'Free cash - if you play your cards right' is the catching headline of an article on FT.com this week exploring the benefits of cash back credit cards.

The article explains how while a cash back card can seem like an opportunity to pocket a few extra quid, a 0 per cent purchase card can offer higher financial rewards.

The idea is that by making your purchases on a 0% card and only making the minimum payment, the remaining payment can be invested in a high interest saving account which will, in turn, earn more than could be achieved with cachback deals.

While it's an interesting proposal, it would require a far greater degree of self discipline to save the money than it would to simply make use of the benefits offered by the cash back cards. A worthwhile read though if you have confidence in your financial management skills and want to make a buck or two out of the credit card companies!

Consumer interest publication Which published today a scathing report on credit card charges.

The report shows how, following last years Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruling that credit card companies must cut their penalty fees to a £12 maximum, the companies are recouping their losses by introducing new charges and raising existing ones. Given the nature of these companies and their need to continually increase profits, it's unlikely the OFT ruling has had an impact on their financial well being or that of the consumer.

The report highlights trends in annual, low usage and balance transfer fees amongst other charges. The BBC summary includes information on changes made by the leading high street names HBOS, LLoyds TSB and Barclaycard.

Like any business, the credit card companies objective is to make a profit which is why choosing the right card is so important. The same deal that was attractive a few months ago may no longer be the best option.

Barclaycard launched it's much talked about 'Breathe' credit card this week. They have committed to donating half their profits generated by the card to climate change solutions The launch follows a series of high profile campaigns by some of the leading financial institutions looking to boost their 'green credentials'. Many of these initiatives have been openly criticised as 'jumping on the green band wagon' but is this really a bad thing?

Sure, profits are generated by people building a balance on their credit cards which they pay interest on and those who pay their balance every month will not be making the green contribution but as we all know, credit card companies are ALL very profitable and the more there is available to address climate change the better. After all it's usually the consumer who ends up paying for solutions - either themselves or through additional taxation and in a funny way they still are using this card but they could very easily use a different credit card which did nothing towards helping climate change.

It may not be the cheapest credit card to run (currently charging 14.9% on purchases) and even if it is using climate change as it's hook to lure consumers it's still a great idea and means that inadvertently you're still doing your bit.

Life assistance company CCP has discovered that over the course of a typical UK resident's life, they could spend over £150,000 on credit cards. It's estimated that the total combined amount that UK consumers will spend over their lifetimes on credit cards will top 5.25 trillion GBP which means a typical consumer will happily spend £157,530.

There's some interesting trends within the data which shows on average people spend £3540 on nice things like holidays, cars, clothes, shopping using their credit cards. However, the figures also revealed that people use their cards for everyday purchases like lunch, petrol and food which also adds weight to the introduction of contactless credit card technology.

"The results of this survey show how popular paying by credit card has become and that people now rely on their flexible friends to fund everyday life," explained Zoe Manton, head of card protection at the firm.

Additional data published by the charity Credit Action has also revealed the 32% of people in the UK lie to their partners about how much they spend on their plastic, even though the British Bankers Association (BBA) has reported that borrowing on credit cards has fallen nationally by 0.1 billion GBP during March.

The UK banking industry has confirmed that from September this year they will be introducing a new type of credit card technology called contactless cards. The system is extremely easy to use and means that for all credit card purchases under 10GBP, card holder will only need to hold their cards up to a secure scanner to pay for the items. It offers a flexible alternative to cash building on the same secure chip and PIN technology.The new technology will be recognised by the ripple symbol. Although contactless technology means that credit card holders will not be required to input their pin number from time to time, users will be asked to input their pin number to verify authenticity.

The launch will be focussed around on London (EC2, EC3, EC4, E1, E14, SE1, SE16). After the initial launch the upgrade will be introduced across London, followed by a gradual national upgrade in 2008. Initially the following organisations are expected to participate with all major card issuers to follow.

• Bank of Scotland
• Barclaycard
• Citi
• Euroconex Technologies Ltd
• Halifax
• HSBC
• Lloyds TSB
• The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

This is a global scheme that has already been introduced to the USA and many other countries across the world, making it easy to use your credit cards where ever you are. It's estimated that by the end of 2008 over 5 million contactless cards will have been issued being accepted at over 100,000 merchants in the UK.

A business credit card is a versatile financial tool that you can use for your company to make payments instead of using cheques or cash, for a better financial management. In this article we discuss the advantages and the protections given by a business credit card, and the differences between a normal personal credit card and a business credit card.

You can apply for a business credit card in two ways: you can seek for a charge card or for a credit card. You can charge your business purchases with both, but there is a main difference between them. A credit card allows you to pay your expenses in instalments, while the charge card must be regularly repaid in full every month.

There are several offers on business credit cards in UK, each one reviewed and fully described on our website for your convenience. We update our website regularly to have a constant and complete overview on market offers. Each issuer offer different business credit cards, that you need to know if you want to make the best choice for your needs.

With a business credit card you can track expenses made by your employees and have a better point of view on your outcomes. Moreover, business credit cards are easier to obtain than a normal line of credit, and it is easier for your employees to split personal and business expenses. You can track your expenses online with the majority of credit card issuers and this is a main advantage of using a business credit card rather than cheques.

