Recommendations needed

MarcGJ

Afternoon everyone.

My wife and I are looking into getting a credit card. I've looked through MSE until I'm blue in the face and in the end have decided the best thing to do is to throw it open to personal opinions.

At the moment, we are using a Barclays debit card for most of our joint account purchases. Everything from online white goods to food shopping in Sainsbury's. Neither of us have a credit card at present and there is no reason for our credit score to be anything other than suitable (no CCJs or previous bad debts etc.). I was recently made redundant (hopefully not unemployed for too long) but have savings in the region of £5,000. My wife works 17 hours a week.

We're looking for a card that a) gives cashback, b) protects our purchases both online and in-store, and c) with no annual fee. We will be paying off any outstanding balance in full each month by Direct Debit, therefore interest rates don't really enter into it.

Does such a card exist?

Many thanks.

YorkshireBoy

This is Martin's "cashback" article...

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1087717218,37843, (also accessed from the blue box above your post).

...and there's a flowchart buried in there somewhere which should help you decide on a card.

However, your current unemployment and your wife's part-time hours might mean you have to wait a while before applying if you want the best offers.

grumbler

MarcGJ wrote:

...Neither of us have a credit card at present and there is no reason for our credit score to be anything other than suitable (no CCJs or previous bad debts etc.).

Not bad - nothing negative, but probably you don't have any credit history - nothing positive too.

have savings in the region of £5,000

This information is not available to lenders and does not matter. Your income is far more important.

We're looking for a card that a) gives cashback, b) protects our purchases both online and in-store, and c) with no annual fee.

All cards considered in Martin's article offer this: Best Cashback Credit Cards

For appliances (free 1-year extended warranty) and for foreign currency purchases it is better to use Nationwide credit card: The cheapest way to spend overseas: save 6% .

al_yrpal

See my last post in this forum "Free 20 quid from Tesco". I reckon the deals you get with clubcard points are worth up to 4% of what you purchase with the card, and, I think they have a pretty good 0% offer. All my pals are with Tesco

Chadsman

Marc, before applying for any card make sure you are on the electoral roll as this will boost your credit rating no end.
Do you have a mortgage? ...or even an overdraft or HP agreement as this will count as a line of credit and if it has been well run will imrove your rating.
:beer: