Millions of us are looking forward to the long Easter bank holiday weekend, and this year we're set to enjoy two four-day weekends as we celebrate the Royal Wedding on 29 April and the first May Bank Holiday on 2 May.
The bank holiday bonanza means many of us will seize the opportunity to get out and about, either going away for the long weekends, or making the most of local attractions.
Whatever you decide to do, the chances are you may end up putting any expenses run up over the breaks on a credit card, so here's our guide to the top ten cards for your bank holiday spending...
Best cards for purchases
If you want a card with a lengthy interest-free introductory period on spending, then there are plenty of good offers to choose from. Remember to clear your balance before the interest-free period ends, however, or you could end up paying steep rates on interest on your debt.
This card offers a generous 15 months interest-free introductory period on purchases, as well as a rewards scheme. You earn one point for every £1 spent at M&S and one point for every £2 spent elsewhere. Once you have 100 M&S points, you'll get a £1 reward voucher to spend in store.The card also entitles you to buy M&S Travel Money with no cash advance or foreign exchange fees.
Make sure you pay off the debt within the first 15 months, as after that the card charges a typical representative annual percentage rate (APR) of 15.9% variable.
The Tesco credit card offers 13 months interest-free on purchases, and is a good bet if you have outstanding debts on other cards too, as it also doesn't charge interest on balance transfers for nine months. It's a particularly useful option for regular Tesco shoppers as it doubles up as a Clubcard too, enabling you to collect points as you shop. Again, make sure you pay off any debts within the 13-month interest-free period, as after that the card has a representative APR of 16.9% variable.
The NatWest Classic card also offers 13 months at 0% on purchases and also on balance transfers, after which the interest rate jumps to 17.9%. The card doesn't come with any rewards when you spend, but it does come with cardholder benefits from MasterCard. Offers include a 7.5% discount with Virgin Holidays when you use your NatWest MasterCard, as well as 15% off any of the Champneys Health Resorts standard day packages or residential breaks. However, the card is only available to NatWest current account customers, so you must either already have a NatWest current account or open one in order to be eligible to apply. After the interest-free period is up, the card has a representative APR of 17.95% variable.
This card may not come with rewards, but it does offer 0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers. This card is exclusively available to Nectar card holders who have swiped their card in store in the last 6 months, but if you haven't already got a Nectar card you can pick one up free in Sainsbury's stores. If you are not a Nectar card customer you will receive 0% for 10 months on balance transfers and purchases and 0% for 12 months on all Sainsbury's shopping. Once the 0% period has ended, the card charges a representative APR of 15.9% variable on balance transfers and purchases.
You won't be charged any interest on purchases for the first 12 months with this card and you can also pick up rewards when you spend. Rather than earning points, you earn Reward Money at over 30,000 participating retailers, which you may then be able to redeem on your next transaction at selected stores. After the introductory period, this card has a typical representative APR of 16.9% variable on purchases. As with most credit cards, don't be tempted to use it for cash withdrawals - not only will you be charged a higher APR of 27.9% but you'll also have to fork out a 2.5% cash withdrawal fee, with a minimum charge of £2.50.
Best Reward and Cashback cards
If you can be certain that you will clear your balance every month without fail, then you should choose a card which rewards you when you spend. Here is our pick of the top cashback and reward cards...
This card pays 1.50% cashback on most supermarket and fuel purchases, plus 0.75% on all spending elsewhere. Unlike some cashback offers, there's no cap on the amount you can earn, and you don't have to pay an annual fee either. If you leave a balance on the card, you'll pay a representative APR of 18.9% variable, so it's important to pay off what you owe every month.
This card offers an impressive 5% introductory cashback rate for the first three months (up to a maximum of £100), while the long-term cashback rate varies according to the amount you spend on the card. Amounts up to £3,500 earn cashback at a rate of 0.5%, rising to 1% on £3,501 to £7,500 and 1.25% in excess of £7,501. If you apply for the card through moneysupermarket.com, you get an extra £10 cashback on top of this. You also don't have to pay interest on purchases for the first six months, but make sure you don't leave any debts on the card after this, or you'll end up paying a steep representative APR of 19.9% variable.
The Capital One World Mastercard does not have an introductory cashback offer, but you receive a generous 1% cashback on all purchases, as well as an extra £10 cashback every January. Cashback is not paid on balance transfers or cash advances. There is no 0% introductory offer on purchases either, but the card has a relatively low representative APR of 12.9%. The card does, however, have a small £18 annual fee.
Lloyds TSB has just boosted the rewards it offers to new customers, and is currently giving one Airmile for every £1 spent through its American Express Airmiles Duo Credit Card for the first three months of opening the account. It is also offering an extra 1,500 Airmiles for new customers making a one-off £1,500 balance transfer. The offer runs for six weeks from 30 March. Airmiles can be used on flights to over 250 worldwide destinations. The card has a representative APR of 15.9% variable.
This card is ideal for frequent BMI flyers, as if you spend £250 on card purchases within 90 days of the account opening you will receive 20,000 destination miles. That's enough for two economy tickets to Amsterdam or one return business class to Moscow. You can earn 4.5 destination miles for every £1 spent on BMI flights booked at flybmi.com, and 1.5 destination miles for every £1 spent on all other card purchases. This card offers 0% on purchases for three months, and after that has a typical representative APR of 16.9%.
By Melanie Wright, financial journalist for moneysupermarket.com
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing. Click on a highlighted product and apply direct.
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