Furthermore several benefits are associated with business credit cards, such as discounts, special offers and insurances, all products that are strictly related to business travels thus resulting in productive advantages.

To know more about business credit cards and submit your online application visit our website at www.moneyeverything.com .

Benefits of using credit cards are simple: you can rent a car when you are in holiday, you can face minor emergencies when in need of money, and much more. In fact, you can take advantage of all the benefits offered by credit cards such as rewards and travel insurances. Moreover, you are able to make purchases on the Internet without having to use cheques or wait for a bank transfer to be processed. Further benefits are fraud protection, and that you can save money on purchases using cashback credit cards, for instance.

Usually a credit card hasn't got all the possible benefits: you can choose between credit cards with a low interest (balance transfer credit cards), or reward credit cards. It depends on how you use them and if you prefer to pay your monthly balance in full or making monthly instalments.

Low interest rates are important if you want to pay with monthly instalments, since it means to save money, but this is important only if you want to carry a balance. Otherwise if you are looking to have part of your cash back or for special discounts then other kinds of credit cards are available in the UK market. Furthermore there are reward credit cards that let you to collect points and spend them in goodies such as free flight, free hotel accommodations and much more. However such cards usually feature higher interest rates thus you should use them only if you are willing to pay your monthly balance in full.

To better know the characteristics of each credit card and make the right choice, by submitting your online application, you can check out our website at www.moneyeverything.com . Submitting your application online is the fastest way to have it processed and approved, moreover you are able to compare many credit cards offer and stay up to date with promotions and special offers in UK.

Electronic currency became more and more attractive in time, making it the primary payment form in everyday purchases. Using a credit card while going shopping, paying a bill or purchasing a ticket for a concert are common experiences that are made by millions of people at anytime in the world.

Preference on credit cards rather than cash is due to several factors. The most attractive feature of a credit card is security: differently from debit cards, credit cards are covered by an insurance against fraud and theft. Hence in case of fraudulent use of the card, expenses are not billed to the legitimate owner, while debit cards do not offer such kind of protection.

Another important aspect of preferring credit cards rather than cash, for instance while going shopping, is security of not carrying much money in your pocket. This is a valuable advantage in case your wallet is stolen: your credit card can be blocked just with a phone call.

There are further benefits associated to credit cards. To name some, on certain cards there is a travel insurance in case you lose your baggage or if your flight is cancelled in certain situations. Moreover, reward programs are available for the majority of credit cards, giving more value to the money you spend since rewards are awarded to credit cards customers making a "good use" of the card (that is, use it everyday for every expense made).

Ease of use and payment flexibility are other important features that one can use. Credit card balance can be paid regularly each month, or partially by paying an interest rate, whose actual average is around 20%.

Last but not least, a credit card is the perfect payment method when going abroad for work or vacation. There is no need to exchange currency when using a credit card, and they are usually accepted worldwide since the most common circuits such as VISA or Mastercard are widely spread.

Carrying a pending credit card balance each month means to pay interests regularly, based on your applied APR rate. That is, you pay for the time you will borrow money from your credit card issuer.

Paying 20% interest on a credit card balance is not a convenient option, especially when there are cheaper alternatives already available on the UK market.

Balance transfer credit cards in fact are an innovative payment mean that was introduced recently, that allows to pay all your credit cards and transfer the debt on a single card only.

The advantage on using a balance transfer credit card rather than a normal card is that the APR interest applied is sensibly lower: these cards were conceived as an alternative to personal loans to meet unexpected expenses.

Further advantages of balance transfer credit cards are straightforward. When you apply for a loan, you ask for a certain amount of money and you pay interests on it whether you use that money or not.

With a balance transfer credit card, you pay interests on used money only; moreover, when you clear your debt you are allowed to use the card again, while when you repay for a loan then if you need another one you need to apply for another loan, meaning to pass another loan evaluation and having your credit score accessed.

A balance transfer credit card on the other hand will allow you to have a valuable cash resource always with you, no matter if you use it now or in some months.

Hence, you have the possibility to face emergencies without asking anyone for help. There are several promotions on balance transfer credit cards. The most important one is the grace period of 9 months offered on many cards.

This means you can use the card and you won't pay any interest on a 9 months period. Take a calculator and see how much you would pay for 9 months with your actual card: this is the money you can save by applying for a balance transfer credit card today!

An emergency cash advance is an useful service offered by credit card issuers to face unexpected situations, like when you are in holiday far away from home, you lose your wallet and you need not to break your vacation for such a thing.

This simple example should clear your ideas on why emergency cash advance services are of such crucial importance, when need arises.

This service has got a cost. Usually, it is around 3% the sum you get, or a flat fee that you agreed when you signed up the contract for your credit card.

To know if your credit card has got an emergency cash advance service, or to know whether your credit card issuer is offering an alternative card with this valuable benefit, you can call their customer care service or visit their website.

To use this service, you should contact your credit card issuer to know where they have got their nearest office. Once you get there with a valid identification document, you should have your funds disposed in a matter of minutes.