蓄える／店 cards 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 29% 利益／興味

By Helen Loveless, Mail on Sunday 企業 Editor
Updated: 16:56 BST, 31 January 2005

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STORE cards are under 新たにするd 解雇する／砲火／射撃 from 消費者 groups, MPs and 監視者s. But the stinging 批評 seems to have been ignored by shoppers, with more than 5m new cards taken out over the Christmas period.

S tore cards are の中で the most expensive ways to borrow, with 利益／興味 率s approaching 30% - twice the typical credit card 率. Yet disturbingly, 研究 明らかにする／漏らすs that nearly 40% of 蓄える／店 card 使用者s do not know the 率 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d.

The market, 価値（がある） about £5bn a year, is 大部分は in the 手渡すs of four card providers. They are GE 消費者 財政／金融, Ikano 財政上の Services, 創造 財政上の Services and HFC Bank, part of HSBC bank.

The Office of Fair 貿易（する）ing 発言する／表明するd 関心 ten months ago about the 欠如（する） of 競争の激しい 圧力 in the market. The 競争 （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 is now 調査／捜査するing and looking into 関心s that card 顧客s are 存在 given a poor 取引，協定. It is 予定 to 報告（する）／憶測 支援する in April.

Against this 背景 of 批評, 財政上の Mail takes a の近くに look at some of the main 蓄える／店 cards on 申し込む／申し出, 診察するing the cost of borrowing and the 利益s 利用できる.

Argos and Homebase

BOTH are 供給するd by ARG Card Services, one of the smaller 操作者s, and both have 類似の 条件. The 利益／興味 率 is 25.9%. The 最小限 返済 is £2, or 3%, and there is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 59 days.

Argos cardholders who spend at least £195 have the 選択 of 支払う／賃金ing nothing for six months.

Homebase cardholders who spend more than £100 may 支払う／賃金 nothing for three months, while those who spend more than £1,000 have the 選択 of 支払う／賃金ing nothing for 12 months. But there are catches. If the 負債 is not repaid by the end of the 称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語, borrowers 直面する big 利益／興味 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s. For example, anyone who borrows £1,000 then fails to 返す it within the agreed 12-month period will see the 負債 spiral to £1,259.

Cardholders receive points for spending money on the cards. When at least £500 has been spent, they are sent reward 保証人／証拠物件s, which can be redeemed against 未来 購入（する）s.

Topshop/Topman

THIS 利益／興味 率 of 29.9% is one of the highest on the market. It has an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 56 days. The m inimum 返済 per month is 4% of the 優れた balance, or £4, whichever is greater.

People who take out the card in-蓄える／店 receive 10% off their first 購入（する）. Those 適用するing online are given a £5 保証人／証拠物件. Cardholders are sent 詳細（に述べる）s of events and 昇進／宣伝s.

The card can also be used in Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Bhs, 行方不明になる Selfridge, Wallis, 原則s and 倉庫／問屋.

示すs & Spencer

WITH an 利益／興味 率 of 18.9%, this is の中で the more reasonably 定価つきの 蓄える／店 cards on the market. There is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 55 days. The 最小限 月毎の 返済 is 3%, or £5, whichever is greater.

顧客s earn one point for every £1 spent and each point is 価値（がある） a penny. This means cardholders would need to spend £100 to save £1 on 未来 購入（する）s. 正規の／正選手 昇進／宣伝s give 顧客s the chance to earn 特別手当 points on selected goods.

Four times a year, the company sends to cardholders 保証人／証拠物件s and personalised 割引 申し込む／申し出s with a 額面価格 of £40m.

House of Fraser

THE Fraser card has a 高金利 of 29.3%. There is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of 56 days. The 最小限 返済 is 4%, or £4 a month.

Cardholders receive three points for every £1 spent. The points are 交流d for 保証人／証拠物件s that can be used in Fraser 蓄える／店s.

顧客s would need 1,500 points for a £15 保証人／証拠物件. This would mean spending a 最小限 of £500.

Debenhams

ONE of the highest 利益／興味 率s at 29.9%, making it 潜在的に one of the most expensive ways to borrow. The 最小限 月毎の 返済 is £4, or 4%. There is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 56 days.

Cardholders receive 招待s to sale preview evenings and money-off 保証人／証拠物件s. There are 顧客 特権 weeks when cardholders are given 割引s.

