Josh is an award-nominated journalist with nearly a decade of experience, including writing for national newspapers. A data whizz, he specialises in covering personal finance and investing.
Anna covers personal finance, helping readers make sense of savings, credit cards and insurance. Her insights are informed by experience in the financial services industry.
In this article
Why you can trust our credit card reviews
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We asked 4,995 customers about the customer service they receive from their credit card provider.
Expert analysis
We compared the fees and interest rates of 137 cards to bring you the best deals on the market.
If you're looking to make an expensive purchase but aren't in a position to cover the cost upfront, a credit card that offers a 0% deal on spending can help you spread the cost over a longer period.
These cards won't charge any interest on purchases for an initial period of between three and 26 months. However, to really benefit you'll need to steadily repay the debt before the promotional period ends; otherwise, you'll be charged interest on the remaining balance at the card's standard APR, typically around 25%.
This guide reveals the best 0% purchase deals, plus everything you need to know about how to use the cards effectively.
The table shows the longest-lasting 0% credit card deals currently on the market.
Please note: this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms and conditions of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
best buy TSB Platinum Purchase Card Mastercard | 73% | 26 months | 24.90% | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
M&S Bank Credit Card Purchase Plus Offer Mastercard | 80% | 25 months | 24.90% | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Lloyds Bank Platinum 0% Purchase and Balance Transfer Credit Card Visa | 74% | 25 months | 24.90% | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Platinum 21 Month BT and 24 Month Purchase Visa | 77% | 24 months | 24.90% | 24.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 24.9% (variable), representative 24.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: table correct as of 2 March 2026. The average provider customer score is 75%. For more information on our research and the terms we use in the table skip to how we analyse credit card providers and deals.
It's frustrating that you never know what you're going to get with a credit card provider until after you've applied and taken out a deal.
Fortunately, Which? has surveyed thousands of customers to help you find out, before signing up, what 30 of the biggest credit card providers are like for customer service and managing your account.
You can see how major providers such as Barclaycard, Lloyds and TSB compare in our guide to the best credit card providers.
The companies that combine great deals with top-notch customer satisfaction become Which? Recommended Providers.
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In some circumstances, a 0% credit card may be better suited to your needs than a personal loan.
With an interest-free credit card, you don't have to commit to anything higher than the minimum repayment each month. It's also a form of 'revolving credit', so what you pay back you can spend again.
In contrast, when you take out a personal loan you will need to make fixed monthly repayments for as long as you've asked to borrow for and won't be able to use that money again.
The best 0% purchase credit cards offer up to 26 months interest-free, whereas you'll have to pay interest on even the cheapest loan. The best personal loan deals for £5,000 spread across three years currently sit at around 7% APR.
The amount you can borrow may also differ. You can choose to borrow smaller amounts with a credit card, even if you are given a big limit. In contrast, the smallest amount you can get with a personal loan is £1,000, and the rates aren't as competitive compared to borrowing larger amounts.
The table sets out some of the main differences to consider.
| Credit card | Personal loan |
|---|---|
| You can borrow smaller amounts at competitive rates | The smallest amount you can borrow is £1,000 and rates aren't as good compared to borrowing more |
| Repayments are flexible | Repayments are fixed |
| You can avoid paying interest for a number of months on a 0% purchase deal | You will have to pay interest on the money you borrow even on the cheapest personal loans |
| You get revolving credit so you can spend what you pay back | You can't spend any more than you originally borrow |
If you're planning to take out a 0% purchase credit card, make sure you know the golden rules that will help you get the most out of the deal.
With a 0% purchase credit card it's important to just borrow what you need and can afford to pay back.
So even if you get a credit card with a high limit of £10,000, you shouldn't max out your borrowing if you may be unable to clear the balance by the end of the 0% period.
Even if you plan to delay repaying the bulk of what you borrow on a 0% purchase credit card, you'll need to make at least the minimum repayment on time each month.
If you don't, you'll not only incur a late payment fee (typically around £12) but could lose the 0% deal altogether. To avoid getting caught out, set up a direct debit to cover this amount.
The minimum on a credit card is usually around 1% of the outstanding balance. But it can be more, so double-check your card's terms and conditions.
If you can afford to pay back more than the minimum repayment, you should.
The key to making the most of a 0% purchase credit card is to ensure you have no remaining debt when the interest-free period comes to an end.
A simple way to do this is to divide the total you've spent on your credit card by the number of months that your 0% deal lasts for. Then set up a direct debit to pay off that amount each month, in the same way you would pay off a loan.
Provided you don't make any more purchases, this will ensure you don't pay interest on what you've borrowed.
If you have some debt remaining after your card's promotional period ends, consider shifting this to a card that offers a 0% interest deal on balance transfers.
You can use our 0% purchase credit card calculator to work out what your repayments should be:
You should avoid withdrawing cash using your 0% purchase credit card.
If you do take money out, you will be charged interest from the day you withdraw it, and usually at a much higher rate.
That's because your 0% deal is only for new purchases you make with the card online and in shops or restaurants, not for taking cash out of an ATM or for any other cash advance, such as buying travel money.
Some providers also report when you make a cash withdrawal on your credit record, as it suggests you may be in financial difficulty.
Use our advice, ratings and customer scores to help you choose with confidence
Compare and choose
Anna McClean, credit card market analyst, says: 'At Which? we put credit card products and providers under the microscope to help you save time when shopping around for a new deal.
'We run a survey each year to gather the experiences of customers to help us find the best providers. And we keep a close eye on the credit card market to determine which deals are the best in their category.'
Here's some more information about our research and the terms we use in this guide.
Our provider customer scores for credit card companies are based on an online survey of 4,995 members of the public, conducted in November 2025.
Provider customer scores are worked out using a combination of overall satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the provider to a friend.
We also ask these credit card customers to rate brands on six categories, including customer service, mobile banking and more, so you can get an idea of the quality of service you might receive before you sign up.
Sample sizes for customer score: Barclays/Barclaycard (801), American Express (379), Lloyds (364), Tesco Bank (350), NatWest (302), Halifax (292), Capital One (288), HSBC (281), Santander (229), Nationwide (205), M&S Bank (147), MBNA (135), Monzo (110), Amazon (by Barclaycard) (89), Virgin Money (including Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank) (83), Aqua (83), Royal Bank of Scotland (76), Vanquis Bank (73), John Lewis/Waitrose (71), Virgin Atlantic by Virgin Money (59), First Direct (58), Chase (56), Zopa (56), British Airways American Express (53), Bank of Scotland (53), TSB (51), Co-operative Bank (Co-op) (49), Asda Money (47), 118 118 Money (44), Klarna credit card (43).
A Best Buy credit card must have been one of the top five cards in its category for the past three months. They also need to satisfy specific criteria for the type of card, such as the size of balance transfer fee, or length of 0% period.
A provider must have also achieved a provider customer score of over 71% in our latest credit card satisfaction survey. Each year, we ask thousands of customers to rate their providers and calculate a provider customer score based on their responses to find the best credit card providers.
We also review our analysis regularly, which means we will withdraw Best Buy recommendations if providers make adverse changes to APRs, 0% periods or fees.
To be a Which? Recommended Provider for credit cards, a credit card company must:
Which? Recommended Providers are the lenders that meet our benchmarks on customer service and product offering.
We’re not influenced by third parties. We work entirely on behalf of you, the consumer – nobody else. See our statement of editorial independence for more.