Sainsbury's
Bank has joined the long list of
credit card providers who have removed their loyalty and
cashback schemes.
Throughout the past year there has been an increasing trend towards institutions withdrawing the
credit card enticements they once used to hold onto hard won customers.
In the past three months,
Halifax, the
Bank of Scotland and Mint have all dropped their various 0.5 – 0.25 per cent
credit card cashback offers. Other companies to have cut back or scrapped their reward schemes include
Egg,
Accucard, Blue
Amex and Easymoney.
"It is now becoming increasingly difficult for customers to find a
credit card that offers the kind of benefits that were commonplace a year ago," Samantha Owen of research unit Moneyfacts told This is Money.
"Not only have cashback deals been severely cut or, in a number of cases totally withdrawn, but credit card incentives such as Nectar points and AirMiles are also less widely available.
"With 0% credit card
interest deals reportedly costing the card industry in excess of one billion pounds a year and many high street
banks reporting a steep increase in bad debts, it's not surprising to see providers taking measures to reduce their costs," she added.