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Christmas Credit Cards Guide


Your guide to managing your credit card throughout the festive season

Why should I prepare my credit card for Christmas?

Being smart about your credit card use over Christmas can help you improve your cash flow around the holidays, make the most of interest free periods and build up credit card rewards which can be the gift that keeps on giving long after the Christmas tree has come down.

Determining the credit card with the best deal, the best rewards program and fewer fees will also help you identify the credit card you should be using to make your Christmas purchases.

When should I apply for a new Christmas credit card?

If you’ve found that your current credit cards just aren’t up to offering you the best features this Christmas, you may be considering applying for a new credit card to use for this year’s Christmas shopping. However, you will need to make sure your new card arrives in time for you to use it. Allow for time to complete the online application form, get approved and receive your card.

How do I choose the right Christmas credit card?

You may expect the comparison stage to take you the longest, however, when you are able to use the following information to narrow down your search you can be spreading Christmas joy with your new card in no time.

Types of credit cards for Christmas purchases

Low interest rate credit cards:

  • Low interest rate. With an interest rate which is often half that of some of the premium credit cards, a low interest credit card can be ideal for Christmas purchases because if you are unable to pay off your balance in full, you are only charged minimal interest on your purchases.
  • Low fees. A low interest rate credit card is a simple card and since you need it for the simple purpose of Christmas shopping this can make it ideal. Plus, with few added extras, the card is low on fees so you don’t have a lot of extra charges added to your balance by the provider.
  • Few other features. At such a low interest rate, it is not economical for the provider to load this type of card with additional features. This means you will be unlikely to find a rewards program or additional benefits, however, the benefit of this is the low cost to maintain the card, allowing you to focus on your Christmas purchases, not on the costs of making those purchases.

Featured Low Interest Rate Credit Cards

  Interest Rate (p.a.) Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)  
Bank of Melbourne Vertigo Credit Card
Bank of Melbourne Vertigo Credit Card
A fantastic balance transfer rate and a great low on-going purchase rate.13.24% 0.99% for 6 months$5521.49%Apply Now For The Bank of Melbourne Vertigo Credit Card Read More About The Bank of Melbourne Vertigo Credit Card
Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Enjoy the benefits of Visa Platinum, with a low annual fee and a great introductory offer on purchases and balance transfers.11.99% 0% for 12 months with 3% balance transfer fee$9921.74%Apply Now For The Citibank Clear Platinum Card Read More About The Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Bankwest Breeze MasterCard
Bankwest Breeze MasterCard

Australia's lowest interest rate credit card. A low stress, guaranteed low interest credit card.

0% for 6 months (reverts to 10.99% )4.99% for 9 months$4921.99%Apply Now For The Bankwest Breeze MasterCard Read More About The Bankwest Breeze MasterCard

A 0% purchase card:

  • No interest charges. This is every credit card holder’s dream. It means you are make your Christmas purchases, and have some time to pay down this debt.
  • Limited time offer. The 0% interest on your purchases are usually only offered for three to six months from signing up for the card.
  • Interest reverts to the purchase rate. Unfortunately there is no such thing as an ongoing 0% interest rate, and when the introductory period is up, the interest rate on the card will revert to the standard purchase from the provider.

Featured 0% purchase cards

  Interest Rate (p.a.) Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)  
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
Receive 20,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points - enough for $200 worth of Travel Agency Gift Vouchers. Also receive a complimentary Virgin Australia domestic economy return flight every year.0% for 6 months (reverts to 20.74% )$149Apply Now For The American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card Read More About The American Express Platinum Edge Credit Card
Westpac 55 Day Credit Card - Special Offer
Westpac 55 Day Credit Card - Special Offer
No annual fee for the first year, plus a promotional rate on balance transfers and purchases.0% for 5 months (reverts to 19.59% )3.99% for 6 months$0 annual fee for the first year ($30 thereafter)21.49%Apply Now For The Westpac 55 Day Credit Card - Special Offer Read More About The Westpac 55 Day Credit Card - Special Offer
Bankwest Zero MasterCard
Bankwest Zero MasterCard
A great $0 annual fee credit card, with great introductory offer.0% for 6 months (reverts to 17.99% )4.99% for 9 months$018.99%Apply Now For The Bankwest Zero MasterCard Read More About The Bankwest Zero MasterCard
ANZ Platinum Credit Card
ANZ Platinum Credit Card
An introductory low interest rate on purchases plus a low annual fee.0% for 6 months (reverts to 19.39% )0% for 6 months$0 annual fee for the first year ($87 thereafter)20.99%Apply Now For The ANZ Platinum Credit Card Read More About The ANZ Platinum Credit Card

