Treat yourself to a 0% purchase credit card and shop till you drop
Christmas is a time for giving and there is nothing better than knowing you have found that perfect present for a friend or family member.
But of course, presents costs money, as does festive food and that essential new outfit for the office Christmas party.
However, there is a way to have your Christmas cake and eat it. By getting yourself a 0% purchase credit card you can buy all the necessities - and the extra touches - without worrying about spiralling interest costs.
How do they work?
Purchase cards offer you interest-free credit on all purchases you make for a set period. It could be anything from three months to a year, but during that time you will not be charged a penny on any purchases made with your card.
This means that you can buy all your festive goodies and start to repay the debt in the New Year without seeing your balance rise because of interest charges. At the end of the 0% purchase period you will revert to the provider’s standard rate and begin paying interest.
Top 0% purchase cards
One of the best purchase cards on the market is from Sainsbury’s Finance and comes with a whole host of perks. First it gives you a generous 10 months’ interest-free credit on all purchases made with your card. In addition, it gives you 10 months at 0% on any balances transferred over to the card, before you revert to its 15.9% APR. And it doesn’t stop there. You can also get interest-free credit on all shopping you do at Sainsbury’s for 12 months plus double Nectar Card points.
Bank of Scotland and sister company Halifax also offer the leading purchase credit cards, offering you nine months’ interest-free credit on all purchases made on your card. This means you can get your Christmas shopping done, and maybe a little treat in the January sales, and still have months to chip away at your debt before you are charged a penny of interest.
Name |
Intro Balance Transfer |
Intro Purchases |
APR Typical (variable) |
Sainsbury's |
0.0% for 10 months - 3% fee |
0.0% for 10 months |
15.90% |
Bank of Scotland |
0.0% for 9 months - 3% fee |
0.0% for 9 months |
15.90% |
MBNA Platinum |
0.0% for 13 months - 2.9% fee |
0.0% for 3 months |
15.90% |
Get your 0% card now
With Christmas just around the corner you’ll have to be quick to get your 0% purchase card in time for the festive shopping. But if you apply now, you could have your new card in time for that all-important Christmas present shopping.
If you need a different type of credit card, remember Confused.com has a huge range to suit all borrowers’ needs, such as balance transfer deals, rewards and cashback card and low APR options.
*Correct as of 10/11/09. Balance transfer fee applies
