See our range of MBNA credit cards
Check your eligibility without harming your credit score
See your likelihood of approval before you apply
Founded in 1982, the initials MBNA originally stood for ‘Maryland Bank National Association’. Since 1993, MBNA has been based in Chester in Cheshire in the northwest of England and have provided credit cards to UK customers.
In 2017, MBNA became part of Lloyds Banking Group, which also includes brands such as Lloyds Bank, Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Widows.
MBNA was voted Moneyfacts Consumer Credit Card Provider of the Year six consecutive times from 2014 to 2019.
MBNA offers a wide range of credit cards, here are some of the different types of cards they provide:
MBNA balance transfer credit cards allow you to transfer existing credit card and store card balances held elsewhere. They could simplify your outgoings and make things easier to manage by giving you more time to repay what you owe at a low or 0% interest rate.
With low introductory interest rates on transfers and purchases, these cards can be a great ‘all-rounder’ whether you want to use it for spending, transfer an existing balance from elsewhere, or both.
Money transfer cards enable you to move funds from your credit card to your bank account. This could be useful for sorting any unexpected bills, or for use where credit cards aren’t accepted. Money can only be transferred to a UK current account in your name from your credit card.
MBNA credit cards have a range of features to help you manage your finances. Some of these include:
A complementary service for MBNA credit card customers that provides a range of tailored offers and the opportunity to earn up to 15% cashback on qualifying purchases.
Check your balance, review transactions, make payments, request transfers and more on your computer, phone or tablet.
You won’t be charged for transactions you didn’t authorise, as long as you tell MBNA if you spot anything strange, or if you lose your card or it’s stolen.
You’ll be financially protected on purchases for goods and services of between £100 and £30,000 through Section 75 of the consumer credit act, meaning you can get your money back if your goods are damaged or faulty or if the supplier goes bust, for example.
You can make repayments through your bank, using your debit card, or set up a regular direct debit payment.
MBNA credit cards can be used wherever you see the contactless symbol. To make paying quicker still, you can add your card to your phone.
MBNA credit cards cover a broad range of possible uses, but the best card for you will depend on what you want to use it for.
If you want a low interest rate for purchases and the ability to spread the cost of expensive items over a few months without paying much or any interest, an MBNA purchase card could be the best option.
If you want to shift a balance from elsewhere to give you the chance to pay it off with little or zero interest, look for an MBNA balance transfer card. Should you need money in your current account, to pay off an overdraft, for example, an MBNA money transfer card could be a good choice.
Or if you want to use it for spending and paying off debt from elsewhere, a combined purchase and balance transfer card could be the solution.
To be eligible for an MBNA credit card you must meet the following criteria:
Be aged 18 or over in most cases (some cards may have a minimum age of 21) and have a UK bank account.
Be a permanent UK resident. Plus you’ll usually be asked to show proof of income through payslips or bank statements.
You must be free of County Court Judgements (CCJs), Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) or bankruptcies
You've not been declined for an MBNA credit card within the last 30 days. Your credit history and affordability to take out a new credit card will also be assessed.
Whether you’re accepted for a credit card with MBNA will depend on several factors including your financial position and credit score. You’re likely to be offered lower interest rates and better deals if you’ve shown you can handle finances responsibly in the past and haven’t missed repayments.
You can take control of your credit score with MoneySuperMarket’s free credit monitor tool. It will show you your score and offer simple ways to improve it, so you can get better deals on credit cards in the future.
Once your application has been approved, your card will typically arrive within seven working days. Your PIN will arrive separately.
Comparing credit cards couldn’t be easier with MoneySuperMarket. Our eligibility checker tool will show you the cards you’re most likely to be approved for – so you can protect your credit score.
We'll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We'll sift through dozens of credit cards offers from across the market, and show you the cards we think will suit you best
You'll be shown a range of credit cards, which you'll be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
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APR stands for ‘annual percentage rate’ and refers to the proportion of interest you agree to pay back on the loan every year. It’s important to be aware that the headline APR on a credit card may differ to the one you are offered when you apply. Before you apply for a credit card, the APRs you are shown are ‘representative’ – equivalent to the lowest interest rate the lender will offer 51% of the people it accepts for its card. The actual APR you’re offered could be different according to your personal credit score.
