I don't want a solo card!

[Deleted User]

This isn't credit cards as such, but I see no other suitable section.

I'm 17 - 18 in a couple of months - and I've been with natwest for years now, I've got a "solo card" with them, which I'm sick of. It's accepted nowhere online - which is where I do most of my purchasing- and Natwest are refusing to upgrade me.

Is my only option to switch banks? I'd rather not end up with a credit card because I'm rubbish with money and I'll end up in debt, so I want to stick with a debit card, but natwest - according to the woman I spoke to - only offer solo or credit cards, so if I stick with natwest, according to them, I'll have to wait until I'm 18 and get a credit card.

:money:

Rose123

you'll have to wait until you're 18 to get a mastro card

mab2000

As the previous poster said, you have to wait until your over 18 to get a maestro card. Also (this was about 5 years ago so it may have changed), you need to have a certain amount of money paid into the account each month to get a maestro card, when i applied it was £400. Also when i tried to apply myself, they turned me down for it, only for a few weeks later they decided to write to me to tell me that they have decided themselves that ive automatically qualified for a maestro servicecard and it would follow shortly.

Have you looked at prepaid cards like the splash plastic maestro card? Also, Lloyds tsb give a visa debit card (not a visa electron) to their under 19 account holders. The same may apply to barclays i think.

SemperFi

I still use my solo card and it's accepted pretty much everywhere in this country. Any examples?

CLAPTON

you're not allowed credit until you are 18 (the law I'm afraid).. so you can't get a CC yet and a full debit card is usally viewed as allowing credit (OD ) on your current a/c whereas with a solo card your balance is debited immediately.

Rose123

SemperFi wrote: »

I still use my solo card and it's accepted pretty much everywhere in this country. Any examples?

I know you cannot use national rail with a solo card

I have been unable to buy certain air tickets with a solo card

There a quite a few retailers that do not take solo but I cant remember them by name, its been years since I have had a solo card, lol

DCFC79

arent solo cards defunct now, maybe solo cards arent defunct, hmv, play.com take solo cards

davethorp

The only places I've failed to use my solo card at online are M&S (odd since they take it instore and amazon who power much of the M&S site also take solo) and Thompson and morgan who are a gardening website and only take the main cards.

You may be able to get a visa debit from Barclays or Lloyds TSB as I beleive they have more or less abandoned the lesser visa electron card in favour of a reduced function visa debit

PROLIANT

My advice would be to move to a bank that issues a "proper" debit card like Barclays, A&L, HBOS, Lloyds, Abbey or HSBC who will give you a Visa Debit Card on your account, Maestro is not going to be around for long and will die the same death as Switch did back in the early 00's.

Good luck

[Deleted User]

I don't order from the UK much, I'm mainly an american goods consumer, this is my problem, I've never found an american store accepting solo. I have a friend who is with Abbey (he's younger than me) and he's got a Visa debit card, which works the same as a credit card - in that it's valid everywhere credit cards are - this is what I'm after.

SemperFi wrote: »

I still use my solo card and it's accepted pretty much everywhere in this country. Any examples?

This country, I don't buy from here much

CLAPTON wrote: »

you're not allowed credit until you are 18 (the law I'm afraid).. so you can't get a CC yet and a full debit card is usally viewed as allowing credit (OD ) on your current a/c whereas with a solo card your balance is debited immediately.

Aye, I know I can't get a credit card til 18, I'm looking for a debit card.

LittleMissAspie

PROLIANT wrote: »

will die the same death as Switch did back in the early 00's.

Oh well that answers what I was about to post: "What about Switch?". I had a Switch card when I was 16 and 17 with Natwest. Didn't realise it didn't exist any more!