balance in full before the 0% deal ends, interest will kick in.
A less-than-perfect credit rating doesn't mean you'll automatically be rejected for cards - but it can limit your choices.
Each provider makes up its own mind about what it considers important when looking at an application. That means even if you've been rejected by one credit card provider, you might not be rejected by another. But a rejection letter or email from one card provider should absolutely not be seen as a signal to apply to everybody else.
Card lenders share details of who's applying for what with each other – lots of applications in a short space of time can make you look desperate for cash and that will actively hurt your chances of being accepted.
The key is to use an eligibility checker before applying to see what you're more likely to be approved for. People with better credit scores will generally qualify for more cards, with longer 0% purchase periods.
You will see the number of deals and the length of the interest-free periods go down the worse your credit score gets. But even with a bad credit rating, you might still find someone willing to offer you a deal.
APR stands for “Annual Percentage Rate” and is the total cost of borrowing over 12 months. For example, if your APR is 20%, you will be charged 20p for every £1 borrowed over the course of 12 months. If you pay your balance in full and on time, you will not pay interest.
Some credit cards come with an annual fee, which you pay to use the card. This is separate from interest charges on balances. The fee is charged once a year and typically appears as a one-time fee on your credit card statement.
Withdrawing money from an ATM on a credit card is known as a cash advance, and it nearly always attracts a cash withdrawal fee, usually of around 3%. In addition, interest is charged on cash withdrawals from the day you take the money out, sacrificing your standard interest-free period.
Several other transactions - including buying stocks and shares, foreign currency and lottery tickets - are frequently treated as “cash-like” transactions by card providers and have the same rules and fees applied to them.
Your credit limit is the amount you can borrow on your credit card at any one time. If you exceed this amount, you can be charged a fee - typically £12 - and it can leave a mark on your credit report.
You won’t usually find out your credit limit until the end of an application process - although you can ask your provider to increase – or decrease – your credit limit at any time.
Credit limits are set based on your credit history and your earnings.
Once you've reached your credit limit, you need to make a payment to bring down your balance before you can use the card again. Find out more in our guide to credit limits.
Your credit score is calculated based on your credit history. Each credit reference agency has its own method of calculating this.
Your credit score will go up for things like making payments on time and down for things like being late or defaulting on a loan. Typically, the higher your score, the more likely you are to be offered a lower rate of interest or higher credit limit.
There is no absolute pass or fail mark attached to a credit score, with each lender making its own decision on what it considers acceptable.
A Direct Debit is when you give a company permission to take payments automatically from your bank account. It decides the amount, but you are free to cancel the arrangement. For example, you can set up a Direct Debit to pay off your credit card. This could be for the minimum amount due, a fixed sum, or the entire balance.
Minimum eligibility criteria define the attributes the provider expects customers to have before offering them a product. They’re designed to help customers understand if they should proceed with an application.
Meeting the minimum eligibility criteria is not a guarantee of approval. Eligibility criteria include factors such as age, salary and sometimes other details, depending on the product.
If you buy something abroad or from an overseas website, you are likely to be hit with a foreign transaction fee, which is often around 3% of the total payment.
Some credit cards charge no foreign transaction fees and are designed for use abroad. However, cash withdrawals tend to incur an additional cost, whether at home or abroad. The exchange will be based on Mastercard or Visa currency rates (depending on who issues your credit card).
Interest-free credit cards allow you to either transfer a balance, make purchases or transfer cash to a current account without paying any interest on your balance for a set period. However, you must keep making at least the minimum monthly repayment during this time.
Once the 0% deal is over, you will be charged interest on any remaining debt at your standard APR. With balance transfers and money transfers, you will usually have to pay a transfer fee.
Credit card introductory offers include bonus reward points, extra cashback, 0% on balance transfers or 0% on purchases.
Introductory offers are used to attract new customers, but once they expire, they revert to the standard offer or rate. When this happens, you should check if you’re still getting the best deal or whether you need to switch to a different credit card.
It usually takes around 10 days for your card to arrive once you have applied. Here is how long it can take and how to speed up the process.
Yes, your credit record matters as it helps lenders decide whether to accept you as well as what APR and credit limit they will offer you.
The best way to repay your credit card is to set up a Direct Debit to pay off the full balance. This means you will never miss a payment or pay interest. Here are all the ways to repay.
Your provider will set a minimum amount you have to pay back each month. However, it’s best to pay off more than this if you can. If you don’t meet the minimum payment, you will be charged a fee of around £12, and the missed payment will be noted on your credit record.
No, you can't do a balance transfer unless it is to a combined balance transfer and purchases card. If you do this, you can transfer what you owe on a credit card to a new deal with a better interest rate.
Below you can find a list of our most popular credit cards:
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Rachel has spent the majority of her career writing about personal finance for leading price comparison sites and the national press, including for the Mail on Sunday, The Observer, The Spectator, the Evening Standard, Forbes UK and The Sun.