Best credit card rates

There is a huge range of credit cards on the market and it can be confusing to know which one to choose. With card fees, introductory offers, rewards and typical APR all to sift through how do you know which card would best suit your needs?

Moneywise's regular credit card roundup cuts through the small print to bring you the best credit cards in each category.

Best 0% purchase offers

The advantage of using credit cards to pay for expensive purchases, like holidays or furniture is that under the consumer credit act your money is protected in the event of a complaint or problem with the purchase. Anything bought on your credit card over the value of £100 and up to £30,000 is safeguarded but if you are going to spend large amounts on your plastic look for a credit card offering 0% on purchases.

Marks and Spencer's credit card offers 0% on purchases for 15 months. After that the typical APR is 15.9%. On top of that you'll receive one point for every £1 spent at M&S, and one point for every £2 spent elsewhere - once you have 100 points you can exchange it for a £1 M&S voucher. 

The next best option is Halifax's All In One credit card, which has a 15-month 0% purchase period. After that the typical APR is 17.9%.

Compare Credit Cards:  Compare all the credit cards in the market - filter, sort and find the best card for your situation.

Best purchase and balance transfer deals

The Halifax All In One card has a 0% interest period for 15 months on all purchases and balance transfers with a 3% balance transfer fee. After that period the standard APR is 17.9%. 
 
The Barclaycard Platinum with Purchase card pays 0% on purchases and balance transfers for 14 months with a 2.9% balance transfer fee. It's typical APR is 18.9%.

Best 0% on balance transfer offers

When looking for a balance transfer card, as well as comparing which cards have the longest 0% periods don't forget to look out for the fees too. These are around the 3% mark but some cards will also charge a minimum cash spend of £3–5 per transfer, if this is greater than the percentage fee. Depending on the size of your balance transfers, this minimum cash amount could take off some of the sheen of the 0% period.
 
The Barclaycard Platinum card with Extended Balance Transfer currently offers the longest 0% introductory period at 22 months, with a 2.9% handling fee. Customers must carry out a balance transfer within the first 60 days of account opening. The standard APR is 17.9%. You will need an income of at least £20,000 and to be over 21 to apply.

Halifax have the next best balance transfer credit card. It also has a 22-month 0% period for balance transfers but the fee is slightly higher at 3.5%. This card is available to anyone aged over 18 who earns more than £20,000 a year. The standard APR is 17.9%.

Anyone with a smaller income could go for Natwest's Platinum card which offers 0% on balance transfers for 20 months with a 2.9% fee. This card is available to people with a good credit rating and a minimum income of £10,000 a year. The standard APR is 17.9%.

Low standard rates

If your debt is so large you won't be able to clear it during the 0% periods on offer then consider going for a low-rate card. these can sometimes work out cheaper than paying repeated balance transfer fees as you shuffle your debt around. 

Sainsbury's low rate credit card charges 6.9% APR and there is no balance transfer charge. However, unlike other Sainsburys cards, cardholders cannot earn nectar points with this card.

The next best option is the Barclaycard Platinum Simplicity card, which charges 7.9% APR and has no balance transfer fee. Cardholders can't do balance transfers between other Barclaycards and to be eligible for this card applicants must be over 21 and have at least four years good credit history.

Rewards and cashback

The best rewards card will differ widely depending on spending habits and personal taste but here are a few enticing offers.

Collect one clubcard point for every £4 spent on all purchases with the Tesco Clubcard Credit Card. Because it also doubles as a Tesco Clubcard you can collect your credit card points on top of your usual clubcard points when shopping at Tesco. Typical APR is 16.9%; however, you can get 0% on purchases for 15 months and 0% on balance transfer for nine months with a 2.9% fee.

Santander's 123 credit card pays varying rates of cashback depending on what you are buying. You can get 3% on fuel, 2% on department store spending and 1% cashback on supermarket spending. The card has an 22.8% APR, though so clear your balance each month. The card also has an annual fee of £24.

American Express Platinum Cashback offers a 5% introductory cashback rate for the first three months, up to a maximum of £100. The card then pays 0.5–1.25% on your purchases, with the cashback rate dependent on your total annual spend. Typical APR is 18.5%.

Lloyds TSB Airmiles Duo gives card users two cards: an American Express, which accrues airmiles, now known as Avios, at a faster rate and a mastercard to be used where Amex isn't accepted. You'll also receive 1,500 bonus Avios points for every £1,000 you transfer to the card from a single provider - although givent the APR is 15.9% only move balances you can clear quickly.

Foreign usage

If you go away a lot then look for a credit card that doesn't charge for overseas use. The Nationwide Select Card, Saga Platinum, Halifax Rewards Clarity and Post Office Platinum cards don't charge any foreign purchase fees worldwide.