Where to get a VISA Electron card?

moiraz

I did a search and the post office offer a visa electron with their pre pay travel card. The web site says it works as normal electron card. I'll be applying soon to see if it'll work

abc

The table of fees on the Ryanair website now states -

"As a special offer to Visa Electron card holders, Ryanair, for a limited period only, will not apply a Debit Card charge"

It looks like a Visa Electron card may possibly not be much use for much longer for saving money on Ryanair.

NonGeographicalMan

I just applied successfully for a Co-Op Cashminder account yesterday by calling the 0800 590483 internet banking registration number listed on the https://www.saynoto0870.com website.

There are no branches of Co-op bank anywhere near by here in southern Surrey (nearest is Croydon) but this doesn't matter as it can be used with the card through any post office branch (including sub post offices).

Despite the fact I am not working at the moment and only living on savings I was successfully passed for the account by the phone application and there is no need for me to send in a passport or any other ID as they have been able to verify my ID using credit reference agencies and using the electoral register (lived here for 11 years). The girl did seem surprised that someone not working could get a new account with them but I pointed out this was a Basic Bank Account and after checking with her supervisor she found there was no problem.

Call took about 10 to 12 minutes and they just want to know your name, address, date of birth, years in UK etc plus sort code and account number of any existing bank account you have (not sure that this should be necessary for a Basic Bank Account though).

Obviously the main hassle is having to either keep a small float of money in an account you don't otherwise use or having to nip to a Post Office branch specially to pay in cash if some cheap Ryanair flights come up. However as it cost nothing to get the card I might as well get one and then see if Ryanair changes policy again or not in the future.

NonGeographicalMan

abc wrote: »

It looks like a Visa Electron card may possibly not be much use for much longer for saving money on Ryanair.

They will probably only change policy if the EU forces them to disclose all card fees up front when you start off the booking (by asking how you are going to pay at that stage) and/or if they find a substantial number of their customers actually acquire Visa Electron cards.

Of course with the recession they may find it harder to find lots of new customers they haven't stung with hidden charges before and so decide it is more sensible just to quote an honest amount for the flight up front and drop these hidden scam card charges.

Their charge for baggage has a real basis as the airports charge for the baggage and more baggage also means longer times to load and unload the flight. Ditto with the online check in where again the airport charges them more for a check in personally at the airport than online. However the debit charge is a pure scam since they are charging at least 5 to 10 times what a debit card company will charge them for the transaction. Making the debit card charge the same as the credit card charge is also stupid as many customers will go back to credit cards because they get 1% cashback, air miles or have 30 days longer to pay than on a debit card. The real cost of credit card use is higher to Ryanair than a debit card so they must lose any EU investigation in to anti competitive charges.

mr113

I have been looking at flying to Ireland in mid-September for some time now, and I have been trying to get hold of a Visa Electron so that the price drops (on a £10 ticket - I can't see the point in paying an £8 fee).

Went in to Barclays today to see if they would allow me to hold an electron alongside my connect debit card on the same account. They said that they do not offer electron cards any more.

Went online again today and Ryanair have dropped the price on the £10 flight to £2 (probably due to the oxygen masks incident!!!) so I went ahead and booked, as I was planning to spend £10 anyway.

I am now thinking of going for the Post Office Travel Card (as I don't want an account with another bank - already have 4 for various deals). I am planning to start flying to Dublin quite a lot for jobseeking purposes, so in the course of the year this should save me about £80 - well worth the application fee.

It's probably not the best idea for somebody who only wants to book once in a while though.

NonGeographicalMan

mr113 wrote: »

I am now thinking of going for the Post Office Travel Card (as I don't want an account with another bank - already have 4 for various deals). I am planning to start flying to Dublin quite a lot for jobseeking purposes, so in the course of the year this should save me about £80 - well worth the application fee.

It's probably not the best idea for somebody who only wants to book once in a while though.

Its worth bearing in mind that the Co-Op Cashminder account can be operated through any Post Office or sub Post Office in the country and that as it is a Basic bank account you are not adversely credit scored for having just opened another bank account if you then want to undertake any further borrowing or get normal credit cards (the Electron is an instant payment debit card for which you must have available cleared funds in your account at the point of purchase and you cannot go in to the red or have an overdraft on this account) . So it isn't really a bank account at all but just a way to beat Ryanair's rip off hidden charges when you buy a flight from them.

In view of Micheal O'Leary's latest contemptuous interviews with the press about various safety problems and the recent Spanair crash (which appears to result from the same style of arrogant cost cutting management in conjunction with older planes where you are less able to get away with cutting corners on maintenance) I'm not sure I want to give the airline my business at all but Electron also has a lower card fee with Easyjet than normal credit and debit cards and at least so far Easyjet seems to have a less alarming safety record in terms of serious recent incidents (of which Ryanair now has several including landing at the wrong airport in Ireland, running off the end of the runway and in to the mud at Limoges and the recent total depressurisation failure).

thareg

I have just applied online for a Post Office Travel card, transferred some money into it, and am promised that I will receive it in 3 to 5 days. There was no additional cost.
On the Post Office website, there is an image of the card which clearly shows Visa Electron.
I have put enough money onto it to cover the cost of any Ryanair flights which I expect to buy. Any extra money on the card can be withdrawn abroad, and then it can be topped up online when I come home, to cover my next purchase.
At least that's the theory................

NonGeographicalMan

thareg wrote: »

I have put enough money onto it to cover the cost of any Ryanair flights which I expect to buy. Any extra money on the card can be withdrawn abroad, and then it can be topped up online when I come home, to cover my next purchase...

Beware of any minimum cash withdrawal and/or possibly even ordinary shop transaction fees when using it abroad. Also beware of all the conmen banks abroad who will try to get UK customers to accept the transaction converted in to sterling so that they can apply their rip off exchange rate and foreign exchange rate levy fees.

NonGeographicalMan

Beware of any minimum cash withdrawal and/or possibly even ordinary shop transaction fees when using it abroad. Also beware of all the conmen banks abroad who will try to get UK customers to accept the transaction converted in to sterling so that they can apply their rip off exchange rate and foreign exchange rate levy fees.

*Transaction fees apply, Foreign exchange rates and charges will apply when using a Travel Money Card currency that differs to the currency of the country where the payment is made. You can use your card anywhere that accepts VISA Electron. **Cash withdrawal fees apply. Transaction fees may apply, dependent on the ATM order. Maximum withdrawal per day is £500 or the equivalent amount in US Dollars or Euros. You can withdraw money from any ATM machine displaying the VISA sign. Note: atm charges/cross-border charges/exchange rate charges may occur if the Travel Money Card currency differs from that of the local currency.

However I think I may have got one of these rather than a Co-Op Cashminder card had I known that they actually existed. I wonder if the top up on the phone feature is 24/7? That could be very handy if not wanting to have to keep a large balance on it.

FiFi_Mad_Mum

iwanttosave wrote: »

I have a visa electron from my A&L standard current account

I phoned A & L to enquire about changing my Instant Access Account to an account with an Electron card and the girl told me they no longer do one and asked me if it was to book flights as they have had loads of enquiries.
FiFi