Credit cards - anything to look for?

[TW]Fox;25437529 said:
It's not good for spending whilst travelling though - the exchange rate is inferior to Mastercard and Visa and they charge a 3% fee as well, whereas there is no fee and a better exchange rate on something like a Clarity.
Click to expand...

I meant with regards to hotels and flights. Appreciate it's not good for day to day spending abroad though. I have 3 credit cards in total for different types of spending so it really depends on what you need from your cards.
 
The main advantage of Amex is the lack of a credit limit. This is very useful when making large purchases. I've maxed my MasterCard a few times since moving abroad because I was used to the lack of a limit on the Amex.
But as you say, the exchange rates when abroad are rubbish!
 
Hijacking thread somewhat :p. What's people's opinions on the Amazon card? I've not really looked into credit cards much, other than a casual chat with a friend, who mentioned that card. It offers loyalty points when used in Amazon, and 1% cashback.

My bank (Nationwide) offer a 0.5% cash back and no commission charge abroad. The latter isn't really useful for me though.
 
daz said:
Stick with your bank for your first credit card. Because of a lack of credit history, you're unlikely to qualify with many other places, and if you do the rates will probably be crazy and/or you'll have a tiny limit.
Click to expand...

Did this when I was 18. Was given a healthy limit (couple of thousand) and have been clearing it in full every month since.

More recently got a 0% interest for 18 months and am sticking the 'monthly payments' as such, in to a savings account until it needs to be cleared.
 
BennyC said:
Did this when I was 18. Was given a healthy limit (couple of thousand) and have been clearing it in full every month since.

More recently got a 0% interest for 18 months and am sticking the 'monthly payments' as such, in to a savings account until it needs to be cleared.
Click to expand...

Got a credit card through my bank when it switched to a student account a couple of years ago and got a £500 limit lol

Another credit card gave me a £250 limit :rolleyes:
 
Who is your current account with?

I'm with Halifax and get £5 a month for paying in my salary, and £5 a month for spending >£300 on the Halifax Clarity Card, which is free to use abroad too.

So that's £120 a year for not a great deal of spend.

Santander 123 Current Account and 123 Credit Card is also good, but only really beneficial if you have a large cashflow in your current account and a household bills.
 
I've got a Santander Zero card that I took out a few years ago. Received a letter this morning telling me to spend like crazy over the festive period as it will be interest free until June!
 
I recently got a Santander 123 credit card and get 3% cash back on petrol, 2% on Department stores and 1% on shopping.

since I got it I put nearly everything on it. Even when i'm out with family or friends I offer to pay for petrol etc on my card and get them to pay me back via a transfer.

They charge £25 per year but the first year is free provided you've got a current account with them.


rossk26 said:
Who is your current account with?
Santander 123 Current Account and 123 Credit Card is also good, but only really beneficial if you have a large cashflow in your current account and a household bills.
Click to expand...

you need to setup at least 2 direct debts and transfer in at least £500 per 30 days. But the easy thing is to setup a direct debt to auto transfer £500 to another account then back in.

You also get 3% interest on savings up to £20k no brainer for me
 
Last edited:
If you're going travelling at all soon the Halifax Clarity is a good choice, used it when I went to Athens recently and saved quite a bit compared to if I had used my debit card.

[TW]Fox;25437529 said:
It's not good for spending whilst travelling though - the exchange rate is inferior to Mastercard and Visa and they charge a 3% fee as well, whereas there is no fee and a better exchange rate on something like a Clarity.
Click to expand...

When I was working on their phones that was always a pain to tell someone - you say you're going to use the card abroad would you like to know any fees that apply? Get ready for an ear bashing.
 
Last edited:
If you cant get one with your bank, then try capital one they have a 0.5% cash back with £10 bonus when you pay on time for a year.
They gave me my 1st one a few years back had it for 6 months then managed to get a Halifax one with 15 months 0% interest.
 
I second the santander 123 CC.

Its pritty good. I have just gotten myself one, as the 3% on fuel alone will make it worth while.

Alternatively you could go for the Amex Platinum Everyday card which is fairly good.
 
Amex are only useful for two things: bonus offers and card member offers (ie Shop Small, Foursquare, etc). The rest of the benefits are negligible or very specific to niche uses.

