Credit cards ‘most popular in south-east’

As millions of UK consumers struggle to become debt free, a new study has revealed that people in the south-east of England are the more likely than those in any other region to borrow via a credit card.

Figures from the UK’s payments association Apacs show that three in every four adults in the south-east has faced credit card debts at some point, which is a greater percentage than anywhere else in the UK.

Meanwhile, Apacs’ latest research also reveals that consumers in the north-west of England are the most frequent users of cash machines and that those in the north-east are those most likely to make payments using a cheque.

Sandra Quinn, director of communications at Apacs, commented: “While the national statistics show that as a nation we are generally comfortable with the many types of payment methods available and good at managing our finances, there is always room for improvement.

“We should all be taking advantage of the wealth of payment options out there, so managing our finances is as easy, secure and convenient as possible.”

Figures released recently by Apacs show that record amounts were spent using plastic cards over the course of last year.