You might be able to get a money transfer credit card with bad credit, however you may not be able to get an interest-free or low interest rate deal and your credit limit may be lower than you’d like. You may find bad credit credit cards are more accessible. These are aimed at those with poor credit scores. If you use the card carefully and repay your balance each month, it can help you build your credit rating. It’s also worth taking other steps to see how you can improve your credit rating, which will help you not just get a better deal on credit cards, but any type of borrowing including loans and mortgages.
When you search for a money transfer credit card with MoneySuperMarket, our Eligibility Checker will run a ‘soft search’ on your finances to tell you your chances of being approved for different cards. It will also show you any cards you’re pre-approved for - all without leaving a mark on your credit rating.
Balance transfer and money transfer cards work in a similar way – helping you move expensive debts onto a cheaper and more manageable rate or 0% interest for a limited time. The difference is that they’re used for different types of debts. A balance transfer card lets you move debt onto it from another credit card or cards, while a money transfer card lets you move debt from your bank account instead.
You might be able to get a money transfer card with 0% interest, but it will depend on a few factors including your credit score. Zero per cent interest deals are usually available to those who have a strong credit rating. The better your credit score, the more likely you’ll be able to get a higher credit limit and have a longer introductory 0% interest period too.
A credit card lets you borrow money from a bank or building society which you can use to pay for goods or services upfront.
You then pay the money you’ve spent on the credit card – known as the balance – on a monthly basis. If you pay back your balance in full each month, you won’t pay any interest on what you borrowed. If you can’t afford to pay the whole balance back, you make monthly repayments, but you will often be charged interest on the outstanding balance.
There are different types of credit cards, and each is designed for different spending needs.
Balance transfer credit card: transfer an existing balance to lower interest rates on your repayments.
0% purchase credit card: low and interest free spending to spread the cost of a large purchase over a longer period.
All-rounder credit card: transfer an existing balance and spend interest free for lower interest rates and interest free spending for a specified period.
Credit cards for bad credit: improve your credit rating by meeting monthly credit card repayments and building your credit score.
Rewards and airmiles credit cards: earn rewards on your spending such as cashback, airmiles, and vouchers.
Travel credit card: a credit card to avoid overseas charges when you use your card abroad.
There are many different types of credit cards. Some of the most popular include
0% purchase cards – which let you buy large purchases up front and you pay back what you’ve borrowed without incurring interest over a set period.
Balance transfer cards – so you can transfer the outstanding balance from one card to a new card at either a lower or no interest rate for a set period. There is often an upfront fee pay for the transfer.
Reward cards offer cashback, loyalty points or Air Miles if you pay off your balance each month. The interest rates are higher but if you can spend responsibly you can earn decent savings.
Credit cards are useful to pay for goods and services, and you can use them in a similar way to an interest-free loan as you can in essence borrow money for free, providing you pay it back in full each month. Using a credit card for purchases will mean you’re covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act which means you can get your money back if a product you buy is faulty or doesn’t arrive.
However, it is easy to rack up a large debt with a credit card, especially if you make only the minimum repayment each month as interest will be charged on what’s left. If you miss a payment, make a late payment, or go over your credit limit, you will often be charged a penalty fee.
Choosing the right credit card depends on many factors including what you are using the card for, how likely you are to pay off your balance in full, and your credit rating.
Our Eligibility Checker will ask questions to determine which type of card suits your needs, and because it uses a ‘soft search’, it won’t affect your credit report. There are hundreds of different credit card deals, but you can compare our leading offers quickly and easily with MoneySuperMarket.
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker – this means we’ll show you products offered by lenders. We never take a fee from customers for this service. Instead we are usually paid a fee by the lenders, but the size of that payment doesn’t affect how we show products to customers.
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and it represents how much it’ll cost to borrow money on a particular credit card. It’s calculated by taking into account:
Your interest rate
Additional fees and charges.
