Is there a card than can do both - balance transfer & 0% purchases?

jemclajess

Sorry for the question but I am getting confused as to my best option as I am approaching the end of my 0% on purchases card (with GE Capital) in November and have a balance of £1,600 and really can't afford to pay this off before then.
I have had this card for almost 12 months moving the balance over from another 0% interest free card which I hoped to pay off before my 12 months interest free period was up (as I do each time) but unfortunately haven't. I have had a couple of credit cards over the years and also have a Next store card which I almost always pay the balance of straight away (high interest) but because I get carried away with sale previews etc.. with Next I end up paying this one but not all the balance of my 0% credit cards!! - hence my debt!!! I have never been turned down for a card but with only working 18 hours a week part-time (in a Supermarket) as I have 3 children but also have a small additional income from two part-time casual jobs (also selling on e-bay sometimes too) I don't always have a great deal left over to pay my credit card bills. I do always pay over the minimum amount but still not good enough I know!!
Anyway to get to the point I really need to know if there is a card that will offer me another 0% interest free card on purchases for possibly 10-12 months again but also low/no interest on balance transfers or do I really have to get seperate cards. I am worried that I have had a few cards already and although I don't use them I haven't cancelled any of them (will have to do this soon!!) and am worried I will be turned down. I don't like the idea of having two cards to pay each month and dividing my money up but if this is the only option then I will have to do it!! Any advice please (other than to stop spending!!!) would be really appreciated and I'm sorry for this long post!!!

niccy

me and the missus have 25 cards now:eek: i must cancel some soon as well.Just got missus a Halifax card ( i have my own;) ) balance transfer 6 months and 0% on purchase for 15 months

CLAPTON

its usually best to get two seperate cards ... so unless you can find one card with BT and 0% purchase for the same period get two cards. Because they always reduce the balance with the longets special offer period first so you will be stuck paying a high APR once the short period offer has run out.

Mozette

I think Capital One are doing 0% BT and spending, both for the same amount of time.

Fill_7

post office do a credit card....

- 0% on balance transfers for 10 months (2.75% balance transfer fee applies

- 0% purchases for 3 months

- 0% commision on purchases overseas

hth

gt94sss2

I know HSBC offer:

• 0% on purchases for 12 months from account opening
• 4.9% on balance transfers until 31 January 2012

but you may also want to look at the Card Tables on the Stoozing.com website for other alternatives.

As CLAPTON says, having two cards - one for purchases and one for Balance Transfers can often make more sense than one combined card..

Regards
Sunil

Moggles_2

The Capital One Platinum card offers 0% on balance transfers and purchases until
1 August 2008. A 1.7% handling charge applies.
Note: this card requires an "excellent" credit rating, so please check you can meet the criteria listed on the Capital One website before you apply.

Alternatively, have a look at the Ulster Bank Gold card (not to be confused with the Ulster Rugby card, which is a completely separate animal run by the Bank of Ireland.)
The Ulster Bank cards offer 0% on purchases and BTs for 6 months from account opening. There's no handling fee. Issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland, they're worth considering for balances up to £3,000.

LittlePiskey

Hi - Barclaycard's flexi rate card is doing 10 months on balance transfers and purchases together. Halifax do one that has 12 months for both too I think.

x

jemclajess

Thanks all of you for your advice. I am afraid I have had (and still got but not cancelled!!) most of the cards mentioned above. I have had Capital One, Barclaycard, Halifax and have a mortgage, two bank accounts etc... with HSBC at the moment.
I really will have to cancel my old cards - not sure where the paperwork is. Do I have to cancel them by letter, phone call etc.. If I had passwords, pin numbers for them I don't remember any of them now!!
I may look into the Ulster card but I am worried they may clash with other cards I have had. I would really like a card that can do both as I'm worried I will be deceived into spending more on the purchases card (having a smaller balance) and not reduce my balance transfer card enough either. It seems that most cards only do good deals for one or the other of balance transfers or purchases not both. I don't mind paying a handling fee for balance transfer as I've paid this before. Anybody know any others I could try then please let me know and thanks again for your advice.

Moggles_2

I really will have to cancel my old cards - not sure where the paperwork is. Do I have to cancel them by letter, phone call etc.? If I had passwords, pin numbers for them I don't remember any of them now!!

A phone call to customer services is all that's required, but best practice is to ask the lender to confirm closure in writing

If the promised confirmation letter does not arrive within a couple of weeks, ask why.

Finally, if your credit reports do not show the card(s) in question as "settled" contact the lender(s) once again and ask them to make the necessary changes.

The whole process (from the initial phone call to the lender) can sometimes span a couple of months, so allow plenty of time.

Moggles_2

I may look into the Ulster card but I am worried they may clash with other cards I have had.

The Ulster Bank cards are underwritten by the Royal Bank of Scotland, so you cannot transfer balances to/from Lombard Direct, Mint, NatWest, RBS itself or Tesco, all of which belong to the same stable.