Personally I have quite a few but I didn't think I'd keep the Gold past its first year. However I abuse it enough to warrant the £125pa fee and also find the 2 free lounge passes (+£15 thereafter) very useful when travelling.
 
BA Amex is useful and seems to have a decent exchange rate. Getting extra airmiles is useful but the companion voucher is the real incentive.

Shame I can't use it more for work stuff but have to use my work Amex. Never really have an issue with accepting it
 
Simon said:
BA Amex is useful and seems to have a decent exchange rate. Getting extra airmiles is useful but the companion voucher is the real incentive.
Click to expand...

It really doesn't have a decent exchange rate. I've just been looking at some transactions done in the US this week on a BA Amex and a 0% forex MasterCard and in every case like for like the Amex rate is about 1 cent worse, then you have to add the 2.99% fee on top!

It's a great card for UK spend but unless your employer is paying the bill and you don't care about the rate I wouldn't use it abroad.
 
My Amex is on it's way. Mostly for a few reasons:
A) I've got a special offer of more than normal k points of 2k spend in three months. I've got friends on years abroad who I can easily crash on their couch and the points I'll get will get me the points for basically free flights...
B) I need a good card for any work expenses (limit wise). If I'm going to have to pay for flights and such it'd be best to have a no limit card I can use.
C) Limit. Still being young, it's hard to get a card with a decent limit. I've had a bank MasterCard for a couple of years which has been ok, but has no rewards and I max it every month without even thinking about it...

kd
 
It's good elsewhere in the world. Not used it in the US for a while.

Although I mainly use personal one in the UK so exchange rare is irrelevant
 
Amex are actually fairly good.

Usually you can up the % cashback past the bonus period by phoning up customer service and saying you are going to leave. A friend of mine does it every year and maintained a fairly high cashback %.
 
Simon said:
It's good elsewhere in the world.
Click to expand...

No it's not, Amex exchange rates are inferior to Mastercard/Visa, the latter offer exchange rates almost identical to the current spot rate, Amex do not. Presumably Amex load the rate in the same way many credit card firms who offer Mastercard/Visa cards do.
 
[TW]Fox;25437529 said:
It's not good for spending whilst travelling though - the exchange rate is inferior to Mastercard and Visa and they charge a 3% fee as well, whereas there is no fee and a better exchange rate on something like a Clarity.

Mine was very useful for one specific purpose - I took it out when there was a 20k MR bonus for a certain level of spend, booked as much of my US/Canada trip on it as I could to trigger the bonus (though this did end up paying more for several things inc 30 quid extra at Virgin!!!) and then redeemed all the points for 3 nights at a Sheraton in Vancouver which would otherwise have cost me £300.

I also used the lounge pass as well at YVR but to be honest this was 'nice' but I don't really see the fuss with airport lounges. It was fun for a 'yea, I'm in the loungue' kinda experience but it wouldnt have materially affected my journey had I not been able to use it.

But since then I've had numerous occasions now where I've tried to use it and have always had to fall back. On two occasions I've spent a tidy sum on tyres for cars only to have it rejected. Service at a main dealer, sorry no Amex. Infact pretty much everywhere that isn't a high street chain either says no or loads the card up with a fee that makes it not worth the bother.

Tempted to cancel it. There must be some circumstances where it's worthwhile, but not sure it's for me. Which is a shame as I'd love to use it as my normal go-to card because some of the things they do, they do very well. Book travel on it, ie flights or car hire, and your paper statement shows the rental agreement number, pickup date, flight numbres, etc. Cool.
Click to expand...

Lounges are not made equal... From the ones I've been in (admittedly not that many) it makes a massive diffference if you are in an airline one or a third party one. For example the servieair lounges are rubbish, just a small room with semi comfy seats and a free small pack of biscuits or similar... BA lounges on the other hand... Heathrow terminal 5 has a free hot food buffet, free wine, spirits and other drinks, lovely seats and free almost everything else. The Gatwick one isn't as good but still league's ahead of the third party ones I've been in... I have no idea what the other airlines lounges are like. I wouldn't get a card because of lounge access though because you'd just end up in a third party lounge.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom