Which card is best for me?

Risco

I am looking for the best way to take advantage of credit cards. I am someone who 9/10 times pays off the balance in full every month. Moreso now as I do not have any offers on my current card I can take advantage of! I am looking to purchase a Dell laptop that is going to cost me in the region of £1100. I would like to keep the option of a spending card as well transferring any balances.

I have been sent an offer from Barclaycard ( yes I know about the news lol ) that is 18.9% APR with 18 months 0% Balance Transfer and 3 months 0% APR on purchases. The transfer fee is also low at 1.9%.

I also have a Natwest gold card, I think the APR is something like 17.9% and there are no offers currently. Finally I have an old Capital One card that I used for credit building that I never got round to closing with an astronomical 34.5% APR!

I have checked both Experian and Call Credit to which I subscribe to and both give me good ratings. So under my circumstances what would be the best card for me? Also how will it affect my credit rating if I apply for both a balance transfer and also a low purchase rate card as well? Should I close my other Natwest and Capital One cards, and if I did would it affect my credit rating?

Thanks in advance!

StuC75

Would be very cautious of using the same card for a Balance Transfer and purchases at the same time..

As the additional purchases MAY still incur interest as many cards quote that upto 56 days interest free when the previous balance is paid in full... Meaning that after making a payment that the balance transfer would stop the balance having been cleared in full - and so interest then charged on the other purchases although you may have paid off what they were..

Risco

Thanks, ok I have another option. I can get a different Natwest card Youpoints with 18% on purchases. My thinking is getting the Natwest card, while also opening a Barclaycard, then closing my Natwest Gold and Capital One. That way I get 18 months interest free purchases and balance transfers!

Would this leave a big footprint on my credit record? Also is there a limit on the amount of times I can transfer the balance on a BarclayCard?

EDIT> Ok I just checked there is a 60 day limit, after that point I would need to rely on an offers that they may have. I might be stretching a bit here, but are there any cards that allow unlimited balance transfers within the 18month period?

StuC75

Some may just have introductory offers - I have MBNA & Virgin (The same) and they continually roll these over from one month to the next - e.g. currently offering deals for transfers before 31st July (followed from previous deals that ran to the End of May). So confident that there will be yet another deal from Early August that shall probably run to September or October..

Also had further balance transfers offered whilst previous ones were still running..

Natwest may restrict having a second account with them - I know with MBNA that they essentially increased my total credit limit & split it between the 2 accounts when I added the virgin account specifically for a Balance Transfer offer.

Risco

I just applied and got accepted for the YouPoints card with 18months interest free on purchases. I am going to think about a second card, but for now I am very happy as the credit limit is substantially higher than my current card!