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Best credit card deals January 2026
Discover the 15 credit card deals that have been awarded Which? Best Buys by our money experts
Holly covers personal finance topics from credit cards to wills. She enjoys turning complex money matters into clear, practical advice.
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.
Why you can trust our credit card reviews
Real customers
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.
Which? has analysed more than 100 credit cards to find the best deals across cashback, travel, air miles, interest-free, 0% balance transfer and low-interest options.
To become a Which? Best Buy, a credit card must meet a range of benchmarks set by our analysts. Read on to find out which credit cards made the grade and compare the best deals.
If you already have an idea of the credit cards you're interested in, head over to our best credit card providers guide, to help you decide which brand is worth switching to.
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular terms & conditions of a credit card provider before committing to any financial products.
Best cashback credit cards
A cashback credit card pays you back a percentage of what you spend, and our analysts think this one is the best deal on the market.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Everyday Cashback Credit Card | 80% | 5-0.5% (a) | £0 | £26 | £123 | 29.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 29.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys and judge brands to be Recommended Providers. Credit card providers sometimes offer personalised introductory offers based on cookie preferences, which are not included in our analysis. (a) You earn 5% cashback for the first five months (up to £125 cashback). From month six you earn 0.5% cashback on spending up to £10,000 and 1% cashback on spending over £10,000 within a year. You must spend a minimum of £3,000 a year to receive cashback.
The Amex Cashback Everyday Credit Card is a Best Buy because of its strong cashback rate, attractive introductory offer and lack of an annual fee.
Customers also rate the brand highly. American Express has been named a Which? Recommended Provider for 2026, coming joint second out of 30 providers in our latest survey.
- Find out more: Best cashback and reward credit cards
Best interest-free credit cards
To find the best interest-free credit cards, you should look at the length of the 0% period.
A long-lasting deal can help you spread the cost of a big purchase - and at the moment, there are three cards that stood out in our research.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Lloyds Bank Platinum 0% Purchase and Balance Transfer Credit Card Visa | 74% | 25 months | 24.9% | 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 TSB Platinum Purchase Card Mastercard | 73% | 25 months | 24.9% | 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 | 24.9% | 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: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys.
The Lloyds, TSB and Barclaycard credit cards offer some of the longest interest-free spending periods on the market, with Lloyds and TSB offering 25 months and Barclaycard offering 24 months.
Lloyds and Barclaycard are also Which? Recommended Providers for credit cards in 2026.
- Find out more: Best interest-free credit cards
Best 0% balance transfer credit cards
0% balance transfer credit cards to help you clear expensive credit card debt. We've analysed credit cards with no balance transfer fee and 0% periods lasting more than 12 months, and have awarded four Best Buys.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Platinum 14 Month Balance Transfer Visa | 77% | 14 months | 0.0% | £0 | 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 NatWest Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard | 71% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 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 Royal Bank of Scotland Balance Transfer Credit Card Mastercard | 73% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 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 Santander Everyday No Balance Transfer Fee Credit Card Mastercard | 73% | 12 months | 0.0% | £0 | 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: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys.
When it comes to a 0% balance transfer credit card, you need enough time to clear your debt and to do it as cheaply as possible.
These deals from Barclaycard, Santander, NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland combine a decent 0% period with no extra fees for moving your balance and were the cheapest, longest-lasting deals that met our strict criteria.
- Find out more: Best 0% balance transfer credit cards
Best air miles credit card
The best credit card for air miles enables you to collect points on your everyday spending and exchange them for holiday-related savings on flights (taxes apply), flight upgrades and hotel stays.
In our analysis, one deal stood out as a Best Buy, and it can be used to collect Virgin and Avios points.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER American Express Rewards Credit Card | 80% | 1 American Express Membership Rewards point per £1 (can be converted to Virgin points or Avios points at a rate of 1 American Express Membership Rewards point for 1 Virgin point or Avios point) | 10,000 American Express Membership Rewards points when you spend £2,000 in the first 3 months. | £0 | 29.4% Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 29.4% (variable), representative 29.4% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys and judge brands to be Recommended Providers.
The American Express Rewards Credit Card has no annual fee, and you'll earn one American Express point for every £1 spent.
Amex points can be converted into Virgin Points and Avios points at a 1:1 ratio, offering flexibility across various airline reward schemes.
Holly Lanyon, credit card expert, says: 'We like the flexibility this card offers, allowing you to convert Amex points into a range of different airline reward schemes. The ability to convert Amex points at a 1:1 ratio offers a better rate than the fee-free Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card, which only offers 0.75 points per £1 spent (although you can earn 1.5 points per £1 when shopping with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays).
'The card also comes with an attractive introductory offer, enabling you to earn 10,000 Amex points if you spend £2,000 within the first three months.'
