Hey big spender! Get the right plastic

Summer's on its way, and there are holidays, sun cream and ice cream to pay for, but it's essential you get the right credit card to avoid financial meltdown.

We’ve had a teaser of sunshine for the first time in many, many months and that sweet expectation of summer sun is now upon us.

Along with the first outing of milky white pins and the often blister-inducing transition to open toe shoes, is the rush to buy all the accoutrements of the British summer -- bucket and spades, garden furniture and BBQs.

• Watch these videos: Don’t use your credit card to do this! And Don’t get caught out by negative order of payment

Then there is the summer wardrobe to update, and whether you find yourself short on shorts or you need to splash out on swimwear, chances are your wallet is set to take a bit of a battering as you come out of hibernation and get ready for the sunshine.

So if you are planning to hit the shops in an attempt to get set for summer, make sure you take the heat out of your finances by choosing a credit card that will work with you, not against you.

Buy, buy, buy

Many of the headline-grabbing credit cards are actually balance transfer deals, where you usually get a long-interest free period on any existing debt you transfer to your new card. They are certainly very useful indeed if you want to switch a balance over and give yourself a bit of breathing space to pay it off without incurring interest.

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Purchase cards are very straightforward. They usually offer an initial 0% interest period on all purchases you make using your card, after which you will revert to your provider’s APR.

They are perfect for those who know they are going to be spending a large amount of money on their card in the coming months, which might be because you have a big one-off purchase planned, but it could be simply that you have increased outgoings, or want to put more of your spending through your credit card for example.

After all, purchases made on your credit card benefit from Section 75 (of the Consumer Credit Act) protection, which gives you the right to claim against your credit card company if there is a problem with your purchase. If the goods you bought are faulty, damaged or don’t turn up at all for example, you have a right to redress from your credit card issuer. And you don’t get such protection with debit cards.

Find out more about Section 75 in Jane Baker’s Why credit card spending is wise.

As well as that useful safety net, with a purchase card you can get 0% interest for up to 12 months. Below are some of the best deals:

3 fantastic purchase cards

Compare credit cards with lovemoney.com

Best of both worlds

Of course, it might be the case that you need to use your card to make purchases but you also have an outstanding debt on your current card that you want to transfer over.

If this is the case you would definitely benefit from a ‘best of both worlds’ credit card. These give you an introductory 0% period on both balances transferred, usually within the first three months but it differs between providers, and on all purchases made. At the end of your deal period both purchases and balances transferred revert to the issuer’s APR.

These cards are becoming increasingly popular especially since new rules were announced this year to prevent card issuers benefitting from negative order of payment.

• Watch our video: Don’t get caught out by negative order of payment

In a nutshell, these new rules mean that it’s no longer in providers’ interest to offer a long balance transfer period and a short purchase period, as they cannot make as much money out of this type of arrangement. It looks likely that we will see less attractive balance transfer deals in the future, and this makes ‘best of both world cards’ currently look very appealing.

Just remember that when you are switching from one credit card provider to another that you cannot usually switch a balance to another card offered by your provider, or another brand within the same issuing group. For example, Virgin's credit cards are issued by MBNA so a customer cannot switch a balance between cards from these brands.

4 fab balance transfer AND purchase cards

Compare credit cards with lovemoney.com

Earn each time you spend

Finally, if you are really planning on hitting the shops this summer, and if you can afford to pay off your borrowing in full each and every month, there could be an even better option.

A cashback credit card will enable you to earn money as you spend. And if you pay off your card every month you never incur any interest charges, so you don’t have to hunt for the longest 0% deal.

Of course, it’s essential to remember to pay your credit card off in total each month, or you could be charged interest that will dwarf any cashback you earn.

5 top cashback cards

Compare credit cards with lovemoney.com

Watch these videos: Don’t use your credit card to do this! And Don’t get caught out by negative order of payment