This week Credit Cards

1 Track rates: At present the card with the highest APR, at 17.9 per cent, is Ulster Bank's standard card while AIB's Click card is just 8.5 per cent and National Irish Bank's standard card is 11.6 per cent. If you're going to stick with a card offering a higher than normal rate make sure there's a good reason.

2 Balance switching: Know which companies offer the longest interest-free period. Bank of Ireland, Halifax and Tesco offer 0 per cent on balance transfers for the first six months. Postbank and MNBA have zero rates for 10 months but the latter's APR is 16.9 per cent after that.

3 Leave it at home: Freeze your card in a block of ice to stop impulse buying. That should be sufficient to leave it at home.

4 Cut it up: If you're struggling with a credit card debt mountain, borrow to clear it and then destroy the card. What you don't have you won't use and, if you really need to book flights or tickets online, use a 3V pre-paid voucher (www.3v.ie).

5 Collect your rewards: A growing number of companies incentivise people with rewards – Ryanair offer free flights, Tesco free clubcard points, AIB free cash and Brown Thomas free vouchers. Be warned: none of the reward cards come without catches and the Government charges stamp duty of €30 on each card.