best credit card when paying in full every month?

ALTEA

Could someone please advise me as to which is the best credit card to use when paying in full each Month? I currently have a HSBC card which I like because it gives loads of time before I have to pay it off (I once had a tesco card and it seemed that the bills didn't give very long before they had to be paid). So what I need is a card that offers the best rewards with a long time before the bill has to be paid (because I like that too) or the best compromise of both. I'd stay with HSBC but there is no reward. Many thanks

agrinnall

No point in people writing their own recommendations when MSE has a whole section on it already.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/cashback-credit-cards

nearlyrich

agrinnall wrote: »

No point in people writing their own recommendations when MSE has a whole section on it already.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/cashback-credit-cards

Thanks for posting the link and if anyone wants to offer their personal experience that is what this forum is for...


I don't know personally which cards give more or less time to pay as I just set up a Direct debit to take the full balance when due, but a cashback card of some type is obviously a great idea. If you use a certain airline or supermarket and get extra for the spend on these it's worth looking at this... I have capital One world and a Santander 123 which I use equally..

Ebe_Scrooge

I don't think any cards give you more time to pay, as such. You'll receive a statement that shows spending for the previous month, and you'll need to pay it by the due date - typically a couple of weeks after the statement date. Whatever, if you want to avoid paying interest, you'll need to pay the full balance each month.

So long as you do pay the full balance, then just choose the card that offers the best rewards for your personal preference - cash back, airmiles, clubcard vouchers, whatever.

ALTEA

I appreciate that there is a section on this on the main sight but I was specifically asking as I wanted to know which gave the longest time to pay. When I get my HSBC bill I have about 1 month in which to pay so essentially if you time it right you can get upto 2 months to pay for something. However, other cards I have had require you to pay in full within just a couple of weeks of receiving your bill. So yes there was a point to me asking this question and asking for the opinions of others!

chattychappy

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

I don't think any cards give you more time to pay, as such. You'll receive a statement that shows spending for the previous month, and you'll need to pay it by the due date - typically a couple of weeks after the statement date.

There is some variation in how long you get, but yep always the monthly cycle.

In the case of my Barclaycard Plat, I get pretty much a whole month to pay. Last 3 months: 16 July, due 15 August. 17 June, due 15 July. 16 May, due 16 June. So if you just miss a statement date you really can get just under two months' interest free credit. MBNA are the worst I have: 19 July, due 7 August. 18June, due 7 July. 19 May, due 6 June.

Having said that, I'm putting my UK purchase spend through MBNA because I have an old BMI one that is pretty generous with Avios points.

ALTEA

Thanks chatty chappy., I was looking for the best rewards cards with the longest amount of time to pay.

InsideInsurance

Ask a dozen people and you'll get at least half a dozen answers as to which is the best reward card as it all depends on what your life priorities are. Cashback is obvious a generic thing thats good for most but if you like high end travel then there are better cards or if you do all your shopping at one place then their card may be better etc.

Wammer

Halifax Clarity has the longest time to pay for me. Statement dated 1st of the month and payment not due till 1st of the following month. £5 a month revward for spending over £300.

Capital One World card has the shortest with statement date 21st and payment 5th although they normally take it 3 days early. 1% cashback.

I have other cashback cards I use which are no longer available.

YorkshireBoy

ALTEA wrote: »

I was looking for the best rewards cards with the longest amount of time to pay.

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, you look at the best reward cards listed on the main site, and then visit their respective websites to check out their summary boxes where you'll find the "up to xx days interest free" numbers you seek...don't you?

guesswho2000

As others have stated, depends on exactly what rewards you're looking for, and the time to pay is generally similar between issuers, give or take a few days and the time of month you make the relevant purchase (in relation to your statement date).

Personally, I'm currently using Santander 123 for Petrol (3% cashback), various MBNA cards for UK spend (airline miles) and Nationwide Select/Halifax Clarity for foreign purchases/cash respectively (no fees, so essentially a 2.75% saving).

I've used loads over time for various sign up bonuses too, which are worth a look - this ranges from 5% cashback, x-amount of airline miles, free nights in hotels, etc. etc....