which borrowing is best for you?
A loan, credit card or overdraft?
Take a look at your personal unsecured borrowing options below.
To apply for borrowing, you must be 18+ and living in the UK. Subject to lending criteria.
LOANS
A personal loan allows you to borrow a fixed amount over a fixed period of time. It's suitable for short, medium and longer term borrowing.
- Know how much you'll pay each month and when you'll finish repaying
- Consolidate debt or fund larger one-off purchases
Loans could help structure your monthly payments in the long term and you may be able to make overpayments without early repayment charges. To find out more about loans, visit our loans page.
CREDIT CARDS
A credit card lets you buy things up to an agreed limit and pay for them later.
- Spread the cost of purchases
- Consolidate credit or store credit balances with other lenders
Credit cards come with monthly interest and can incur fees. If you just make the miniumum monthly repayment, this can be an expensive form of borrowing and can affect your credit score in the long term. To find out more about credit cards, visit our credit card page.
OVERDRAFTS
An arranged overdraft is when we agree to a limit that lets you spend a bit more money than you have in your current account.
This could help you manage your money if:
- you have to cover short-term expenses
- your income or outgoings vary from month to month
Overdrafts gives you access to a pre-agreed overdraft limit which can be used to manage unexpected costs in the short term, it can be cost effective however interest charges apply for the days you use the overdraft and there is no structure around repayments. To find out more about our overdrafts, visit our overdrafts page.
We offer other borrowing options on a secured basis, this means borrowing against your own assets with a mortgage, cash backed lending or an investment backed lending. To explore our secured borrowing options, please speak to your private banker.
Your borrowing options, at a glance
Loans |
Credit Cards |
Overdrafts |
|
Typically used for: |
Larger one-off purchases and consolidating debt |
Spreading the cost of purchases or balance transfers |
Covering short-term spending or unexpected expenses, month to month |
Borrow amount (subject to affordability) |
£1,000+ |
£5,000+ (credit card) £30,000+ (charge card) |
£100+ |
Repayment methods |
Fixed monthly Direct Debit |
Monthly Direct Debit or one-off payments |
Flexible payments from your account balance |
When funds available |
Once agreement signed, usually within next working day |
Wait up to 5 - 7 days for card to arrive |
Usually straight away subject to approval |
View our loans | our credit cards | View our overdrafts |
Exclusions may apply. Criteria apply. Over 18s only.
We may conduct hard credit searches as part of your application should your application be reviewed. We may also use and share your information with credit reference agencies if your application requires validation. All applications are subject to status and assessment.