Where does your loyalty lie?

May 30, 2007

There are so many credit cards to choose from, how do you choose? APR is obviously critical, and 0% balance transfers may be important to you. But what if you have no need to transfer, and you pay off all your outstanding balance every month, rendering APR unimportant? Well, then you might look at the loyalty schemes on offer to help you make a choice. Here’s a round up of what’s about right now.

Barclaycard offers deals on flights, holidays, films music, games, mobiles, computers and more – as long as you buy with the card, of course.

The Virgin Money Credit Card gives you instant discounts in many different areas. Get money off your holidays, wine, music, DVDs, car insurance – all you have to do is use your Virgin credit card.

With a Tesco Bonus Credit Card you get 1/12th of the annual interest repaid to card each year.

The Tesco Clubcard Credit card offers a points scheme: 5 points for every £4 spent at Tesco or tesco.com, and 1 point for every £4 spent everywhere else.

The Morgan Stanley Buy and Fly! Credit card also offers points: one point for every £10 of purchases on the card statement. Points remain valid for three years from when they’re added to the account.

Amazon.co.uk offer a credcit card giving 1 loyalty point for every £1 spent at Amazon, and half a point for every £1 spent elsewhere. Every fifteen hundred points entitles you to a £15 Amazon.co.uk gift certificate.

When you make your first purchase on bmibaby.com’s credit card you qualify for a return flight anywhere on bmibaby’s route network. It’s as simple as making a purchase on your card within 90 days of receiving it, but some flights may be excluded due to limited availability. After that every time you use your card you’ll be earning another return flight: if you spend £5,000 or more in a twelve month period, you’ll qualify for another return flight.