As the weather starts to pick up, so may your spending. Travel, dining out and new clothes may threaten to increase the monthly credit or charge card bill beyond an affordable level. To avoid paying for sunshine-inspired purchases throughout the winter, be aware of your usage, the different types of cards available and charges incurred.

There are three main patterns of card usage. The contingency user only reaches for plastic in an emergency or when access to cash or other forms of payment is impossible. Others use cards as payment instruments and pay the bill off each month.

The third group uses plastic payment as a form of short-term borrowing. This user generates the most money for card providers and these individuals are sometimes targeted by marketers because of their spending patterns.

Many types of cards - credit, debit, charge, guaranteed cards, ATM and cash dispenser cards - are issued by banks and building societies.

Credit cards like Visa and Mastercard extend credit to cardholders. When the monthly bill arrives, customers may either pay in full or over time. However, unpaid purchase amounts are charged at an annual percentage interest rate (APR) that ranges from 18.2 at National Irish Bank (NIB) to 22.95 with Bank of Ireland (BoI).

Cash advance fees - the charge for using the card to get cash - range from zero at EBS to the more standard 1.5 per cent of the transaction amount, with a minimum of £2 per transaction, charged by many banks. The standard APR also applies to cash advance amounts left unpaid.

The key message is that credit cards are an expensive form of borrowing when paying both for purchases and cash advances. Despite the obvious convenience of plastic credit, it is wise to pay these cards off each month. Apart from the annual government tax of £15, credit cards do not cost anything if: the monthly bills are paid in full; the customer participates in a scheme which does not have an annual fee; and cash withdrawals are avoided.

Some financial institutions offer low interest cards or affinity cards, which are linked to universities or professional organisations.

Charge cards offer the same convenience as credit cards but a customer must pay the bill in full each month. These cards are issued by American Express, Diners Club, Visa and Mastercard.

Debit cards such as the Laser Card, ATM and cash dispenser cards give customers direct access to their bank or building society account.

Cheque guarantee cards, often part of ATM cards, are used to guarantee cheques written by cardholders up to £100.

Each card issuer determines its own policies regarding types of cards offered, APR, annual charges and other fees. However, every card must charge the government levy of £15.

ACC Bank has both a standard Visa card at a 19.5 per cent APR for purchases and cash and Visa affinity cards at 16.5 per cent APR. There is no annual fee. Minimum credit days are 25 while maximum interest-free days are 56. Cash advances are charged at £3 in Ireland and 1.75 per cent of the transaction amount when abroad. There is no extra charge incurred on purchases made while abroad.

Allied Irish Bank (AIB) offers MasterCard and Visa in standard and gold cards. If the balance is not paid in full each month, an APR of 21.73 per cent applies to the standard card and 17.9 per cent APR for gold cards.

There is no annual charge in the first year for both cards and none in future years if the card is used more than 50 times a year. Otherwise, the annual fee is £10 standard and £20 gold. Cash advances within the euro zone are charged a £3 flat fee while outside 1.5 per cent of the transaction amount or £1.50, whichever is greater, is charged. Interest is charged from the transaction date where it applies, except on cash advances which are charged from the date the statement is issued.

The interest-free minimum is 25 days with a maximum of 56 days. There are no fines for late payment.

Additional features include £50,000 personal cover on the standard card and the gold card has the same plus 24-hour medical and personal accident cover while abroad plus lost luggage cover. Comprehensive cover is available for an additional fee of £40 a year.

A low-interest MasterCard is also available with no interest-free periods and a 12.9 per cent APR for those who qualify.

Among the seven cards offered by the Bank of Ireland, the main ones are the standard MasterCard and Visa, Gold MasterCard, Gold Plus MasterCard and an Affinity Visa. Like other cards, no interest is charged if the account is cleared on time. When it is not, interest is charged monthly from the date of the purchase or cash withdrawal.

For standard cards, the APR on purchases is 22.95 per cent or 22.78 APR for cash. Cash advances are allowed at a minimum of £2 per transaction and the fee is 1.5 per cent of the amount obtained.

Gold MasterCard purchases are charged at 19 per cent APR and cash advances at 19.1 per cent. Gold Plus MasterCards charge 21.30 APR for both purchases and cash. The Visa affinity card offers the lowest APR from BOI at 20.95 for purchases and 20.86 for cash advances.

The minimum payment expected on all these cards is 5 per cent. Each account is charged a £15 government tax in April every year.

EBS Building Society provides qualifying members with a standard Visa card at an APR of 22.67 per cent. The card incurs no annual charge, fee on cash advances, late payment charges, charge on extra statements or fee for an additional card. There is a £3.50 fee on unpaid direct debits. A minimum of 25 days interest free with a maximum of 57 days applies to this card. The Visa card includes travel accident insurance cover.

Friends First recently teamed up with MBNA - the international credit card company - to produce a new standard Visa card with an 18.9 per cent APR - or 17.9 per cent on gold card transactions. The rate charged for cash advances is the same as the standard APR for purchases. There is no annual fee. A 57-day credit period is offered from the beginning of the account period. A late payment penalty of £12 applies to both the standard and gold card. The minimum payment is 3 per cent of the total outstanding.

Also included is a credit card chequebook, choice of monthly payment dates, direct debit facilities and up to £100,000 travel accident insurance.

If a balance is transferred from another credit card, a special rate of 9.9 per cent is charged by Friends First for six months, after which the relevant APR takes effect.

As part of the new card-launch programme, Friends First has a value-added package that includes a free Logan leisure card that entitles cardholders to 50 per cent off leisure activities throughout the State. A discounted international calling plan option from Esat Telecom and a free life assurance cover review with one of Friend's First financial advisers with one month's premium free if they take out new protection are available.

Irish Permanent, like Friends First, partnered with MBNA to create a new credit card. It offers standard and gold Visa cards with no annual fee at 19.9 per cent variable APR. A credit card cheque book is provided along with a choice of monthly payment dates and travel accident insurance up to £100,000 for standard card bearers or £250,000 for gold card holders. There is no liability for lost of stolen cards and up to three additional cardholders are allowed.

Cash advances cost 1.5 per cent of transaction amount with a minimum of £1.50 each time. A minimum payment of 3 per cent is required each statement period.

The gold card is available for those making £25,000 or more a year. It has a higher personal credit limit, increased insurance cover, annual summary of transactions available upon request, worldwide emergency medical or legal referral service and lost luggage insurance.

If the balance from another card is transferred to either Irish Permanent/MBNA cards, a 9.9 per cent APR is fixed for the first six months.

National Irish Bank offers standard Visa and MasterCard credit cards with 18.2 APR, the lowest standard card rate provided by any of the financial institutions surveyed by Family Money.

NIB does not issue gold cards. Both NIB standard Visa and Mastercards offer 56 interest-free days. Interest is charged if the bill is not paid in full on the due date. Interest is due on the payment of goods charged from date of purchase and on cash withdrawals from date of withdrawal.

There are no annual fees, fines for late payment, exceeding limit or the return of direct debit. The only charges are 18.2 APR if applicable and government stamp duty of £15.

Ulster Bank offers standard MasterCard and Visa cards. The APR on purchases is 22.56 per cent and on cash advances 24.43 per cent. There is no annual fee except for the required government duty.

A transaction charge of 1.5 per cent applies for cash advances with a minimum of £2. Interest is calculated on advances or purchases repaid and credited to the account within 25 days of the date on which the charged items appear. There are no additional charges for late payment.

Within the European Monetary Union, Ulster Bank does not apply transaction charges but purchases outside this area are charged at 2 per cent of the value of purchases.