However, you might see the term ‘representative APR’ on adverts for credit cards – this means that the interest rate quoted only has to be offered to at least 51% of successful applicants, so it may not be the actual rate you get when you apply.
Credit card providers can change interest rates at any time, so it’s always a good idea to stay on top of your credit balance. If you have a 0% offer on your credit card, this will only be for a set number of months so you should make sure you clear your balance before it ends, or transfer your remaining balance to another 0% card.
You can apply for credit cards online, either using MoneySuperMarket or going directly to the provider, or by calling them up or through the post. You can also stop by your bank or building society branch and apply in person.
First consider what you want to use the credit card for – cards come with different features that are useful for different purposes.
If you have a large purchase coming up, you might want to spread the cost with a 0% purchase card, if you fly a lot you might want an airmiles card, and if you want to transfer a balance to avoid interest payments, a balance transfer card could be ideal.
By comparing on MoneySuperMarket, you’ll be able to see a list of credit cards, so you can browse at will and choose which one suits you best.
You’ll get a cooling off period of two weeks from when you receive your card, and you’ll have 30 days to pay off your balance. You can cancel by contacting your provider, either by post, phone, online, or in-branch.
However, if you want to cancel your credit card after the cooling off period, your account balance generally must be zero.
Your credit score is a number that represents your creditworthiness to credit lenders, based on an analysis of your credit history (your history of borrowing and paying back credit).
The higher your score, the more likely you are to be accepted for future credit applications. If your score is low, there are ways to improve it. MoneySuperMarket’s Credit Monitor lets you check your credit score for free and gives you tips on how to improve it.
A soft credit search is a way of finding out which credit cards you’re most likely to be accepted for without your credit score being affected. This is usually done via a website such as MoneySuperMarket.
A hard search on your credit report is a mark left by a lender who has assessed your credit rating after you have applied for a credit card. Too many hard searches (often through multiple applications) may make lenders think you are desperate for credit so it’s best to limit your applications for credit in a short space of time.
If you have a bad credit rating or you don’t have a credit history because you’ve never borrowed before, you might not qualify for the very best credit card deals. However, some credit cards are designed specifically for those who need to build up their credit score. Just be aware they often come with low credit limits and high interest rates.
However, if you use this type of card sensibly and always pay off your balance in full, you can improve your credit score so you’ll eventually be eligible for better credit cards.
Representative 34.9% APR
If you miss a repayment on your credit card balance, you likely have to pay a penalty fee. What’s more, if you have any type of promotional offer with your card, such as an interest-free deal, this may be cancelled, and a missed payment may have a negative effect on your credit score.
If you get rejected for a credit card, this will leave a mark on your credit report and could lead to further rejections in the future. It’s a good idea to use MoneySuperMarket’s Eligibility Checker to see how likely you are to be accepted for a card before applying to get it, and it won’t affect your credit score.
You might be able to get more credit from your provider if you prove yourself to be a responsible borrower by repaying on time and never missing payments. Once you’ve established a good credit history, you might be successful when asking for a higher credit limit.
Unlike many loans and mortgages, you generally won’t be charged for making early repayments on your credit card – which means it’s a good way to get ahead of your balance.
You can’t get joint credit cards in the same way as bank accounts and mortgages, but you can add additional users to your own credit cards. However, you should remember that it’s still the primary cardholder’s responsibility to pay off the balance.
The Consumer Credit Act was established in 1974, and under Section 75 the credit card lender is jointly responsible with the retailer or supplier for any goods or services you purchase with your credit card.
This means if those products are faulty, or if there was any contract breach or misrepresentation on the retailer’s part, you can claim from your credit card company as well as the retailer.
However, you can’t recover money from both sides, so it’s useful for when the retailer has gone bust or they won’t respond to your communication. You should be aware the purchase value must be more than £100 and not more than £30,000 for you to be able to claim.
You can cancel your credit card by contacting your lender, by phone, email, online, post, or in person if they have a local branch.
If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit cards and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
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