Rewards credit cards:

  • Be rewarded for everyday shopping. There are always going to be purchases to make, from fuel and food, to clothes and shoes, and with a rewards credit card you can be rewarded for the purchases you were going to be making anyway.
  • Versatile rewards. Rewards credit cards often offer you your choice of rewards, and sometimes even a choice as to which rewards program you want to join. For example, you could choose to join the rewards program run by the card provider, or you can choose to accumulate points towards an existing frequent flyer program. Then you can redeem your rewards for merchandise, home wares, tickets and gift cards for a range of outlets.
  • Keep the gifts coming. The post-Christmas let down is almost inevitable, when the fun and excitement of food, family and presents has ended. However, with a rewards credit card packed full of Christmas purchase rewards points, you can cash in your points in the new year to keep the gifts coming. Or if you are organised with your Christmas spending you may even have enough points before Christmas to cash them in for rewards which you can use as gifts for family or friends.
  • High cost card. Rewards credit cards typically have a higher annual fee and a higher interest rate, but make sure you shop around as there are some surprisingly good deals available.
  • Temptation to spend. A rewards credit card can feel like a license – no an obligation – to spend, however, you need to make sure you have the self control before you sign up for the rewards. If you spend just to get rewards points you will end up spending more than you can afford to pay off, and the interest you pay on your purchases will cancel out any rewards gifts you may have qualified for. Typically you need to spend around $2,000 a month to gain enough rewards to cancel out the costs of a rewards credit card.

Featured Rewards Credit Cards

  Interest Rate (p.a.) Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)  
Virgin Flyer Credit Card
Virgin Flyer Credit Card
An introductory offer on balance transfers, earn 1 Velocity Point per $1 spent up to $1,500 per month, then 1 Velocity Point for every $2. Get 4 free flights every year.20.99% 1.9% for 12 months$50 (for first year thereafter $99)20.99%Apply Now For The Virgin Flyer Credit Card Read More About The Virgin Flyer Credit Card
Westpac Earth Classic
Westpac Earth Classic
Earn up to 1 Qantas Frequent Flyer point for every $1 spent on everyday purchases. Plus an introductory balance transfer offer.19.99% 0.99% for 6 months$7521.49%Apply Now For The Westpac Earth Classic Read More About The Westpac Earth Classic
Citibank Emirates Platinum Card
Citibank Emirates Platinum Card
Earn up to 1.5 Skywards Miles for every $1 you spend up to 25,000 points, plus great introductory offer on balance transfers.20.99% 0.9% for 12 months$22921.24%Apply Now For The Citibank Emirates Platinum Card Read More About The Citibank Emirates Platinum Card

Retail credit cards:

  • Save money in the beginning. You are often offered a retail credit card when you are in a department store making a purchase, and the shop assistant offers you an application for their store card. There is usually a special introductory offer such as a 15% discount off of your first purchase, and so you can save money right from the beginning. Plus, many store cards also have a 60 to 90 day interest free and repayment free period for the first purchase.
  • Special deals. As a store card holder you will be invited to all of the exclusive shopping nights at the store. This means you can make significant savings if you go along, and even if you don’t buy you can always have a fun night out and enjoy some free champagne – when did your bank last do that for you?
  • High interest rates. The rewards of a retail credit card don’t always come cheap, so make sure you compare the interest rate you’ll be charged, and make sure it’s worth it.

How do I choose a balance transfer credit card after Christmas?

If you’ve wrapped your last present, put out the cookies and realised that you’ve gone over your carefully planned budget again, Christmas isn’t ruined just yet because you can use a balance transfer credit card to avoid most of the impact. A balance transfer credit card is a special low interest or 0% interest credit card which takes over your high interest credit card balance to give you a better chance of paying it off quickly, and saving you on interest costs.

When choosing a balance transfer credit card, the two most important variables to compare are the rate and the period of the offer. If you have a large balance, $5,000 or more, you will need a longer time to repay that balance, and the balance transfer offers with the longer terms typically have a slightly higher interest rate. In this case you may need to choose a 12 month period, or look at the for life balance transfer offers which offer you a low rate for the life of the balance.

However, if you have a lower balance, you can afford to channel your repayment efforts into a shorter term with a better chance of clearing the debt before the offer expires. With a shorter balance transfer period such as six or nine months, you can often even find a 0% interest offer.

