You can give to charity for free if you sign up for a charity credit card. Credit cards are often cheaper than loans for short-term borrowing. You pay interest on remaining debt, not full amount - and there are no early redemption penalties.

Credit cards offer flexibility to match uneven income and expenditure patterns: you choose what to pay off each month, between minimum and total outstanding.

Their consolidated accounting enables one cheque to settle multiple transactions – while all appear neatly on one pre-prepared statement each month.

There is an automatic ‘interest free' period per statement period.

Credit cards enable remote purchasing via internet, by telephone or mail order.

Credit cards can include additional benefits like insurance cover on purchases, cash-back, AirMiles, Nectar or Reward points, and holiday discounts.

Here are some of drawbacks of using a credit card:

Credit cards can be unnecessarily costly.

Credit cards may be expensive for cash withdrawals

Credit cards may be expensive for foreign currency purchases.

Their credit limits can be insufficient for your requirements.

They encourage a ‘pay now, worry later' mentality and make it too easy to get into debt.

Credit cards are very open to fraudulent use.

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Although it is standard for most card providers to offer an introductory free period, consumer may be hit by a more substantial annual percentage rate (APR) later on year, with some providers, such as ASDA charging a massive APR of 28.8%. Even ActionAid charges an APR of 17.9%, rescuing developing world at expense of developed.

For further information about credit cards and details on specific providers: http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ http://www.eiris.org/ http://www.creditaction.org.uk/ http://www.moneybasics.co.uk/mb/site/Home.html