Compare Credit Cards with CardSmart

Credit card spending in supermarkets, service stations and department stores increased this year in comparison to 2008 levels, according to Barclaycard.

New figures from the credit card provider show that people are spending less this Christmas in general.

The highest number of debit and credit card transactions was on Saturday December 19th as people completed their Christmas shopping.

However, this figure was down by 2.6% in comparison to the Saturday before Christmas in 2008.

But spending increased in some types of store.

Debit and credit card spending in supermarkets increased by 15.2%, while service station spending rose by 24.9%.

Head of UK payment acceptance at Barclaycard Stuart Neal commented on the trend: "What we have seen over the busiest weekend of the year in the retail industry is a fall overall in terms of spending, but continued increases in areas where you would expect at Christmas such as supermarkets and department stores, as customers continue to treat their loved ones."

Barclaycard is currently offering a gold credit card, with a typical variable rate of 19.9% APR.

There is 0% interest on balance transfers for the first six months from the date on which the account is opened, with a 2.5% handling fee.

Written by ©

Credit Cards	0% Balance Transfers	0% Purchases	APR Representative (Variable)
	Tesco ClubCard Credit Card
	9 months	15 months	16.9%
** 16.9% APR representative (variable). Based on a credit limit of 1200 and purchase rate 16.9% p.a(variable). **
	Virgin Credit Card
	20 months	3 months	16.8%
** 16.8% APR representative (variable). Based on a credit limit of 1200 and purchase rate 16.8% p.a(variable). **
	Barclaycard Platinum with BT
	22 months	3 months	17.5%
** 17.5% APR representative (variable). Based on a credit limit of 1200 and purchase rate 17.5% p.a(variable). **
Compare More Credit Cards...