John 吊りくさび

AT 13%, this is one of the lowest 利益／興味 率s on the 蓄える／店 card market. The 最小限 月毎の repa yment is also higher than most at £5 or 5%, which means 顧客s are encouraged to （疑いを）晴らす their 負債s.

There is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 56 days. 利益s 含む 招待s to in-蓄える／店 events and 割引s when buying online. The card can also be used in Waitrose food 蓄える／店s.

B&Q 'You Can Do It' card

WHETHER you can do it or not, the 利益／興味 率 is 26.8% with a 最小限 月毎の 返済 of £4, or 4%.

There is an 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period of up to 56 days. Cardholder 利益s 含む 正規の／正選手 割引s and special 申し込む／申し出s in-蓄える／店. The B&Q card may also be used in a number of other 蓄える／店s 含むing 惑星, Woolworths, Interflora and Next.

Samantha 甚だしい／１２ダース, who runs a dress shop in Hale, Cheshire, is 井戸／弁護士席 aware of the cost of using 蓄える／店 cards.

Samantha, 35, says she has several cards, but uses only one 定期的に.

'Though I have cards from House of Fraser, Sears, M&S and John 吊りくさび, the only one I use much is John 吊りくさび. If I do use any of the other cards, I make sure I 支払う／賃金 them off at the end of the month.

'I only took them out to take advantage of the 初期の 割引s. Most 申し込む／申し出d 10% off, or I wouldn't have bothered. When you 診察する the 利益／興味 率s on 蓄える／店 cards, they are extortionate.'

The 財政／金融 and 賃貸し（する）ing 協会, the 貿易（する） 団体／死体 that 代表するs most of the major 蓄える／店 cards, unsurprisingly defends the 条件.

It says its members have introduced a number of 率先s '目的（とする）d at 確実にするing 消費者s 利益 from open, fair and responsible lending'.

A 広報担当者 says that since March last year, card providers have 含むd 要約 boxes on marketing brochures setting out 詳細（に述べる）s of 利益／興味 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s and any other 料金s.

The 協会 also has a （民事の）告訴s 計画／陰謀 that can be used by cardholders who are in 論争 with a member company.

GE 消費者 財政／金融 支配（する）／統制するs about 50% of the 蓄える／店 card market and is behind many of the mos t popular cards, 含むing Bhs, Toys R Us, Topshop and Debenhams.

にもかかわらず failing to 削減（する） 利益／興味 率s on many of its cards between 1999 and 2004, it believes they 申し込む／申し出 顧客s a 価値のある 代案／選択肢 to credit cards.

A 広報担当者 says: '蓄える／店 cards are not designed for borrowing large sums for 非常に長い periods - you only 支払う／賃金 利益／興味 if you run a balance.

'And a typical 蓄える／店 card 顧客 runs a balance of only £135, compared with the 普通の／平均（する） £1,500 負債 on a 従来の credit card.'

13 years of 負債

BORROWING on a 蓄える／店 card can 証明する ruinously expensive for those who 返す only the 最小限.

It can take between 40 months and 157 months - 13 years - before a 負債 of £200 is （疑いを）晴らすd, によれば 研究 by price comparison service uSwitch.

For example, a cardholder spends £200 on a House of Fraser 承認 card and makes only the 最小限 月毎の 返済 - the higher of 4%or £4.

With an 利益／興味 率 of 29.3%, it would take 74 months to 支払う／賃金 off the 負債. It would also cost £163.42 in 利益／興味, making a total 量 repayable of £363.42.

A 顧客 who spent the same 量 on a Homebase Account card would be worse off, にもかかわらず a lower 利益／興味 率 of 25.9%. It would take 157 months to 支払う／賃金 off the 負債 because the 最小限 月毎の 支払い（額） is £2, or 3%, compared with House Of Fraser's 最小限 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of 4%, or £4.

The result is an 利益／興味 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 over the period of £284.79.

Nick White of uSwitch says: 'All 蓄える／店 cards 宣言する a 最小限 量 that must be repaid every month. It usually 範囲s between 2%-5%.

'The lower the 最小限 返済, the longer it will take before the 負債 is repaid and the more expensive the card will be. 明白に, this does not 適用する to disciplined cardholders who 支払う／賃金 off the 負債 in 十分な every month.'