flyclub

Maybe not however for purchasing flight tickets I never fail to be impressed by the level of detail my AMEX chargecard shows on my statement. - Booking class, Airline, and even ticket numbers. Very impressive which oddly AMEX credit cards do not show this information.

Shuttle-Bored

Probably reflects the different target markets of the cards. The info on the charge card statement is a bit of a hangover from the days when they were predominantly used for corporate travel and expenses purposes. Both Amex and Diners worked with the airline/travel industry to enrich their data flows to include such information - so that when the cardholder gets their statement, they can easily reconcile the airfare to the business trip.

Also Amex/Diners would give the company concerned annual reports to enable them to analyse their T&E spend - e.g. how much were they spending on dining, how much on air travel, what % of their air travel was J etc.

Some corporate credit card providers also have this capability - but only switch it on on request from the corporate client. With the BA Amex being aimed at the consumer market, it's not shown on the statement.

braefoot

Unfortunately Roger, the info from the Mail is wrong. I was under that impression too that my RBS visa debit card would give me cover but when I bought a faulty laptop and then went to visa I was told by them that they only support credit cards and not debits!
Margaret

Stewie Mac

Actually 4.25% (I just went away to check as that seemed like too good a deal to be true - as always, it was ).

Think I will stick with Citibank and continue making use of their £500 fee and interest-free overdraft; always nice to spend the bank's money rather than yours over the course of the month

Roger

Thanks for the update, Braefoot. Now why am I not surprised?

Roger

Thanks for the update. It's my e-savings account which gets the higher rate. Still, 4.25% is not bad for a current account.
... but watch their extortionate f/x rates!

Raffles

The reason you are protected under a credit card is, if I get this right, that under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the provider of credit for a purchase between £100 and £30,000 is treated in law as being the joint legal seller (along with the shop) of that item. You therefore have the same rights from the credit provider as you do from the retailer.

With a debit card, there is no credit provided so the card issuer owes you nothing. You get the occasional goodwill gesture (eg over Farepak) but that is all it is - a goodwill gesture.

Roger

That's certainly the way I have always understood it. It's not the first time the Daily Mail got a story wrong.

uk1

I can't recommend the Nationwide debit card highly enough. I use it only for cash from overseas ATM's keeping just enough in the obligatory Flex account (4.25%)to keep the travel lubricated. Alongside that is a Nationwide e-savings account currently offering 5.05%. The fact that the currency margin is zero and from my own calculations saves up to 7% compared to some charge and credit cards makes it a great card to travel with.

knifeandfork

I'm dragging this further O/T, so I hope the board will indulge me. I have two questions about Nationwide debit and credit cards:

1. Hasn't their offering been substantially diluted in the last year or so? I have it my head that it used to be a very good thing for people spending a lot on cards overseas but now not so much.

2. I suspect I need to change my banking arrangements, not least because having taken out a Platinum Amex, the benefits of the LTSB platinum current account are essentially duplicated. The LTSB costs me £180pa and my only benefit is a shiny card. (Amex travel insurance is better and, bizarrely, for someone not owning a car my step-mother still pays for me to have an AA membership in my own name)How easy is it really to change banks? The LTSB has been very good at giving me a thumping great big overdraft facility that, though I rarely use, I really need on account of being self-employed. Anyone have any experience of sswitching and having things like overdraft limits automatically matched?

uk1

I'm not certain where you get that from, and others of course have varying experience. I always use my Nationwide debit card for cash from ATM's and meals or supermarket type purchases - or paying hotel bills. If inbuilt insurance or clause 75 protection is required then I'll use whatever is the current card I'm building something up on. Every trip I'll normally put through a transaction on a credit card the same day as the nationwide debit card and the least I see is a difference of 3% but it's normally 5 or even 7%.


I use several banks and do not pay for any bank charges. I don't however like free services and pay for annual travel insurance etc. In fact I have my travel insurance with the people that insure my home and get a great discount and unduplicated cover for items away from home. Last year I had my very first claim where I managed to leave a shoulder bag on the platform at CDG, and it was an expensive claim that was dealt with generously and promptly by Halifax - and they didn't make me feel more of a prat than I already did. They communicated by e-mail and agreed good replacement values that were close to what I paid rather than the lower replacement values - a generous approach. So I'm devoted to them because of the claims experience. I also have my primary day to day banking with them and they arranged the transfer from my previous bank - a servce all banks now offer. Unless you have a poor record you shouldn't have any problems transferring an overdraft.

So my view is that you should consider paying for your services but get a better more cost-effective banking service.

Hope that helps.

Roger

Yes, but still much better in my view than the competition. As always, 'horses for courses'.

Easy. Nationwide will guide you through the step-by-step process, allowing you to use old and new accounts when appropriate. Typically, after a month (allowing for transfer of monthly direct debits), you should be well established with the new account - quicker if no D/Ds. (Of course, some but not all banks offer a similar service.)

nonsoloinglese

I have a nationwide account but haven't used it yet. It has been active for ages. I just keep forgetting the security code. I think my transaction posted at £519.??

wirefree

You are all correct in saying that with a debit card you have no protection in law, but Visa's own rules apply to both credit and debit cards and do provide a good level of protection for goods not received, or those received faulty from the start or you didn't receive a promised refund. This is not the same with Switch/Maestro, who couldn't care less and don't get involved in disputes.

All you need to do is initiate a chargeback through your card issuer.

braefoot

The information from Raffles was correct.
I spoke to a manager at Visa as I had been told that my Visa debit card would be supported by them but much as he sympathised with me, he told me that I had been wrongly informed and that it was only in very rare crcumstances would they intervene but not for normal purchases.