- Uswitch.com>
- Credit cards>
- 0% Purchase Credit Cards - Save up to £779.66
0% purchase credit cards
Spread the cost of your purchases interest-free
Planning a big purchase? A 0% purchase card helps to spread the cost without any interest
Get approved for a credit card quickly
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
August 2024's savings
You could save up to £779.66* in interest with a 0% balance card
Get approved for a credit card quickly
Add your details to our eligibility checker
Explore your options from top credit card providers
Choose the right card for your needs
839,145 customers have visited Uswitch to explore credit cards this year
18,529 people used our eligibility checker in August 2024
*£779.66 is a representative example of the interest a customer would save in the first 12 months. Example based on a £3,550 balance transferred from a card with 29.9% APR to a 0% card for 28 months, then 24.9% (variable), with a fixed monthly payment of £177.50. Representative APR 24.9%. See more here: Uswitch savings
Finding the best credit cards from trusted providers
Our experts browse hundreds of products to find the best deals
Uswitch Limited is a credit broker, not a lender, for consumer credit.
Our services are provided at no cost to you. We may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to, but this does not affect what you will pay for the product you choose.
What is a 0% purchase credit card?
Interest free, or 0%, purchase credit cards let you essentially borrow for free in the short term. That's because they don't charge interest on spending during the introductory period.
They can be a great way to spread the cost of expensive items like sofas, TVs, bikes and holidays over months or potentially years.
These cards are only interest free for a fixed period of time. You'll still need to meet your minimum monthly repayments to keep the 0% interest offer in place.
Depending on the interest free period, you may pay no interest on your big purchase at all, provided you repay the full amount owing before the interest-free period expires.
How to use a 0% purchase credit card
When used responsibly, 0% interest credit cards can effectively be used for interest free borrowing. For example you could make a large purchase, or several small purchases that rack up a balance of £3,000. Let's say you get a 0% purchase card that offers you 24 months of 0% interest. Divide the balance on the card (£3,000) by the number of months remaining on the 0% period (24) to get the monthly payment you need to make to pay of the entire balance before the interest free period ends.
In this case that's £125, so you can set up a direct debit paying this amount each month to pay off the debt before the 0% deal ends. This way you won't have paid a single penny in interest.
One thing to keep in mind is that you should make sure not to make any additional purchase with this credit, or you'll keep adding to the balance.
Is a 0% purchase credit card right for you?
0% interest does not apply to cash withdrawals
You might lose the 0% offer
The 0% interest free period will not last forever
Shop now, pay later – explore 0% purchase credit cards
Answer a few quick questions and we’ll show you which 0% purchase cards are available to you
Pros and cons
Pros
Cons
FAQs
How long do you need to pay off your credit card?
The longer the 0% purchase period, the longer you have to pay back your balance without being charged any interest. So look for a card with the longest 0% period.
What does lowest APR mean?
The annual percentage rate (APR) shows you what the credit card will cost you once your 0% introductory period ends. A higher APR means higher repayments.
Depending on your financial situation, the credit card provider might not give you the APR you see advertised. Credit card providers only have to give the typical APR they advertise to around 50% of successful applicants.
What are 'All in one' credit cards?
You can avoid interest on both your spending and existing credit card debts, with an 'all in one' or 'all round' credit cards. They work by offering a 0% introductory period on both balance transfers and purchases.
But they can become expensive if you're unable to pay off what you owe once the 0% introductory period ends.
0% credit cards with rewards
Some 0% purchase credit cards will offer you the chance to earn rewards on your spending. This includes things like loyalty card points, vouchers and air miles.
Find out more about reward credit cards.
How Uswitch compares credit cards
What does ‘most popular’ and ‘popularity’ mean?
When we use the term ‘most popular or ‘popularity’ on Uswitch in reference to credit cards, these cards are ranked by the number of clicks they have received on the site in the past 30 days.
The most clicked on cards are at the top, with the least at the bottom. This reflects how popular they are with visitors to Uswitch.com. Consequently, this is a good table to look at if you’re interested in seeing which cards most people think are worth getting.
Does Uswitch compare all the credit cards on the market?
We compare over 100 credit cards from all of the major banks and credit card providers.
However, we do not compare all the credit cards that are available in the UK.
This is because some credit card providers have offers that are only available exclusively through their own website or branch, or through other comparison websites - in the same way some credit cards are exclusively available through Uswitch.
There are also many credit cards that are only available to people in member organisations and clubs.
About the author
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Our best deals on a range of credit card categories by use:
Our top credit cards by type, most popular deals and business cards
Customer Reviews
Huge Money Saver!
Very simple made finding a new deal…
Very easy to switch on