What we think of it...

IF you're a believer that every little helps, you'll be thrilled to see that the Tesco Clubcard credit card is packed to the rafters with countless ways of saving money, earning points or avoiding interest.

In fact, used carefully, the Tesco Clubcard credit card's multitudinous money-saving features make this probably one of the most lucrative interest-free reward cards we have seen.

Ideally suited to Tesco shoppers, purchases made using the card will earn you 5 Clubcard points for each £4 you spend at Tesco and enjoy 3 months at 0% to pay any of those purchases off.

If 0% for just 3 months isn't long enough for you, you can head over to Tesco Direct - Tesco's gigantic online shop - where cardholders can exclusively take advantage of Tesco's Buy Now, Pay Later scheme. In this case, the 'later' part is up to 12 months!

If you aren't a Tesco shopper, there is another reason to apply for this card: Transfer any existing balance over to the Tesco Clubcard credit card and you'll get 0% interest on that balance for 13 months (2.9% handling fee applies).

With an APR of 16.9%, Tesco Clubcard credit card is perhaps best suited to careful users who can pay it off on time each month to enjoy the rewards. On the flip side, the APR is not high enough to be disastrous if not paid off immediately.

A little more detail

Rates and Fees

			Special Note..	Any good?
Typical APR		16.9% APR (variable) -	-
Introductory Purchase Rate		0% for 3 months	Payments will be applied to introductory rates first.
Balance Transfer Rate		0% for 13 months	Payments will be applied to introductory rates first.
Balance Transfer Fee		2.9%	Balance transfers made within the first 11 months of account opening will be subject to a transfer fee.
Cash Withdrawal Rate		24.942% p.a. (variable)	-
Cash Withdrawal Fee		3% (£3 minimum)	-
Annual Fee		£0	-
Foreign Transaction Fee		2.75%	-

Rewards

			Special Note..	Any good?
Reward Type #1	-	Tesco Clubcard Points	- 5 Clubcard points for every £4 spent at Tesco - 1 Clubcard point for every £4 spent elsewhere
Reward Type #3	-	Tesco 'Buy Now - Pay Later'	Selected purchases at Tesco Direct will qualify for a 'Buy Now - Pay Later' option of up to 12 months - 0% for 12 months on selected items costing £500 or more - 0% for 6 months on selected items costing less than £500.

Extras

			Special Note..	Any good?
Online Account Management		Yes	-
Fraud Guarantee		Yes	Covers Internet fraud
Emergency Card Replacement		Yes	Includes emergency cash advance service.
Other Extras	-	- Tesco Active Monitoring - Tesco Secure - Fraudsafe Helpline	-

Payments

			Special Note..	Any good?
Credit Limit		£250 minimum	Credit limit may vary from person to person and is subject to status.
Interest Free Period		Up to 46 days	For purchases if you pay your balance in full and on time. This is the amount of time you have to clear your balance in full each month before you are charged any interest. There is no interest free period on cash withdrawals, cheques or money transfers or balance transfers outside of the introductory period.
Minimum Monthly Payment		3% (£5 minimum)	-
Allocation of Payments		Interest, Charges » Introductory Rate Balances » Balance Transfers, Purchases » Cash Advances, Money Transfers, Cheques » Tesco 'Buy Now - Pay Later' Balances	-
Default Charges		£12	-

Card Details

			Special Note..	Any good?
Online Application	-	Yes	Remember: always ensure you meet the application requirements before applying, as getting rejected can affect your credit score.
Card Type		Classic	-
Payment Company		MasterCard	-
Card Issuer		Tesco Finance	-
Card Advertiser		Tesco Finance	-

At a Glance

Typical APR	16.9% APR
Credit limit	£250 minimum
Intro purchases	0% for 3 months
Balance transfer	0% for 13 months (2.9% transfer fee)
Rewards	Tesco Clubcard Points Tesco Rate Offers
Interest free period	Up to 46 days
Annual fee	£0

	This card includes:
	Online Account Management
	Fraud Guarantee
	It is best suited for:
	Anyone who's a regular down the Tesco aisles.
	Wait! Only apply if you are...
Aged 18 or over UK resident

More about this card...

With more tasty extras than a Tesco Finest Chicken Dipper Selection Pack, the Tesco Clubcard credit card is bursting with so many worthwhile features that its hard not to know what to shout about first: the exclusive 'Buy Now - Pay Later' deals or the balance transfer rate? The amazing money-saving, points-earning Tesco rewards? The top-notch anti-fraud and security features?

Introductory balance transfers
The Tesco Clubcard credit card is extremely valuable for anyone with an existing credit card balance.

The Tesco Clubcard credit card offers 0% on balance transfers for a pleasingly lengthy period of 13 months. No, its not quite the longest out there, but it sits comfortably amongst the best of the balance transfer credit cards. The 2.9% transfer fee is also on the cheaper side of the market average.

A word of warning though: this card should not be used for a balance transfer AND its 3 month 0% for purchases feature at the same time. This is because once you have made a balance transfer, any payments you make to your account will go towards clearing the balance transfer first, so any purchases or cash withdrawals will become trapped behind the cheaper 0% debt and accrue interest until the balance transfer is fully repaid.

Using the Tesco Clubcard credit card for Tesco Direct Buy Now - Pay Later deals costing £500 or more as well as a balance transfer is ok though - as the 0% periods last for around the same length of the time on both balances.

Buy Now, Pay Later
The Tesco Clubcard credit card offers exclusive access for online shoppers at Tesco Direct to 'Buy Now' and 'Pay Later' for up to 12 months.

In other words, you can buy selected larger items from Tesco Direct and you won't be charged any interest - or be required to make monthly repayments for up to 12 months down the line.

Be careful though. At the end of the 6 or 12 month period your purchases will start accruing interest at the standard APR of the card. You will be warned in your statements that the interest free period is coming to an end, and Tesco clearly shows the Buy Now Pay Later balances separately on your bill.

The Buy Now Pay Later balances will not affect any Direct Debit you set up to clear the balance of your card until the end of the 6 or 12 month period, however if you want to pay it off earlier, you can ring Tesco up and arrange this over the phone without penalty.

Online account management
In addition to the extraordinary rewards and introductory rates, the Tesco Clubcard credit card is also more than capable of holding its own amongst the finest of credit cards.

You can manage your Tesco Clubcard credit card account online by logging into the website where Tesco's usual user-friendly interface makes managing your card relatively easy.

Fraud guarantee and other security
Tesco has gone to great lengths to ensure the Tesco Clubcard credit card is well protected against the scourge of credit card fraud with a bundle of security measures called FraudSafe.

You'll get Tesco's fraud guarantee which means you will not have to pay for any transactions made fraudulently, including internet fraud.

There is also Tesco Secure - which lets you choose a password when using your card at Tesco.com and other participating online vendors. Tesco Active Monitoring will also keep an eye on your transactions and alert you if they spot anything suspicious.

Tesco also offer their Tesco Clubcard credit card holders a 24 hour helpline to use if you think your card may have been used fraudulently.

Final word
With its trolley-full of introductory offers, good rates and point-earning treats, the Tesco Clubcard credit card goes some way towards proving that, indeed, every little helps!