The next important feature to compare is the revert rate. This is the interest rate your balance will attract if you don’t pay it off during the balance transfer offer period. The revert rate is usually the purchase rate of the card, but can sometimes be the higher cash advance rate. It is also necessary to understand the importance of not spending on your new balance transfer credit card until you have repaid your transferred balance. Some credit card providers allocate your repayments to the oldest balances first, and while you are paying off your balance transfer, all of your repayment is going to clear your balance.

However, if you spend on your balance transfer credit card, the new purchase starts earning interest at the card’s standard purchase interest rate right away. Then, when you make repayments they still go towards your transferred balance and your new purchase go on accruing the full interest rate. This negates any savings you would have been making with your lower balance transfer interest rate.

Also remember that a balance transfer is not a free ticket to spend on your old card again either. When you take advantage of a balance transfer offer, the balance on your existing card goes back to zero. However, until you have paid off your balance transfer and made sure you have your spending under control, it is important to avoid accumulating a new credit card balance, which may just require a new balance transfer again in the future, as multiple and regular balance transfers can affect your credit rating.

To get an idea of just how much you could save with a post-Christmas balance transfer, consider your credit card which has an 18% interest rate, and $5,000 worth of Christmas purchases on it. At this rate your monthly repayments would be $225 and if you paid only the minimum amount and didn’t make any new purchases, it would take you 28 months, or 2.3 years, to repay your balance and in that time you would have paid $1,127 in interest. That is where the Christmas credit hangover comes from.

To avoid a hangover this year, you could transfer that balance to a balance transfer credit card offering 2.9% for 12 months. Even if you paid the same amount you were paying on your old card, more of your repayment is going towards your balance, and less is being taken up with interest. However, the aim of a balance transfer credit card is to clear your debt, so you pay $425 each month to clear your balance and be debt free in the 12 month period. In that time you would have only paid $78 in interest, compared to paying $490 in interest each year on your old card. That saving of $412 will go a long way towards your Christmas savings for next year.

Plus, even if you had paid $425 on your old high interest credit card, it would have still taken you 14 months to repay your balance and you would have paid $542 in interest.

Featured Balance Transfer Credit Cards

  Interest Rate (p.a.) Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)  
St.George Vertigo
St.George Vertigo
A fantastic balance transfer rate and a great low on-going purchase rate.13.24% 0.99% for 6 months$5521.49%Apply Now For The St.George Vertigo Read More About The St.George Vertigo
Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Enjoy the benefits of Visa Platinum, with a low annual fee and a great introductory offer on balance transfers.11.99% 0% for 12 months with 3% balance transfer fee$9921.74%Apply Now For The Citibank Clear Platinum Card Read More About The Citibank Clear Platinum Card
Bankwest Breeze MasterCard
Bankwest Breeze MasterCard

One of Australia's lowest interest rate credit cards. A low stress, guaranteed low interest credit card.

0% for 6 months (reverts to 10.99% )4.99% for 9 months$4921.99%Apply Now For The Bankwest Breeze MasterCard Read More About The Bankwest Breeze MasterCard

How do I manage my Christmas credit card purchases?

Of course the ideal situation is to avoid the need for a balance transfer after Christmas, and you can do that by using your Christmas credit card wisely in the following three ways:

1 – Keeping track of your repayments

When you miss a repayment or regularly make your repayments late, you are travelling down the slippery slope to uncontrollable Christmas credit card debt. The snowball affect once again works against you because when you miss a repayment you are charged a late fee, the late fee is added to your balance, your balance increases, interest is charged on your balance including your fees so your interest charges increase and you need to pay more and more each month just to beat the compounding interest, let alone repay your principal balance.

Luckily there are two important things you can do to keep track of your credit card repayments. First, set up a regular automatic payment transfer to your credit card account every month, for a date which is several days before your repayment is due. This accounts for weekends, public holidays and bank delays and ensures your repayment is always made on time.

The second thing you need to do is make sure you are setting up an automatic repayment which will pay off the balance in full. But how can you know what your credit card balance will be at the end of each month? This is part of managing your purchases to make sure they come in on budget each month. The way many people get into trouble with credit cards is that they think that just because the card has a $7,000 limit, they have $7,000 available to spend each month. However, if you only earn $5,000 a month then the most you could afford to spend on your card would be $5,000.

