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Still time to spread the cost of Christmas spend

25th November 2015 Print

Festive shoppers planning to spread the cost of Christmas have still got time to apply for a 0% purchase credit card. However, consumers need to look carefully at the different cards on offer to be able to choose the right card for them, according to comparison site Gocompare.com.

With a huge range of cards on offer, Gocompare.com is urging Christmas shoppers to shop-around to find the most suitable card for their circumstances.

Matt Sanders, Gocompare.com’s credit card spokesman, commented: “Used carefully, credit cards can be a great way of managing your money and can be a big help in spreading the cost of Christmas celebrations or other big purchases. But there can be a big difference between the best credit cards for purchases.

“Card issuers are always looking for new business so there’s currently a range of attractive interest-free deals available. By using a comparison site such as Gocompare.com you can quickly and easily compare the different credit card deals on the market and find the best card for you.”

As the name suggests, 0% purchase credit cards offer new customers 0% interest on new purchases for a defined period. This means that provided you pay off the debt within the interest-free period, every penny goes towards paying off the balance – not in interest to the card provider. Once the introductory period has ended, the card issuer then charges its standard interest rate.

“Provided you keep up with your monthly repayments, 0% purchase cards effectively give customers a free loan – with several cards now offering over two years’ interest free spending.

“The longer interest-free period on purchase credit cards also benefits customers who can pay off the full amount relatively quickly because with no interest adding up, all of the repayments go towards repaying the balance.

“When selecting a 0% card, you need to be realistic about the length of time it will take you to pay-off your borrowing. Interest-free purchase periods range widely from 3 to 27 months, but if you don’t manage to clear the debt before the end of the interest-free period you’ll be charged interest on the outstanding debt.”