www.choosingandusing.com provides latest impartial advice for consumers

APACS, the UK payments association, has today (16 May 2006) launched its updated website www.choosingandusing.com, designed to help consumers make sensible decisions when choosing and using a credit card.  As well as new downloadable guides on choosing and using credit cards, the site has been updated to provide the latest information on a number of key credit card features.

With approximately 3,000 visitors a month since its launch in July 2005 and more than 180 links from other websites including www.fsa.gov.uk and www.bbc.co.uk, www.choosingandusing.com helps people get to grips with the choices, benefits, potential risks and terminology around using and borrowing money on credit cards. 

The new advice on the site and additional information for consumers includes:

• How interest is calculated
• A credit card comparison tool
• Understanding the Summary Box
• Understanding your statement
• Useful links & other resources
• Regular, or recurring, transactions
• Information on card protection agencies

• A glossary of credit card terms
• Identity fraud
• Chip and PIN.

And new downloadable guides on:

• Choosing a credit card
• Using a credit card.

Sandra Quinn, Director of Communications at APACS, says:
Even though our research* shows that 82 per cent of credit card holders understand the costs and charges on their cards, and 89 per cent believe they manage their credit cards responsibly, there are of course people who would benefit from, or would like, more information and clear advice on how to select and manage their cards. Over the past year www.choosingandusing.com has not only made valuable impartial advice available to many thousands of consumers but also third parties offering consumer advice. In fact visitor feedback has really helped us with many of the changes we are launching today and we hope this additional and updated information will ensure its useful to many more people.

As an industry we are committed to improving consumers understanding of credit cards and encouraging responsible borrowing.

Choosingandusing.com offers unbiased information to help people decide which credit cards best suits their needs, and if they want to use them as a borrowing tool, whether or not they are the most appropriate choice.   The site also provides advice on managing money and reminds anyone who gets themselves into financial difficulties, or is struggling with repayments, of the help and support that is available.   As well as providing a one-stop site to answer basic questions about credit cards, the site also includes more detailed information for those wanting a greater understanding.  

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For further information contact the APACS Cards Information Office:

T: 0870 420 3208 E: apacs@fourcommunications.com

* The Survey was carried out among 2,000 UK adults between 12 to 16 October 2005. The responses were captured, collated and analysed by RSGB.

APACS is the UK payments association.  It provides the forum for the UK's financial institutions to come together on non-competitive issues, to develop banking systems for the future and to provide innovation and developments in payments.  It is also the banking industry voice on payments issues such as plastic cards, payment fraud, cheques, electronic payments and cash.