Where to get a VISA Electron card?

NonGeographicalMan

savagej wrote: »

I do wonder if in the UK because people see a "flat cards" as not worthy, or showing they are perhaps "poorer" than a "better" customer they have introduced something else, which is embossed but for all intents and purpose is still an electron in that is always requires authorisation.

Having thought about it a lot more I can't see Visa having deliberately decided to kill off Electron but I think what has happened may have been the consequence of the commercial arrangements for it in the UK where Visa presumably pay the lowest percentage commission and/or flat fee per transaction through to the banks who issue and operate it. I really don't think the lack of raised characters is an issue any more with the clank, clank card machine being almost dead now (even though they are still valid but all the risk of fraudulent transactions falls on the retailer using them) at least in the UK.

Either way we know that Ryanair is charging at least 10x of frequently 50 to 100x what they actually pay to Visa per sector in card charges so I really don't see why somebody can't win a case against them for fraudulent and anti-competitive behaviour.

If anyone is following this thread who takes Visa in their own store and can tell us the true difference in commission costs between Visa Electron and Visa Debit and Visa Credit it would be very interesting to read that information.

rodman

bublesbear wrote: »

You can pick a Visa Electron Card up from the Post Office its known as a TRAVEL MONEY CARD so its a bit disguised! and you take it home with ypou the same day! it avoids having to pay for those ridiculous high card fees on budget airlines

yeah we saw ur post before, its not free so not good enough

dianne_menaul

I have been told you can get a Visa Electron from the Post Office, you top it up with money then use it as a card to buy on line etc

userjcr

The Post Office has a brilliant Pay as you go Visa Electron card that works fantastic with Ryanair.
To get it it's super simple, just go to a main post office (bring your passport with you), apply and you will get it right away. You can decide how much you want to put on it and also choose the currency you prefer (UK pounds, Euro, USD). My partner got it in half an hour time and we're done with paying extras to Ryanair.

mary

According to their website: the card is issued free but
To front load it with Sterling there is a 1.5% commission,
subject to a minimum fee of £3.00
http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content1?catId=26800661&mediaId=53800721

rev_henry

I recently changed banks from Alliance and Leicester, where I had a visa debit card, to Abbey, who would ONLY give me an electron card, even though I went in and asked them to change it so I could buy train tickets. I'm 17 btw. Very strange seeing as how they're the same company now.

mary

A very young "Rev" therefore!

Pablo_S

Edinburghlass wrote: »

Use Entropay, pre-paid virtual credit card, transfer over what you need with a minimum amount of £10 which costs 50p and use as an Electron card for Ryan Air.

Looking at Entropay's fees page they charge 4.95% to get money onto their virtual credit card, so Entropay should easily work out cheaper for flights on Ryanair (with their rip-off £5 each way/per person charge) however it would only work out cheaper with Easyjet for flights under £60, as they charge 'only' £2.95 per booking on a debit card.

mary

Isn't Post Office Travel Money Card @ 1.5% cheaper than Entropay @ 4.95%, or am I missing something?

codeine

This is a little off topic so I apologize in advance, but does anyone know when Natwest might be swapping their current Maestro Debit Card for the Visa Debit Card? Not a lot of sources accept the Maestro Card (for example, Google Checkout no longer accepts it) and I don't wish to get a Credit Card because I don't wish to spend money I don't have :-)

Is it worth opening a second bank account with a bank that issues a Visa Debit card, transferring money into that account, and using that to pay vendors that only accept Visa/Mastercard?