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Halifax credit card review: Bank of Scotland All in One

Best Buy alert! The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card is currently the best buy credit card for the longest combined 0% balance transfer and 0% purchase offer - check it here.

Best Buy alert! The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card is currently the best buy credit card for the longest 0% purchase offer - check it here.

THE Bank of Scotland All in One credit card combines 0% interest on balance transfers and 0% interest on purchases to offer a worry-free - "all in one" - solution to gaining zero percent interest on existing balances and new purchases.

Unlike most introductory deal credit cards, the Bank of Scotland All in One credit card offers synchronous deals on both balance transfers and purchases.

Effectively, this means the 0% interest rates on balance transfers and purchases last for the same length of time - so you don't have to worry about one promotional rate ending before the other and starting to accrue interest while you're stuck only being able to repay the cheaper balance.

While balance transfers must be completed within 90 days of account opening to qualify for the 0% rate, purchases can be made throughout the entire 9 month period and still qualify for 0% interest.

Just remember to have your entire balance paid back by the end of the 9 month period - or be prepared to shift it all elsewhere to keep the interest charges at bay.

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card is an ideal solution to needing 0% interest on both an existing credit card balance and new purchases you need to make too.

Interest Rates and Fees
		Notes..
Typical APR	15.9% APR (variable)	The typical rate most people will receive is 15.9% APR (variable), but you may be given a rate of 19.9% APR (variable) or 21.9% APR (variable) depending upon an assessment of your circumstances. In any month where interest is incurred between 1p and 50p, you will be charged a minimum of 50p instead. The typical APR is the rate most people are offered.
Introductory Purchases	0% for 9 months	Payments are applied towards the lowest rate balances, such as promotional rates, first.
Balance Transfers	0% for 9 months	Balances must be transferred within 90 days of account opening to qualify. Payments are applied towards the lowest rate balances first, such as promotional rates.
Balance Transfer Fee	3% (£3 minimum)	-
Cash Withdrawal Rate	27.95% p.a. (variable)	-
Cash Withdrawal Fee	3% (£3 minimum)	-
Annual Fee	None	-
Foreign Transaction Fee	2.95%	This fee will be charged if you make a purchase or cash withdrawal in a foreign currency.

Cardholder Services & Extras
Online Account Management		You can log in to the Bank of Scotland web site and manage your Bank of Scotland All in One credit card account online.
Internet Fraud Guarantee		As long as you follow the precautions, you won't be held liable for any online banking activity you haven't authorised.
Fraud Monitoring
Identity Protection
MasterCard SecureCode		An extra layer of security when shopping online. Register and set up a password-protected identity-check when you shop online with participating online retailers.
Purchase Protection Insurance
Purchase Delivery Insurance
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Travel Accident Insurance
Travel Inconvenience Insurance
Assistance Abroad
Emergency Card Replacement
Other Extras	- Card replacement if lost - Additional cards available for family members over 18 years old.
Optional Extras	These are extras that you can choose, but you will have to pay for them. - Identitycare - Repayment cover - Card protection.

Payments & Payment Details
		Notes..
Credit Limit	£500 minimum	Maximum credit limit is subject to status.
Interest Free Period	Up to 59 days	Actual interest free period will be displayed on your statement. The interest free period is for purchases if you pay the balance in full and on time. There is no interest free period on balance transfers, cheques or cash advances.
Minimum Monthly Payment	1% (£5 minimum)	If your balance is less than £5 then you must repay the full amount. If the balance is £5 or more, you must repay the greater of: - 1% of the outstanding balance, OR - The total of any insurance premiums, plus any interest (or the minimum interest charge), any overlimit or late payment fees, plus £5.
Allocation of Payments	Low interest rate balances » Higher interest rate balances (default sums » balance transfers » purchases » cheques » cash advances).	If you do not pay off your statement balance in full, your payment will be applied first towards balances where no interest is charged, then those at lower rates before those at higher rates. Where two balances are charged at the same rate of interest, your payment will be applied to transactions in the following order: default sums, balance transfers, purchases, cheques and then cash advances.
Default Charges	£12	This is how much you will be charged for late payments, returned payments and if you go over your credit limit.
Copy of Statement Fee	£5	This is the fee you will be charged for duplicate statements.

