A financial website, has introduced a new process, which aims to help potential credit card customers find out if they are likely to be successful in a credit card application.

The process is completed online and is also free to use, and leaves no credit footprint. Choosing a cheaper credit card can dramatically help to lower debts. However customers need to be aware of how their credit profile can be damaged when they apply for cards that they are not accepted for.

The new tool, which was made in association, with Callcredit, alleviates this potential pitfall by showing which card applications are most likely to succeed.

Joanne Garcia, the head of Credit Cards at the website, said: "Now is the time to take control over your debts. It's sensible to start by paying off the most expensive debt first, so don't waste this opportunity to get rid of those costly credit cards.

Switching sides

"Switching to a cheaper credit card and/or paying back just a small extra amount each month can be really effective, especially if just the minimum each month is being paid off.

"But as the rules around lending get more stringent, trying to switch credit cards can be a time-consuming and frustrating exercise. The tool on our site will give customers the confidence that they are applying for the right product which should save them both time and incurring unnecessary credit footprints."

She added: "If you can't switch to a cheaper credit card, you can still make staggering overall savings by making more than the minimum repayment every month.

"For example, if you have a credit card debt of £5,000 on a standard rate of 14.9 per cent and pay back the minimum of 2 per cent each month, it could take 36 years to pay it back and you'd pay nearly £7,000 in additional interest.

"By paying just an extra £10 a month, the debt would be repaid in just over 16 years, and the additional interest paid would be a far less eye watering £4,200. If you could stretch to paying off an extra £50 per month, it would take just six years to repay the original debt, plus just under £2,000 in interest."

Barclaycard application

In a similar process, Barclaycard has recently launched a credit card pre-application check. The simple, one step, online facility allows potential and existing customers to establish their likelihood of being eligible for a Barclaycard, without having to complete a full application for a card.

This new Barclaycard service does leave a search 'footprint' on the customer's credit file, to show their information has been accessed.

However it is not a formal credit application and unlike the financial websites service, the Barclaycard process will not affect the applicant's ability to get credit in the future. The pre-application check takes a couple of minutes and is available on the Barclaycard website.

Amer Sajed, the chief executive of Barclaycard UK, said: "Consumers currently need to apply in full for a credit card in the UK, without knowing whether they are likely to be accepted or not, leaving a search on their credit file which can potentially have a negative impact on their credit rating.

"This unique pre-application check solves this problem. The check can be completed in a few minutes and gives consumers a good indication of whether their application will be accepted."

Since the launch of the service on 25th August 2009, 4,000 potential customers have used the pre-application check to find out whether they would be accepted for a Barclaycard.