Of course, even if you paid all of your bills and made all of your purchases on your credit card, you still shouldn’t be spending the full $5,000 as some of your monthly income should also be going into a savings account. Therefore, if you keep track of your spending and make sure you only spend what you can afford to repay within the interest free period on your card, you will also be able to keep track of your repayments, as they shouldn’t ever be a surprise.

2 – Understanding interest free days

Most credit cards will proudly profess that they have up to 44 days interest free or up to 55 days interest free. However, there are two things you need to be aware of before you get carried away thinking you’re not being charged interest – firstly, the interest free days only apply if you repaid your balance in full the previous month, and secondly, you are getting up to a certain amount of interest free days.

It is important you are aware the interest free days advertised are a maximum amount. Using the example of a card with up to 55 days interest free, those 55 days begin on the first day of your credit card statement. For example, if your credit card statement begins on the 1st of every month, on 1 January you will have 55 interest free days to pay off your purchases, every purchase after the 1st of the month counts down your interest free days. This means that while 31 January is the last day of your credit card statement, purchases made since 1 January don’t accrue interest until after 24 February, 55 days later; 24 February is also when your January credit card bill is due.

Therefore if you make a purchase on 1 January, the first day of your credit card statement period, you have 55 interest free days on that purchase. If you make a purchase on 1 February you only have 23 days until the end of your interest free period.

3 – Tracking rewards points

When you are comparing rewards credit cards you should be comparing the redeem rate – that is, how many points you need before you can redeem them for something you want, and how those points relate to the actual value of the item. For example, if you have to spend $5,000 to earn 5,000 points which can be redeemed for a $40 glassware set, you need to decide whether this is a good return for your points.

When tracking your points, have a goal in mind, of what you would like to redeem your points for. This will give you motivation to check on your progress, and keep you regularly informed of your points balance. Also make sure that if your points are capped or if they expire, that you are aware of these used by dates and limits.

There are also a number of programs you can use to help you track your credit card rewards points. you can choose from a range of websites or smartphone apps which help you organise your rewards programs, including the points on your credit card. These programs are designed around the fact that rewards points are like a currency of their own, so you should be able to monitor them in the same way you do your bank accounts. The programs also let you set goals for your points spending so you know you are getting tangible rewards.

How do I repay my purchases?

Now that you have a plan for making your purchases on your Christmas credit card, you also need a plan for repaying them.

Debt repayment strategies

To repay your Christmas credit card debts effectively you need to have a plan and these simple steps can help you plan to be debt free early in the new year:

  • Set yourself small goals. One of the most effective tools you will have in your debt repayment plan is motivation, but unfortunately it is also often the hardest to find. That is why you need to motivate yourself regularly by setting yourself small goals on a weekly or monthly basis, rather than looking at your overall debts and the relatively small dent you’ve made.
  • Reward your successes. To bolster your motivation celebrate your successes. For example when you do meet your weekly or monthly debt repayment goal make sure you reward yourself with something you really want to do. This does involve some self control as a typical reward for many is a shopping trip, but look at other rewards you can use such as baking your favourite cake, going for a drive to your favourite picnic spot or watching your favourite movie.
  • Organise your paperwork. When you keep your statements and payments organised you are more likely to be successful in paying off your Christmas credit card balances. Whether you use a notebook or a computer spreadsheet make sure you keep all of your figures and commitments together so you can always stay on track, and of course instantly check your progress.
  • The buddy system. Another great debt repayment strategy to combat the post-Christmas credit card hangover is to get into a debt repayment plan with a friend. You’re not going to be the only one nursing a large credit card bill after Christmas, and working with a close friend or family member to check in on each other’s progress and remind each other when to think twice about a purchase will make you feel less alone and keep you motivated.

Interest rate charges

It is important you know how the interest rate on your credit card is calculated so that you can avoid the worst brunt of the charges. For example, consider if you had a credit card with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 16% and the average daily balance of your card is $1,000. Divide the APR by 365 to calculate the daily rate, which is 0.0438%.

Credit card interest is calculated daily, so in a month with 30 days, you would multiply your average daily balance by your daily rate, and then by the number of days in the month. This means:

0.0438% x $1,000 x 30 = $13.14

Therefore, your interest portion of your repayment for that month would be $13.14. Knowing this calculation can help you see just how much your credit card purchases are costing you each month, and show you how much of your monthly repayment is really going towards reducing your balance. In most cases, credit card providers only calculate repayments which pay off two to three percent of your balance each month.

How do I make the most of a retail credit card?

