Credit card deals are increasingly being used by British consumers as a way to loan money over the medium-term, it has been suggested.

According to a report from Moneysupermarket.com, more than a third of all credit card deals agreed in the UK are effectively loan arrangements, or what the price comparison firm has described as "pseudo loans".

There are still millions of Britons who use their credit card to spend in the short-term and pay off the resulting debt soon after but habits are thought to have changed considerably in recent years.

Moneysupermarket.com has maintained that credit card users can save money by using their deals as pseudo loans but has also insisted that to do so requires discipline and can often lead to debt problems.

"Beware, this only works if you follow the golden rules of making at least the minimum monthly repayment on time and not spending on the card," said Steve Willey, head of credit cards at the company.

Last week, David Kuo, head of personal finance at Fool.co.uk, said that taking on a loan can be an effective way to resolve debt management problems for people with financial discipline.