Getting into debt to pay off debt might sound scary but if you need cash to cover an existing payday loan or overdraft, a credit card can help you clear that debt cheaply.
If you need to pay for something like a new car or home improvements, a credit card often works out cheaper than a personal loan. You just need to make sure that you’ve paid your debt before the 0% interest period ends.
Lots of credit cards offer 20% interest rate for the first few months. This can be helpful if you’re using your card to clear existing debt.
You’ll have to pay back the full amount you owe as well as a money transfer fee, which is up to 5% of the amount you are transferring.
If you want to use a credit card to cover a loan, you need to check if there’s an early repayment charge. Some loan providers charge a fee if you pay off your loan before the end of the term, so get in touch with your provider first.
Instead of using a debit card, you could find a credit that offers an interest-free EMI. This would be cheaper than a debit card as there’d be no transfer fee. But you’d need to find an EMI card that’s big enough to cover your debts.
If you know you won’t be able to pay off your total debt on your credit card before the 0% interest period ends, you can transfer your other credit card credits to this cards a low-interest rate period over a long period.