- Find out more: best air mile credit cards
Best credit cards for holidays and travelling
The best credit cards for holidays and travelling enable you to spend fee-free overseas. These three deals stood out in our analysis.
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Lloyds Bank Ultra Credit Card Visa | 74% | 0.0% | 0% | 12.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable), representative 12.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy Halifax Clarity Credit Card Visa | 72% | 0.0% | 0% | 23.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 23.9% (variable), representative 23.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Barclaycard Rewards Visa | 77% | 0.0% | 0% | 28.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 28.9% (variable), representative 28.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. |
Table notes: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys.
Anna McClean, credit card market analyst, says: 'The Lloyds Ultra, Halifax Clarity and Barclaycard Rewards Visa credit cards stand out because of them having no foreign transaction or cash withdrawal fees, as well as below-average APRs.
'The Lloyds Ultra card also offers cashback, making it a great option for holiday spending: you can earn 1% cashback in the first year and 0.25% after that.'
- Find out more: Best travel credit cards
Search for deals to cut your bills
Use our advice, ratings and customer scores to help you choose with confidence
Compare and chooseBest low-interest credit cards
To find the best low-interest credit card,s you need to look at the APR that the card charges.
A low-interest credit card does what it says on the tin: it offers a cheap rate of borrowing for as long as you have the card. So if you struggle to keep up with time-limited offers, this type of deal might suit you. But offers can vary.
We've named three low-rate credit cards as Which? Best Buys.
best buy Halifax Credit Card Visa | 72% | 12.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable), representative 12.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. | 12.94% | 5% | 12.94% |
best buy RECOMMENDED PROVIDER Lloyds Bank Ultra Credit Card Visa | 74% | 12.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable), representative 12.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. | 12.94% | 5% | 12.94% |
best buy MBNA Limited Platinum Visa | 75% | 12.9%. Representative example: assumed borrowing of £1,200 for one year, at a purchase rate of 12.9% (variable), representative 12.9% APR (variable). Credit available subject to status. Terms apply. | 12.94% | 5% | 12.94% |
Table notes: the average provider customer score is 75%. Find out more about how we pick products to be Best Buys and judge brands to be Recommended Providers.
These deals from Halifax, Lloyds and MBNA meet our low-rate Best Buy criteria and offer some of the most competitive rates on the market, with APRs as low as 12.9%, compared to the market average of 35.8%.
- Find out more: Best low-interest credit cards
What about credit-builder credit and money transfer?
A 0% money transfer credit card lets you shift money from your card to your current account to spend as cash, interest-free for a set period. This could be helpful if you need to clear overdraft debt or pay for services that don't accept credit cards.
This year, no money transfer credit cards matched our criteria to become a Which? Best Buy. If you want a money transfer credit card, take a look at our best 0% money transfer credit cards guide for the market-leading deals.
Credit-builder credit cards are excluded from our Best Buy analysis, as personal circumstances play a bigger role in determining which card is best for you. You can check out the market-leading deals to research in our guide to the best credit cards for bad credit.
Is a credit card right for you?
When chosen and used wisely, a credit card can be a cheap way to borrow or build rewards, but there are other options you could explore.
Before applying for a credit card, check if your current account has a fee-free overdraft that will meet your spending needs.
You could also check the rates on offer from a credit union. As non-profit financial organisations, they usually offer loans that are cheaper than other providers.
If you need more than £5,000, an unsecured personal loan might be a cheaper option, and you will make a fixed monthly payment until the loan is paid off.
How we find Best Buy credit cards
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 more than 71% in our latest credit card satisfaction survey. Each year, we ask thousands of customers to rate their providers. We then 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 Buys if providers make adverse changes to APRs, 0% periods or fees.
How we analyse credit card providers
Anna McClean, credit cards market analyst, says: 'At Which?, we go the extra mile to help you in your research on credit cards.
We score providers based on customer feedback, and in-house market analysts, like me, do extensive analysis to determine how firms stack up. This enables us to find the ones that stand out from the crowd.
We only award Which? Recommended Provider status to the companies that meet our benchmarks on both customer service and product offering.'
Here's some more information about our research and the terms we use in our tables.
Customer scores
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 calculated 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 before you sign up of the quality of service you might receive .
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).
Which? Recommended Providers
Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) all:
- have a provider customer score of at least 71% and achieve at least four stars in all categories in our latest customer satisfaction survey.
- have at least one top-10 card in one of the seven main categories available on the market.
- have an above-average product score.
- accept applications from everyone - not just existing customers.
- don't have a representative APR of more than 35.7% on any of their mainstream cards at the time of the analysis.
We only award Which? Recommended Provider status to the lenders that meet our benchmarks on customer service and product offering.
- Find out more: Best credit card providers
Please note that this article is for information purposes only and does not constitute advice. Please refer to the particular T&Cs of a provider before committing to any financial products.
Why should you trust Which? research? 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.