Barclaycard is acknowledged as being the most powerful credit card brand in the UK according to an independent study of the market.
The survey, carried out by the ACG, looked at the number of people having a card, how often it was used, customer thoughts on quality and how the brand is perceived. Having taken all these factors into consideration Barclaycard came out on top, thanks to it being the best known credit card in the country and also the second most used.
A spokesman for ACG, commenting on the results, said that Barclaycard would stand out strongly in the current economic climate since consumers look to the best known names in times of difficulty, feeling that there is less to worry about with a credit card brand they know and trust.
The credit card market seems to be hotting up as companies aim to offer the best deals in order to win customers. The latest Capital One credit card is one such deal and is expected to be very popular.
As credit has become harder to source the natural outcome of this is less customers to go around the different credit card companies. Capital One and the many others out there are all looking to gain the customers that are left and so have to entice them with attractive deals. Consumers looking for a new credit card have never had it so good.
The Capital One offer includes zero percent on both balance transfers and purchases, meaning that consumers using the card do not have to worry about the interest payments for some time, a situation that, with the financial pressures hitting them right now, is a good position to be in.
Sainsburys Bank is supporting the use of reward schemes for credit card customers, saying they can help save money.
With over 8 out of 10 credit card users saying they will probably be spending less than last year on their cards the providers are looking at ways to incentivise their customers to use them, and reward schemes have proved very successful. The Nectar scheme is typical of the new approach to customers say Sainsburys Bank. Such cards provide real benefits to users, with the ability to save money on other items they use in their lives and ultimately reducing their costs.
The other point about reward schemes said the Sainsburys Bank spokesman is that they differentiate the credit card from many others. The usual 0 percent interest offers are everywhere so something different and real is the best way to attract users.