Could Britain Live Without Credit Cards? Credit Cards and Further Money Products Available in Britain
Credit cards are used widely around the world, and most adults in the United Kingdom have credit card debts. According to latest reports on personal debt, every family now has around £40,000. Of course, this does not mean that each and every household has that amount of debt, yet indeed the levels are high. Credit cards are a large part of regular consumer debt although they are getting more difficult to access.
Since the financial downturn and the fresh stance by the authorities to sort out Britain’s debts, financial institutions are forced to adhere to much tougher rules regarding lending and other forms of credit. The last leadership is often blamed for the severe situation in the country, with economic problems similar to Greece and Portugal.
The question remains, is it sensible for a person to apply for another credit card when they are aware that there is an existing debt problem to manage? In reality, credit cards are hugely vitalfor many areas in modern life: large purchases such as a vehicle or house are only possible with the aid of plastic money. Many internet companies solely accept credit cards, and the same goes for hotels. A large number of companies do not even take debit cards – therefore, what choice do consumer have?
Luckily there are plenty of types of credit cards, from prepaid money cards to luxury cards and business cards. The choice is vast, so the majority of people have an option. For example, a person who has difficulty receiving a loan or other personal credit product at a mainstream bank can now apply for a bad credit credit card. This type of card generally carries a low credit limit, but gives the holder more purchase power and often there are special features such as a credit builder. This is designed to help the card holder repair their credit score, although the risk of more debts is always present.
Credit cards for bad credit are increasingly popular in Britain, and offer the chance to shop on the web and globally with what looks like a regular credit card. They are even serviced by one of the main credit card firms for example Visa. However, instead of giving the card holder a credit facility, the card can only be loaded with funds. Once the funds are used up, it is the card holder’s responsibility to re-load the card with additional funds. The principle draw of this is that the card holder does not have to fear running into debt, as it is impossible to borrow using the card. On the flipside of the coin, there are one or two setbacks. For instance, the majority of prepaid cards do have one or two fees like purchase fees or annual admin fees. These are mostly paid with funds on the card.