Aegean Visa Card
Dec 20, 2017, 4:44 am
#46
Join Date: Nov 2016
Programs: A3*G
Posts: 42
I can only begin to imagine what 'P' means. But it is perhaps necessary to get real: what bank manager in his right mind is going to give an Aegean Visa credit card to someone with declared earnings of €833 a month? Such a person could hardly pay the subscription fee and what miles would they be able to collect? A debit card perhaps?
There are no subscription fees for the first year. Also, if you regularly use the credit card you can have the fees waived. I haven't found that written anywhere but I haven't paid subscription fees for two years. At the anniversary statement bill they sent me something "Thank you for using our card, your subscription fee is waived".
I got mine with a slightly bigger income. The credit limit was set to be my month earning.
It's not a great amount is it? But it's a pretty typical salary in Greece at the moment and many, even in 'professional' jobs earn even less. What I don't understand is that if the total amount of the credit-limit has to be covered at all times by blocked funds then, in effect it IS a Debit card isn't it? Or am I missing something?
Dec 21, 2017, 5:38 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
Yes average declared salary in GR is now around 780 EUR a month gross from what i read. Of course, many people make much more than that from things like property rentals, etc. But declared salaries in GR are very low, with many getting 'black money' in cash as a top up to their salary which obviously doesn't show up on a tax return. Even more so with small professionals who run family businesses (shopkeepers, taverna owners, lawyers, doctors, car mechanics, etc.), they try using cash as much as they can, despite the difficulties now with capital controls.
For the forums info, I got rejected for a yearly declared salary on my tax return of 14k a year, so I went and got a Eurobank credit card with a 2 K EUR limit. Of course this was all before the disaster of 2014, in which now I have no Greek credit cards whatsoever and do not have any money in Greek bank accounts whatsoever.
A friend in mine working for a shipping company that makes a declared basic Greek salary of 1k a month so around 14k total, he also applied for an Alpha Bank card but got rejected. Mind you, he did not have a property in his name.
So I feel anyone on a normal salary in GR can only get an Alpha Bank Credit card if they own property in Greece, especially these days where banks in GR are essentially bankrupt and non performing loans are around 40% of the total, so banks are in no mood to give out credit unless you own a huge company that does a lot of business with the bank or has a good property portfolio!
Foreigners, forget it, at least for the time being, unless they are one of those investors in Greek property that seem to be multiplying these days!
For the forums info, I got rejected for a yearly declared salary on my tax return of 14k a year, so I went and got a Eurobank credit card with a 2 K EUR limit. Of course this was all before the disaster of 2014, in which now I have no Greek credit cards whatsoever and do not have any money in Greek bank accounts whatsoever.
A friend in mine working for a shipping company that makes a declared basic Greek salary of 1k a month so around 14k total, he also applied for an Alpha Bank card but got rejected. Mind you, he did not have a property in his name.
So I feel anyone on a normal salary in GR can only get an Alpha Bank Credit card if they own property in Greece, especially these days where banks in GR are essentially bankrupt and non performing loans are around 40% of the total, so banks are in no mood to give out credit unless you own a huge company that does a lot of business with the bank or has a good property portfolio!
Foreigners, forget it, at least for the time being, unless they are one of those investors in Greek property that seem to be multiplying these days!
Last edited by ahmetdouas; Dec 21, 2017 at 5:49 am
Dec 22, 2017, 1:55 pm
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: MRS, LYS, ARN
Programs: A3 Gold, AB Gold
Posts: 48
When I posted this originally, the best advice was to take out an AMEX card with SPG which allows you to transfer your accrued points to several airlines, including Aegean. By far the best and most sensible option.