Consumers need to be sensible when considering whether to take out a credit card, the Fair Investment Company has insisted.

Rachel Mason, spokesperson for the company, urged Britons not to take out such products just because they are offered them, Money News reports.

It is up to customers to decide if they can afford to borrow money and how long it might take them to pay it back, Ms Mason said.

She did, however, accept that credit card providers must share the blame for some individuals getting into financial difficulties .

Many people see these cards as free money and start using them for everyday spending and find they are going over the zero per cent period and being hit hard by high interest rates, Ms Mason told the website.

Meanwhile, the Personal Finance Education Group recently advised young adults to start thinking about investing for their future as soon as they get their first part-time job .

This is because those who get into good financial habits early in life may be less likely to fall into the red as they get older.