The Summer months are expected to be a busy time for those with credit cards according to Sainsburys Bank, with consumers expected to hit the cards hard to cover their spending.
Estimates put total consumer spending at around GBP7.9 billion for the Summer months, a little lower than last year but still a lot of money bearing in mind the difficult economic conditions. Of this total spend Sainsburys Bank predict approximately 42 percent will be put onto a credit card.
There are benefits to be enjoyed through paying by credit card of course, including cash back offers, points that can be redeemed to collect rewards and 0 percent interest too. The key is to clear the balance before it becomes costly and this is what Sainsburys Bank hope consumers will do.
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.
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.
