Compared with most other forms of borrowing, credit cards are very convenient. Once you have a card, you simply use it to pay for goods and services without having to request a new loan each time.

Credit cards are issued by banks, though lots of other organisations - for example newspaper groups and motoring associations - have teamed up with a bank to offer their readers or members an own-brand credit card. The complicated system of making sure credit card payments all reach the right destination is handled by specialist organisations, such as Visa and Mastercard.

Credit cards are simply a means of obtaining credit. They are offered by all major banks and lending companies, and have a range of common features which are useful to understand.
The main issues regarding the use of credit cards, and information about how to find the right credit card for you are all laid out in this section.

Briefly, having a credit card will allow you to shop online, offset payment for purchases, get cash advances, and repay these expenses in a variety of ways. Some card issuers will offer you incentives to use their card, and some will offer you a whole range of incentives based on how you wish to use the credit card, once you have it. Given this, it would be useful for you to work this out before you select your credit card.

The various pages in this section tell you all the basic information you need to know about how credit cards work, what incentives are available from the major lenders, what features each card offers, and answers many of your frequently asked questions.

If you've already made up your mind which credit card you want, you can use the Quick Links below to go straight to the card issuers site and apply for your card. If you need more information before making your decision, use the links to the left to find out more about the UK credit card market.