Best 0% Credit Cards

The seven golden rules

If you need to borrow (eg, to replace a worn sofa or old fridge), then used correctly, credit cards are cheaper than loans. But first read these key rules to prevent a debt nightmare.

• What is a 0% credit card for spending?

  It is simply a card that you pay no interest on when you make a purchase for a set number of months (length varies by card). But you only get to keep the 0% if you stick to the rules which are outlined below.

• Debt's like fire. Used well, it's great. Used badly, you'll get burned

  Unless you're financially disciplined and doing it tactically for stoozing, it's always worth borrowing as little as you need, and if possible, use savings instead.

  Only borrow for something you've budgeted for and can afford to pay back and NEVER borrow to fill income gaps which can leave you in a debt spiral (see the Stop Spending guide for more).

• Make AT LEAST the monthly minimum repayments (preferably more)

  Set up a direct debit for at least the minimum repayment as soon as you are accepted. Even though you pay 0% interest, you still need to make repayments. If you miss one, you may lose your 0% deal and get a £12 charge.

• Aim to clear the card within the 0% period (and how to make it work like a loan)

  Go even one month beyond the promotional period and the rate rockets, so calculate the amount needed to clear the balance by then and diarise that end date.

  So divide what you spent by the number of 0% months and set up a direct debit to clear it in that time so it works like a loan where you pay it back in full over a set period.

  So £600 over a year is £50 a month to clear. If you've not cleared it in time, see our Best Balance Transfer guide to move it to 0%.

• Use our eligibility calculator before applying for a speedy check of cards you're most likely to get...

  Usually, the only way to know if you'll be accepted is to apply, but each application marks your credit file. But our 0% spending eligibility calculator quickly shows your odds of getting almost every top 0% spending card so you can find the ones most likely to accept you, thus minimising applications.

  Quick questions

  How does the eligibility calculator work?

  It uses a 'soft search', which is one you will see on your credit file but lenders usually don't (and where they do they can't use the info), to give us an indication of your credit score. We then match this against lenders' criteria for acceptance so we can show you the odds of getting each card.

  Once you have this knowledge, it will allow you to make a smarter application. Say you have a much better chance of getting a card that's just one month shorter at 0%, you may want to go for that. Therefore, you're less likely to be rejected and less likely to need to apply elsewhere, which would add another mark on your credit file.

  Will credit scoring affect the deal I get and my credit limit?

  When you apply for any credit card, it checks you to match you up against its wish list for what is a profitable customer (for full info on this and how to boost your chances, see our credit scoring guide). Yet this doesn't just dictate what products you'll be accepted for, but also how good the ones you actually get are. With money transfers it has three main impacts:

  • Some cards vary the 0% length according to credit score. With some, but not all cards, while you might be accepted you may not get the 0% length advertised, eg, you might get 20 months instead of 30. We note in our 'need-to-knows' for each card which cards this may happen with.

  • They always give a variable APR depending on credit score. Every credit card APR (the annual interest rate your card jumps to after the promotional period) is a 'representative' rate. This term 'representative' is defined in the rules as meaning they only need to give the advertised rate to 51% of accepted applicants, the rest can be, and sometimes are, charged more.

    Having said that, the aim is to clear the card or shift the debt before the 0% deal ends, so if you clear it in time, this is less of an issue as you'll never be charged the APR.

  • Lower credit scores tend to mean you get a smaller credit limit. If this happens, don't automatically jump to get another card instead, at least use what they've given you. See the Credit Limit Too Low? guide.

  Unfortunately there's no system that can predict card firms' attitudes to you for these variables. But, as a rough rule of thumb, the higher the chance the eligibility calculator gives you, the closer to the rep APR and higher credit limit you should get.

• ... or join our Credit Club for a full credit health check

  The new MSE Credit Club is a game-changer. For years the credit market has been shrouded in mystery but our revolutionary tool brings together the key components to give you the full picture, and crucially, what it means for your acceptance chances and how to boost your creditworthiness.

  A credit score alone isn't enough to borrow, as there are other factors at play (it's why many with perfect scores still get rejected). Credit Club shows your Free Experian Credit Report and Credit Score, your Affordability Score, you Credit Hit Rate and much more.

• 'Up to' deals mean you might not get the headline deal you apply for

  There's a catch to watch out for. Some card firms give those with lesser credit histories fewer months at 0% than they advertise. You could, say, apply for a 25-month 0% spending deal, be accepted but given a fewer 12 months at 0%.

  We highlight cards that do this by putting 'up to' before their headline offer, and tell you the other 0% lengths they may offer in the write-ups of the products below.

  Quick questions

  Is there any way to know what deal I will get before I apply?

  Sadly, the only way to know what 0% deal you'll get is to actually apply for it (unless our eligibility calculator shows you're pre-approved, in which case you'll get the 0% deal advertised).

  For other cards, it seems anecdotally that the higher you score in our eligibility calculator (which doesn't affect your credit score), the more chance you have of getting the headline 0% – though this isn't a hard and fast rule.

  Why do lenders give some applicants worse deals?

  Lenders tell us they do this based on risk, so if you've got a credit score that only just meets a card provider's minimum criteria, it's likely you'll be accepted for the card, but given a lower number of months at 0%, or a higher APR.