Published: 7/14/2010
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.
Having a credit card can be a great way to help manage your finances, so long as consumers use the credit card in the correct way. Credit card holders can take advantage of using their card to help protect them when making purchases and budgeting. So long as they have enough money in their bank account to pay off their monthly credit card balance every month, they can help budget your money.It also gives protection to purchasers when using their credit card under the Consumer Credit Act which can be a great advantage.So long as consumers don’t use their credit cards as a source for money if they do not have the money in their bank account to pay off their monthly balance, they can be a great way to manage your money. But if you are not able to pay off your balance every month you could run into debt problems, and you don’t want that. Make sure you can pay off your monthly credit card bill every month. See our credit cards comparison table for the latest offers. Plus, reading our guides and tips pages can offer consumers more detailed information and money saving hints.
In a study carried out by Saga Insurance it has been found that the younger generation, especially males, are more likely to fall victim to credit card fraud. Men under 50 are more likely to have several credit cards, making any fraudulent activity much harder to spot. It has also been shown that this sector of the market tend to carry themn all with them in their wallets. A Saga Insurance spokesman felt this was a worrying situation and urged people to take more care over their statements and also where they keep the cards. He added that the younger consumer was probably less worried about credit card fraud, feeling it would not happen to them. However it has been shown that it can and does happen to people just like them so Saga Insurance are hoping the message will get through.
The worldwide credit squeeze is beginning to affect UK borrowers now, with holders of MBNA credit cards seeing interest rates climbing. It seems that MBNA are trying to recover their losses in other markets by really pressing credit card clients, in some instances simply doubling the interest rate payable and then levying additional payments when accounts have got into difficulties. The bottom line is that banks like MBNA can do whatever they choose with interest rates when they are classed as variable, which all credit cards are. Right now it looks like the UK borrowers are paying for the difficulties in the USA, literally. A typical example is of a lady who had never missed a payment and was what would be categorised as an excellent credit risk. Her rate went up within a couple of months from just under 16 percent to almost 28 percent. Knowing someone has the means to manage their credit and will pay the extra cost is no justification for doing so.
