0% Purchase
Credit Cards

These cards have 0% interest on new purchases for an introductory period for 12 months or more. This will enable you to make large purchases on items such as a car or new television and then pay off the credit over the course of a year without paying interest on those purchases

This makes a 0% purchase credit card the best choice for you if you are planning on using the card frequently for shopping. These cards essentially allow you to borrow for free as long as you pay off the debt before the interest free period ends, making them one of the most cost effective ways to borrow money.

When purchasing goods using a purchase credit card you are protected from instances where goods are faulty, are not delivered and when services are not provided. This is because when you make a purchase using the card, the retailer and the supplier of the goods in question are responsible for providing the goods as described.

Keep in mind that the 0% interest rate may not be synchronised with your normal repayment date and therefore you may end up making an interest payment on the final month of the 0% interest deal. The interest rates on purchase cards can be as high as 18% after the introductory period has ended, so it is important to avoid letting the introductory period expire while you still have debt on your purchase card.

Also it is recommended that you set up a direct debit to make managing the repayment of your credit card debt easier and to make sure that you do not miss the minimum payments and incur a penalty for doing so. You may receive penalty charges for missing payments, being late on payments or by going over your spending limit, so this is something to be careful of.

It’s important to pay off the debt on your balance transfer card within the 12 month introductory period before the interest increases from 0%. This way you will not have to pay any interest on your debt and will therefore make a significant saving. You should avoid falling into the trap of feeling safe in the knowledge that for the near future you will not be paying any interest, as this is only temporary. A good thing to do is to cut up your old credit card to take away the temptation to use it and rack up more debt; also it is advisable to set up a direct debit from your bank account to pay off the debt on your transfer credit card to make sure that you do not forget to cover your monthly payments.

In the event that you are unable to pay off your full debt before the end of the 12 month zero interest introductory period, then there are other options. Before the 12 month period is up you can transfer your debt off of the purchase card onto a 0% interest transfer card. The transfer credit card will allow you to pay no interest on the transferred debt for up to 12 months. However the transfer card will not have the advantage of 0% interest on new purchases.