Hunting down the illusive low rate credit card

By John Braveman

The financial forecast for 2009 shows no sign of improving, if the headlines in the newspapers are to be believed. Financial institutions, particularly credit companies, are decidedly nervous. Despite the lowest base interest rate in the Bank of Englands 315-year history, monetary nerves are still jittery and all indications are that the days of easy credit are well and truly over. However, consumers are still in love with the idea of buy now, pay later and still want credit at low interest rates (preferably 0% for the first few months). Credit card companies, worried at the exposure to potential bad debt are reluctant to oblige, so are there still any deals on low rate credit cards to be had to those who want to make plastic purchases?

The number of advertisements promoting 0% offers has dropped sharply this year. In comparison to 2008, when the present economic crisis was still an unseen storm on the horizon, there has been very little in the way of New Year, new card promotions, even from the larger providers. This absence of new deals has been noticed not just by the public but by financial watchers as well. The financial organisation Credit Action agree with the evidence and say that credit in general and low rate credit cards in particular are in short supply. They also found that where credit was available it was often more expensive than before. The pundits all agree " the banks are tightening their belts and their credit criteria.

However, the popularity of credit cards has not diminished and consumers are still on the lookout for a bargain. Chris Tapp, director of Credit Action says that credit cards are a very normalised part of the way people manage and borrow money, which means that its going to be very difficult to persuade consumers to stop using plastic. Add to this the fact that, although High Street sales may be crashing, online purchasing is on the increase with Ebay and other online auction sites seeing a continuing flurry of activity as customers hunt for bargains. All of these transactions (unless you have a PayPal account) are done on credit and debit cards. So the prospect of the British public turning their backs on their credit cards any time soon looks remote.

There are still bargains to be had, despite all the gloom and doom. 0% balance transfer cards are still relatively plentiful and special offers on purchases are quite common as well. The 0% grace periods on purchases tend to be much shorter than those for balance transfers and once these special offers end the APR can climb rapidly. This can prompt an unseemly scramble as customers desert their cards in search of a 0% balance transfer to save money. However, frequent card-jumping can quickly damage your credit rating and reduce the chances of further credit. This year, cards are looking for customer loyalty and are changing their tact accordingly. In the coming months we may start to see a groundshift in policy amongst card providers, where cards incur interest charges earlier, but those charges are kept lower to keep customers from seeking solace in a quick-fix 0% temptation.

Rather than chasing illusive 0% deals, 2009 credit card customers would be better placed to accept that, along with death and taxes, credit card interest payments are inevitable and look for the best deals they can find. This includes not only the APR of the card, but any additional fees that a customer may incur such as insurance, handling fees, late payment charges and other hidden extras. The consumer has to realize that the days of free and easy lending are over and has to adjust their expectations accordingly. After all; if businesses have to bend to the financial wind, so do consumers.

The Internet has its part to play in the brave new credit card world, and online comparison sites are coming into their own. They give the smart consumer a chance to make an informed decision before they leap blindly into the offer that seems to promise the most financial bling but may have a hidden sting in its tail once the honeymoon period is over. Credit card companies are realizing that there is a groundshift in the marketplace and that, despite the dire financial warnings issued almost daily, the consumer is very much in charge this time around. There are still low rate credit cards to be had, but it all has to be part of a much more symbiotic relationship between customers and credit card companies.

About the Author:

Financial writer John Braveman writes posts for various financial and finance industry related websites. After many years experience working in the finance sector he is well versed in the 'dark arts' of credit card finance. You can read more about low interest rate credit cards here.