You can apply for a retail credit card with your favourite department store, or even your local gas station to receive exclusive offers and discounts. Retail credit cards will often entitle you to invitations to excusive sales events, deals on shipping costs, advance notice of sales in store, invitations to pre-sales events as well as extended periods with no interest and no repayments, sometimes for up to 12 months.

However, to get the most benefit out of your retail credit card:

  • Know the rewards. Each retail credit card will offer different rewards, and you need to choose one with rewards which will be of the most value to you. For example, if you often have trouble repaying your credit card balance – not just at Christmas time – then a card which offers cash back on a percentage of every purchase may best suit you. Or if you would prefer to ear rewards points, or points towards your existing frequent flyer program or Fly Buys program, then look for a retail card from the same group as your existing rewards programs.
  • Know how and where you can earn points. A retail credit card is a convenient way to make purchases at the card’s retail stores, but you get the best value from retail credit cards which partner with other businesses. You may find this with retail credit cards from a store which is part of a larger retail group, or simply with a card which has forged partnerships for its customers. Some partnered stores will offer you more points per dollar spent than others, so make sure you understand the conditions of your retail card to make the most of your earning capabilities. These partnerships not only make it easier to earn rewards points, but also give you more options for redeeming points too.
  • Redeem the rewards. Just as with a regular rewards credit card, you need to be aware of when and if the points on your retail credit card expire. Also remember that with a retail card with partnered stores, you’re often not limited to rewards redeemed at the original store, but can often choose from a range of gifts.

What are the traps of credit cards that I should be aware of and avoid?

As you get caught up in the festive spirit it is easy to forget about the downsides of the convenient, safe and fast credit card you’re using for your Christmas shopping. However, there are a number of credit card features you will need to watch out for, and some tips on how to avoid these dangers.

Cash advances

A cash advance allows you to withdraw cash from your credit card, adding the withdrawal to your credit card in a similar way to a new purchase. However, the difference is that a cash advance is usually charged at a higher interest rate than your regular purchases, and interest is applied right away, even if your credit card has interest free days available. There may also be an additional fee on top of the interest charges which can be a set fee or a percentage of the transaction amount.

Cash advances are such a dangerous credit card feature because they attract interest right away, and many credit card providers will apply your repayments to the lower interest transactions first, leaving your cash advance to accrue interest for even longer. A cash advance is a short term solution to a longer term problem, because if you don’t have any cash available in your transaction account, then you need to rethink whether you can really afford that purchase.

Overspending

Having a brand new Christmas credit card, or a recently revived account can feel like a license to shop, and spoil yourself and others for the festive season. However, a credit card should be used with the same care and forethought as any other financial product. This means that you should look at your budget each month and work out how much you can afford to repay on your credit card, and therefore how much you can afford to spend that month.

If you can’t afford to repay the full amount of the purchases you need to make on your credit card, make sure you work out what your repayments would be, how much interest you will be charged and how much extra you can afford to repay above the minimum repayment – this allows you to remain informed, and aware of what your decision to overspend will be costing you.

To avoid overspending try taking your Christmas credit card out of your wallet when you don’t need it for items on your Christmas list. This will stop you from buying ‘presents’ for yourself and help you stick to your Christmas list and your monthly budget.

Not repaying your balance in full and on time

Ideally you would repay your Christmas credit card balance in full and on time, but if you can’t do both, you at least want to make sure you meet the repayments on time to avoid late payment fees. All credit card fees are added to your balance where, if not repaid in time, they accrue interest and that interest then compounds, increasing the original size of the fees exponentially.

While the danger of not repaying your balance in full may seem minimal compared to compounding credit card fees, consider the full effects of compounding interest. For example, if you have a $3,000 balance on your credit card at a 16% interest rate, if you make just the minimum payment you will be paying $1,976 in interest, and your card will take you close to seven years to repay in full if you don’t make any new purchases.

Overseas transaction fees from online stores

Most credit cards will charge a currency conversion fee when you use the card overseas, or online to buy from a merchant overseas. These fees can range from 1.5% of the transaction amount up to around 3.4% of the transaction amount. Some cards also charge an additional overseas transaction fee which can be an additional two to three percent, or a flat fee which can be as much as $30.

Therefore, it is important to know exactly which overseas transaction fees will be charged on your online Christmas purchases. However, if you want to avoid these costs all together, you can use a third party payment system such as PayPal. Or, if you are using your credit card to transfer money to friends or family overseas, you can use a transfer payment system such as Western Union. A typical $25 payment to the UK will charge an additional $20 fee so make your comparisons carefully.