Card Details
		Notes..
Online Application	Yes	Remember: always ensure you meet the application requirements before applying, as getting rejected can affect your credit score.
Card Type	Classic	-
Payment Company	MasterCard	The company who provides the payment technology and infrastructure to allow you to use this credit card. Retailers and ATM machines displaying the 'MasterCard' logo will accept this credit card.
Card Issuer	HBOS	The bank who issues this credit card.
Card Advertiser	Bank of Scotland	The company who advertises and promotes this credit card.

Bank of Scotland All in One Credit Card User Reviews

Review Continued...

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card does not have fancy bells and whistles tagged on to each corner - but it does offer a market rarity in its 'same length' 0% deals.

0% on balance transfers

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card offers 0% interest on balance transfers for 9 months.

Balance transfers must be made within 90 days of opening the account to qualify for the promotional deal, and they will be charged a transfer handling fee of 3% of the amount you are moving across.

Transfers can be started when you apply online for the credit card - or you can do them once you've been accepted for the credit card via Internet or telephone banking, or with credit card slips sent out in the post.

0% on new purchases

0% for 9 months is not the longest available interest-free period around - especially now providers are now hitting the 16-month mark.

However, many credit cards tend to offer a much shorter period on purchases, which is usually just 3 months in length. This means after the initial 3-month period, purchases start accruing interest and the cardholder can only repay their interest-free balance transfer.

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card removes this trap by offering same length deals on both balance transfers and purchases.

New cardholders can therefore transfer a balance to this card, and make new purchases with it and they won't be charged any interest on either for the first 9 months.

Watch out for those withdrawals

Cash withdrawals on the other hand are not included in this 0% deal.

There is not a credit card in the UK that does include cash withdrawals in a 0% deal, but it is still vitally important to remember not to use this credit card to withdraw cash at an ATM, bank or Post Office, ask for cash back at the checkout, buy foreign currency or traveller's cheques, or spend money on gambling or at a gambling establishment.

If you do what will happen is that transaction will incur interest charges and any payments you make to your account will only go towards repaying balance transfers or purchases until only cash balances remain on your account - only then will you be able to pay off cash transactions and stop incurring interest on them.

In short - keep your cash coming off your debit card only!

Fraud security

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card offers an Internet fraud guarantee - so you won't be held liable for any unauthorised transactions made online without your knowledge or consent.

The Bank of Scotland also offer active fraud monitoring, so they'll keep a watch over your account and notify you if they notice any unusual transactions to make sure they aren't fraudulent. This does mean however it is always recommended to let the Bank of Scotland know if you plan on going abroad - so they know transactions coming from where you're holidaying or travelling to are you and not fraud.

You can also register for MasterCard SecureCode with the Bank of Scotland so that participating online retailers ask you for a pre-set password in order to use your All in One credit card to shop online.

As for purchases, the Bank of Scotland All in One credit card does not offer any extra purchase insurance, but as with all credit cards, your purchases will be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

In short, this means any purchase you make between £100 and £30,000 are covered by law - and the law will hold the credit card company (HBOS) equally liable with the supplier if your purchase faulty, not delivered, not as described or there is a breach of contract on the part of the supplier.

Effectively, this means that if you have any problems with a purchase and the supplier refuses to compensate you - by law you can just get the money back from your credit card provider instead.

Final Word

The Bank of Scotland All in One credit card is a perfect plastic option for anyone who has an existing credit card balance to clear up and who knows they need to spend on the new credit card too.

Offering both 0% interest on balance transfers and new purchases - the Bank of Scotland All in One credit card offers an almost interest-free use for the first 9 months (just watch those cash withdrawals!).

Apply Online for Bank of Scotland All in One credit card »