Effective from Friday, Mastercard will stop prepaid travel card holders from paying in pounds in a bid to crack down on travellers paying high currency exchange rates.

Tourists are routinely offered a chance to pay in their 'home' currency at restaurants, shops or hotels abroad in a process called 'dynamic currency conversion'.

The European Commission says that interchange fees, where the merchant's bank pays a charge to the cardholder's bank, result in higher prices for consumers.

Contactless technology already allows shoppers to spend up to £30 without having to enter their Pin. But, with NatWest's new card, there will be no need to enter a Pin at all.

Amazon and American Express have slashed the sign-up bonuses and spending incentives on some of their cards.

If used smartly, credit cards can still be an effective spending tool and even earn you money. Shoppers now have around 166 different deals to choose from.

From June 11, Amex's card will be made from metal rather than plastic, and cost £575 a year compared to £450 now.

HSBC's Reward Credit Card is available to Advance current account holders, and pays you reward points on all your purchases. We see how it stacks up against the best of its rivals.

If the future of the UK increasingly looks cashless, then no one may be better placed to reap the rewards than MasterCard

While bumping your credit card spending when saving for a house might not seem like the brightest idea, you could be doing your chances of getting a mortgage more harm than good by avoiding plastic.

Customers looking to make big purchases with a NatWest credit card will be able to pay a set monthly fee rather than their card's APR, under a new mobile-only offer announced by the bank.

Periods of free borrowing on best-buy balance transfer cards have shortened by nearly 20 per cent in a year, according to figures compiled by data company Moneyfacts.

Many credit cards offer reward points that can be exchanged for air miles. If you can pay off the balance every month, these cards are a good place to start racking up air miles.

Average card rates have surged since the financial crisis, climbing from 16 per cent in 2006. But at the same time, typical savings rates dropped sharply to all-time lows and barely recovered since.

Data from Moneyfacts found that in September the average credit card purchase APR rose to 24.7 per cent, an all-time high since its records began in June 2006.

New research reveals that nearly half of all UK credit card holders -around 17million people nationwide - have never switched their card.

Shoppers now pay an average of 25.1 per cent on credit card purchase. It means that a customer who borrowed £3,000 and paid off £100 a month would pay £1,463 in interest overall.

Smartphone bank Tandem is axing its cashback credit card for new customers, and from January those who want to use its successor will have to pay a membership fee.

The popularity of the likes of Klarna and other firms which let you spread the cost of purchases over instalments means credit card providers are increasingly adopting that model instead.

Yesterday the Mail reported that nine million people will start the New Year owing between £2,000 and £10,000. A further five million owe more than £10,000.

There were 122 balance transfer offers in January 2017 compared to 76 today, according to figures from Moneyfacts - while the timeframe to pay back the debt has also shrunk.

With nursery costs reaching as much as £12,000 parents are finding it difficult cope. But now a new provider enables employers to give interest-free loans to parents for childcare

Britain's debt binge has deepened - with figures last month showing credit card borrowing had surged by 40 per cent and the average family now owes £12,800 on credit cards, loans and car finance.

Frequent fliers after air miles towards their next holiday could take advantage of a new sign up bonus which could get them to three continents, provided they're happy to pay a fee.

Hundreds of customers of Saga have received an unexpected windfall following its admission that it badly handled the axeing of its popular platinum credit card last year.

Lloyds, Santander, Nationwide, NatWest, Virgin Money, HSBC and Barclaycard all confirmed staff cannot unblock credit cards in branch.Some banks say it must now be done by a specialist team.

The FCA this morning proposed banks should offer customers in financial difficulty an interest-free overdraft up to £500, and let them put credit card and loan repayments on hold for three months.

While borrowers make no payments for three months, card providers often still charge interest on balances during payment holidays, meaning borrowers continue to rack up interest

Virgin Money apologised and reversed its decision, saying that everyone who had their card suspended will be able to use them to make purchases again from Saturday 9 May.

Sadly the numbers of lucrative cashback and rewards cards have dwindled over recent years. But are there still any cashback credit cards worth having? We take a look.

If you are about to buy a big ticket purchase for your home, perhaps some white goods, a new sofa or a television, then this credit card trick could earn you a big reward.

The new Preferred Rewards Gold credit card offers Membership Rewards points when you spend which can be exchange for the same value with 12 airline schemes.

118 118 Money has launched a new credit card with a difference, instead of fees, interest and charges you pay a monthly subscription. But it could end up costing you far more – here’s why.

It’s aimed at those travelling, living and working abroad to give them more flexibility when spending and sending money and to lower their overall costs.

Travel a lot for work? We have crunched the numbers to help you choose the most lucrative credit card offering air miles, reward points and cashback to use for work expenses

Challenger bank, Tandem has launched a new best-buy credit card offering those without a perfect credit rating free holiday spending and cash withdrawals. We take a look.

Some longstanding Virgin Money credit cardholders have been left with charges on their accounts after discovering they had only been making minimum direct debit payments.

Virgin Money is refunding loyal customers hit by interest charges after they unwittingly only made minimum payments on their new Virgin Atlantic credit cards.

As many as one in three people who hold subprime credit cards with interest rates as high as 70% are in problem debt, according to a new report released by the debt charity StepChange.

A long-standing Virgin credit cardholder has accused Virgin Money of 'purposely misleading people for financial gain' after it refused to refund interest charges he incurred on his account.

The Royal Mint announced it has teamed up with card providers Mastercard and Accomplish Financial to create 'Raris', aimed at high net worth individuals after something exclusive.

American Express and Vitality have launched a new cashback credit card with a difference. The more exercise you do, the more you earn - up to an eye-catching 3 per cent. But is it any good?

Britons paid back more on their credit cards than they borrowed in November - the first time this has happened in more than six years, according to official figures.

Those looking to cheaply clear their debts this January could take advantage of 0% balance transfer cards which charge no fees, provided they are happy to pay their balance off quicker.

Britain's largest banking group, which owns Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, spelled out changes aimed at those in 'persistent debt' for 36 months.

The Financial Conduct Authority has told banks to help customers get out of debt, amid concerns of a potential wave of credit cards being scrapped under new rules.

Buy now, pay later has become the way for the younger generation to pay. Is it a dangerous form of credit or a useful way for shoppers to pay flexibly?

Credit card customers of high street bank Halifax have reportedly been hit by charges when trying to make Klarna repayments, the buy now, pay later firm said.

People applying for credit cards with two major UK lenders have to roll the dice to check if they will be accepted, putting their credit score at risk in the process.

Barclaycard, Sainsbury's Bank and Tesco Bank have cut interest-free deals over the last month, some of which are the best around, as lenders evaluate their offers amid the coronavirus outbreak.