How do I avoid getting into Christmas credit card debt?

If you use the tips and advice in this article for preparing your finances and avoiding the pitfalls of credit cards, you should be able to manage your Christmas spending without entering the new year smothered by debt. This means:

  • Make sure you write a detailed Christmas list and budget and stick to it to avoid impulse buys.
  • Don’t send too long at the stores while you’re shopping as you are more likely to buy something you don’t need.
  • Shop online if you can avoid the high credit card transaction fees of overseas online stores.
  • Choose the best credit card for your budget and needs.
  • Remain aware of your credit card balance.
  • Have a credit card repayment plan and always aim to pay off your balance in full each month.

How do I prepare my finances for Christmas?

The health of your finances will determine how generous Santa will be with your family and friends this year, and which special trimmings make it to the dinner table. Therefore, you want your finances to be fighting fit, and you can use these steps in your preparation for the big day:

  • Look at past performance. Look back at your spending last Christmas and total up all of your expenditures. This will help you set a budget for this year, based on whether you had a lot of left over food, the amount of presents you bought, the Christmas cards you sent and all of the other incidental spending which comes with the festive season.
  • Create a presents budget. The best way to prepare your finances for Christmas is to have a plan around what you are going to spend. Therefore, make a list of everyone you want to give a present to, and what you’d like to buy them. Then you can estimate a dollar value for each present and this will allow you to calculate a presents budget. As well as organising your finances, this list can also help you organise your shopping as you can carry the list of gifts you need with you, and check off items when you see them.
  • Create a travel budget. This should help you start thinking about all of those incidental costs that come with Christmas such as servicing the car and getting new tyres if you’re going away, fuel, accommodation, restaurant bills, and don’t forget to include the cost of taxis if you plan on enjoying the eggnog at a few Christmas parties.
  • Christmas income. If you are self employed then you will probably stop earning money when you stop working over Christmas, so make sure you budget for this loss of income in your savings and credit card repayment plans. However, with the end of the year approaching you may have been able to finalise some big invoices before your clients closed up for Christmas, so you have somewhat of a Christmas bonus in income coming in. Of course if you work in a larger company it may be standard practice for you to receive a Christmas bonus, but also check whether you are still paid your wage as normal over the break, and whether your time off when the office is closed is taken out of your annual leave days.
  • Total budget. Now you have looked at what you’re likely to spend this Christmas based on last year’s spending and your plans for this year you can work out a total budget for your expected Christmas spend this year. Knowing how much you’re planning to spend can then help you get your savings in line, and prepare your credit card for the busiest few weeks of its year.
  • Savings plan. When you’re faced with the total amount of your Christmas spending it may seem impossible to save up that much. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start saving for Christmas anyway. Work out how long you have until Christmas and how much you would need to save each week. Then look at your current family budget and work out how much you can afford to put away. Then open a free online high interest savings account to deposit your Christmas savings and make them work hard for you too. Keep note of the shortfall in your savings as this amount will be going on your Christmas credit card.
  • Credit card planning. Regardless of how much your savings plan is able to cover from your Christmas shopping list this year, find out more about how you can use your credit card to your advantage this year and make the most of your Christmas spending.

How do I plan now, for my spending next Christmas?

Few of us get everything right the first time we try it, so if you put these Christmas credit card tips in place this year, use the experience as a chance to find out what works for you and what doesn’t and be more in control of your Christmas spending each year.

In planning for next Christmas, remember:

  • Have a plan to pay off your credit card debts from this Christmas as soon as you can.
  • Consider a balance transfer credit card to help you clear existing Christmas debts.
  • Open a high interest online savings account to start saving for next Christmas.
  • Set up a regular savings deposit each week, even if you can only afford $10 a week, it all adds up.
  • Make a new Christmas list and budget and buy items when you see them on sale throughout the year.

Where can I apply for a Christmas credit card now?

If you’re ready to start preparing for your Christmas spending, find out more now, about one of the following credit cards which are each ideal for controlling your Christmas budget:

 

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    It is important to make a plan for your Christmas budget and stick to it. You should also look into ways to save on Christmas by searching for less expensive but unique gifts. You can also look into how much holiday parties and trips are going to cost so that you can budget for them as well.



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Interest rate (p.a.) Balance transfer rate (p.a.) Annual fee Cash advance rate (p.a.)
ANZ Platinum Credit Card
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HSBC Credit Card
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Citibank Rewards Credit Card - Platinum Card
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