Out of the spotlight and the fees increase

Samantha Owens, Head of Personal Finance at Moneyfacts.co.uk, comments: “When the OFT capped card fees to a recommended £12, with the exception of a handful of card providers, most adhered to the suggested limit. However Co-operative-backed cards including those provided by Smile, Northern Rock and Yorkshire BS opted to charge an £11 fee – a great way to stand out from the crowd in a positive way when the rest of the industry was under scrutiny. But now the dust has settled its fee has now also crept up to £12, along with an increase to its cash withdrawal charges too.”