Virgin Money launches 26-month balance transfer card Once the interest-free period has ended with this Virgin Money card, customers will be charged a standard APR of 18.9pc. The rash of balance transfers deals on the market, should certainly provide some breathing space for those looking to pay down credit card debts. The only problem is that most of the longer card offers with the longer interest-free deals, tend to have strictest lending criteria, so those that are really struggling with debt may not qualify for these cards. The Barclaycard deal may look slightly more attractive, but if you can don't need this additional month to repay your debt, then the Virgin deal will work out more cost effective, because of the lower upfront fee. Most credit card providers - like Barclaycard and Virgin - operate a "personal pricing" system; this means that not all successful applicants will be offered the advertised deal. With the Barclaycard deal customers could get an interest-free deal for just a year, and rather than pay its standard APR of 18.9pc they could pay as much as 25pc. Andrew Hagger a personal finance analyst said: "It's a close call as to which offers the best overall deal, but the Barclaycard offers just take it. Avoiding interest charges for an extra month is likely to outweigh having a lower fee. However, he said if you were confident you could clear your debt, you should opt for the Virgin card. More Details: Virgin Balance Transfer Credit Card