How do i get a Credit card question

Infidel

Okay, strangely enough i've never ever applied for a credit card before, so don;t really have a clue what to do or how long it takes.
My current credit card is from my bank (HSBC), so that's the only one i have ever used, though as the interest is something ridiculous (above 20%) i thought it's about time i got anothe credit card.

So, what are the best deals at the moment, i basically just want one that i can get asap (at the latest within 7-10 days) and one that won't charge me loads of interest before i can pay it off (which i estimate will take about 6-7 months).
If this is not possible, will i be able to use my HSBC one to buy what i want right now and then transfer the balance to a card that doesn't charge such high rates.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yours credit card newbie.:T

exel1966

How did you get your current card without applying ?

7-10 days !!!! That's pushing it, especially at this time of year. There are dozens of cards with introductory purchase/Balance Transfer 0% offers ranging from 3-15 months. Most, but not all will charge a fee of 2-3% on BT's, but some are capped so it will depend how much you want to BT. It will also depend on what kind of credit rating you have.

As you know little about cards I'd read the MSE advice before doing anything else. It will give you a few ideas.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/

Infidel

HSBC bank just gave me a credit card with the account but as the interest rate is over 20% its not really good business to use it. But it looks like i may have no choice.
So i guess the 2nd best option will be to use my HSBC card and then try and transfer the balance at a later date if the interest currently charged would be more than the balance transfer fee.

Why does it take so long to get a credit card anyway? Are there too many employees messing around on social networking sites? :rolleyes:

marsel

I would look into Capital One credit cards, they have exceptional rewards credit cards...

belfastgirl23

You can apply for most cards online. Just google or whatever. I applied online for a virgin credit card last week, was accepted immediately and just had to phone to sort out a limit. No sign of the card arriving yet though but I was able to do a balance transfer when I phoned re the limit....