Halifax Clarity Card - Your APR?

paulus1

Just received my Halifax Clarity Card and was a little surprised to be given an APR of 17.9%, now I didn't think I was a credit risk so my question is how many people have managed to get a Clarity Card with the lowest APR of 12.9% or is this used as a marketing ploy to get you to take the card but have to pay an interest rate that is very similar to all other Halifax credit cards?

[Deleted User]

Doesn't sound like they see you as high risk. 17.9% is a decent rate.

And no, it's not a marketing ploy. A minimum of 51% will get the headline rate.

knightstyle

Just checked our latest statement and its 12.9% for us! We don't pay any interest as the account is paid in full each month.

Baldur

The highest APR offered on the Clarity card is 21.9%.

crispy_chris

I got 21.9%.
Not bothered though as I've always had a DD setup to repay in full

SecLender

I got 21.9%. Never have any problem getting 0% deals so I was a bit surprised. I phoned them up and asked if they could reduce it but they said no. I'm guessing it was because I had 0% card that was nearly maxed out.

I'm not bothered though. I just use it for holidays so only end up paying for a weeks interest at most on cash withdrawls.

scottishblondie

I've got 12.9%. I'm a longstanding Halifax customer - not sure if that has any bearing on it.

paulus1

I'm also a long standing Halifax customer (almost 25 years), never been in overdraft, never failed to pay off previous credit cards every month, with an excellent credit score and yet I feel a little disappointed with 17.9%. The odd thing is that I always pay my credit card in full every month so the interest rate is largely academic and yet I still feel as though I'm perceived as a credit risk!
Thanks for all of your replies, keep them coming if you wish.

SCO

I got 17.9%. Also been with HBOS for a long time. Phoned to set up the DD and asked at the same time if they could reduce it and was told the computer said no, what happened to rewarding customer loyalty?

opinions4u

SCO wrote: »

I got 17.9%. Also been with HBOS for a long time. Phoned to set up the DD and asked at the same time if they could reduce it and was told the computer said no, what happened to rewarding customer loyalty?

Around 65% of applicants will get no card or a higher rate than yours. So they've clearly recognised something.

If you've taken the Clarity Reward option and spend accordingly they also reward you with £5 a month, in addition to £5 a month on a current account.

Defining loyalty (as opposed to being a longstanding customer) can be difficult. But I think Halifax do better than most for this.

Venusflytrap

I got a 17.9% rate last summer; it was my first ever dealing with Halifax and perhaps as a newbie they probably wanted to test the waters first (amongst other factors).

As stated by another poster, the APR doesn't matter (except from an egotistical angle!) provided your balance is paid off in full when due. Even for cash advances where interest is payable from day one, the charge is still competitive when compared to standard CCs.