Get an interest-free card?

chubsta

I currently have 2 cards, a Nationwide one with a max limit of £13500 and zero balance, and a Virgin one with a limit of £7500 and a balance of just over £700 that will be cleared at the end of the month.

The only reason i got the Virgin card last year was because it had a 12month interest free period on purchases and i needed to buy a few expensive items. It has now served its purpose so don't need it any more as it is coming towards the end of its free period.

I have seen that Sainsbury's are doing a card which has an interest-free period of over 2 years so am thinking about getting one so i can spread another couple of expensive items over the period as i did with the Virgin card.

So, do i need to cancel the Virgin card a couple of months before i apply for the Sainsbury's one - i presume that having too much credit available to me would be frowned upon as i don't earn a huge amount, although i have never had any adverse things happen regarding money and have had plenty of loans etc so i guess my credit rating would be good (haven't ever checked it though as don't really feel the need to do so).

Would a few weeks or few months be better to wait until i apply for the Sainsbury's one, and is there a way of checking to see if i would get it and what limit before i make a formal application - i wouldn't be interested in a card that didn't have a limit of over £5000 and would just not bother getting a new card - the purchases would be handy but i would be able to save for them at the rate i would be able to pay the card off, it would just be handy to have them now.

How easy is it to cancel a card, and does cancelling add any sort of 'black mark' against my name anywhere?

Any and all advice appreciated!

[Deleted User]

It's easy to cancel a card. You phone up and cancel it

There's no way to check your credit rating, as lenders will only review your application at the time you apply. However, you should have a decent idea of where you stand from looking at your files.

I'd apply without closing anything. If declined, perhaps cancel one and then reapply in 3 months