We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.

This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
The Forum now has a brand new text editor, adding a bunch of handy features to use when creating posts. Read more in our how-to guide

Purchase Only Cards

Southseagreen
Southseagreen Posts: 1 Newbie
in Credit cards
Hello,

I would like some info about purchase only credit cards please.

We are having our house rewired and wanted to pay the electrician with a 0% interest purchase only card. Is this considered as a purchase?

Or would we be better using our existing credit card and doing a balance transfer?

Thanks

Comments

  • guesswho2000
    guesswho2000 Posts: 1,703 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Uniform Washer
    First thing to check - will the electrician take a credit card? If so, will they charge a fee?

    If you can indeed pay by credit card, it'll almost definitely be cheaper to pay using a 0% purchases credit card, rather than paying with another CC and transferring the balance (unless you txfer it to one of the few 0% no fee cards available).
  • grumbler
    grumbler Posts: 58,629 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Southseagreen wrote: »
    We are having our house rewired and wanted to pay the electrician with a 0% interest purchase only card. Is this considered as a purchase?
    It is IF the electrician accepts card payments.
    Or would we be better using our existing credit card and doing a balance transfer?
    How can this be better as normally a BT isn't free?
  • saver861
    saver861 Posts: 1,408 Forumite
    I think it would be a long shot that your electrician will take a credit card - if it is a small company, or one man arrangement, then probably not. The cost for them to have that service on top of a 3% fee they will be charged for each transaction, makes it unlikely. That said, it might be that some are going down that route as a means of securing business.

    If you do a BT, apart from a likely BT fee, you need to do it within the month and to a card that is still within the BT 0% free period. Most cards only allow BT's in the first 60 days or so, to get the 0%.

    There are lot of variables there that you need to check out first.
  • ricky_v
    ricky_v Posts: 330 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    If the electrician doesn't accept cards or charges a 3% fee then there's money transfer cards.

    MBNA has one 0% for 2 years for a 2.2% fee.

    http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/cut-loan-overdraft-costs#MBNA
  • grumbler
    grumbler Posts: 58,629 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    saver861 wrote: »
    ... Most cards only allow BT's in the first 60 days or so, to get the 0%.
    I think 90 days is more typical.
This discussion has been closed.
★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 354.6K Banking & Borrowing
  • 254.4K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 455.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 247.4K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 604.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 178.5K Life & Family
  • 261.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.7K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.
Update Your Picture