Credit card providers

Doing your research is important when making any major decision and the same applies when choosing a new credit card.

There are lots of things to consider, such as why you need a credit card and what your credit rating looks like. For example, if you need to transfer debt from an existing credit card, a balance transfer card might be for you. Or, if you want to spread the cost of a big purchase, you might want to compare interest-free credit cards.

It is also valuable to look into how different credit card deals and providers have been reviewed by fellow customers.

For all the latest credit card facts and statistics visit our report.

The UK’s best-reviewed credit card providers

1. First Direct - 4.10 out of 5

Trustpilot score: 4.3

Which? Consumer Score: 78%

First by name and nature is First Direct, which scores 4.3 on Trustpilot and 78% with Which? 

Part of the HSBC group, First Direct was one of the first banks to offer 24/7 service to its customers back in 1989.

Today its reputation for great service clearly holds up, regularly topping customer service awards and surveys.

2. John Lewis Finance - 3.98 out of 5

Trustpilot score: 4.2

Which? Consumer Score: 75%

In second is John Lewis Finance, which offers the John Lewis Partnership Credit Card. This allows you to earn cashback when shopping at both the store itself and at Waitrose, scoring 4.2 out of 5 with Trustpilot and 75% with Which?

This credit card allows you to earn 5 points for every £4 you spend at the 2 stores, or 1 point for every £4 spent elsewhere.

However, it’s worth noting that the card is currently being relaunched with NewDay, having previously been partnered with HSBC.

3. Tesco Bank - 3.83 out of 5

Trustpilot score: 4.0

Which? Consumer Score: 73%

Tesco Bank is run by the supermarket of the same name and comes in third place with scores of 4.0 with Trustpilot and 73% with Which?

They offer a wide range of credit card deals including balance transfer, purchase, credit building and all-round credit cards.

Tesco Bank has been praised for its low foreign transaction fees, customer service and easy-to-use mobile app. What’s more, you can also earn Tesco Clubcard points, even if you’re shopping elsewhere.

The UK’s best-reviewed credit cards

1. Tesco Bank Clubcard Credit Card (3 types) - 4.59 out of 5

Smart Money People score: 4.17

Defaqto star rating: 5

Three very similar credit cards are tied in first position, each coming from Tesco Bank with an average score of 4.59 out of 5. 

They’re all variations on Tesco’s Clubcard Credit Card and each scored 4.17 with Smart Money People and a perfect 5 stars on Defaqto.

The first is Tesco’s 20/20 Balance Transfer and Purchases credit card which gives you 0% interest on both balance transfers and purchases for 20 months.

It’s joined by the supermarket’s standard purchase credit card and All Round 15 Months credit card, which as the name suggests, offers a 15-month interest-free period.

4. M&S Bank Reward Card - 4.19 out of 5

Smart Money People score: 3.38

Defaqto star rating: 5

Following the trio of Tesco Bank credit cards in first place is the M&S Bank Reward credit card, which scores 3.38 with Smart Money People and 5 out of 5 with Defaqto.

Obviously, this card is ideal for anyone who shops at M&S, but even if you only pop in now and then, it's still a good credit card to have.

It offers 0% interest on new purchases and balance transfers for 12 months and you can boost your rewards by using it alongside a Sparks card at M&S.

5. Nationwide Member Credit Card - 4.12 out of 5

Smart Money People score: 4.24

Defaqto star rating: 4

Completing the top 5 is Nationwide’s Member Credit Card, which scores 4.24 on Smart Money People and 4 out of 5 with Defaqto.

Nationwide’s member credit card comes with a choice of 0% offers and also allows you to make unlimited commission-free purchases when overseas. This makes it a great option if you’re a frequent traveller.

You can choose from the Balance Transfer credit card which gives 0% on transfers for 18 months, or the All Rounder offer, which gives 0% on transfers and purchases for 15 months.

Card providers with the longest terms & conditions

Taking out a credit card is a serious financial commitment, so there’s understandably a lot of fine print. The terms and conditions outline the agreement between you and the provider and are designed to protect both sides. However, they can be pretty extensive, which means that despite their importance, most of us are guilty of just skimming them at best.

But which providers have the wordiest terms and conditions documents?

Vanquis Bank’s terms and conditions stretch over 33 pages, made up of a total of 18,390 words. To put that into context, that would take over an hour to read (assuming a reading speed of 275 words per minute).

That’s around 4,000 more words than the Bank of Scotland in second, which is closely followed by Lloyds Bank.

On the other hand, some providers make their T&Cs much more succinct, such as M&S Bank, which has just under 6,000 words. However, that would still take 21 minutes and 40 seconds to read fully!