Card Loyalty and 'prestige'

CopperPlate_2

How many of you stick with a card that you think offers you a bit of status when you hand it over in a shop, or makes you feel a bit special to have it, even though you could get a far better offer/deal from another provider?

For example, you hold a 'black' card (with no fee, but the provider has marketed it in such a way that you feel a bit special to have it - and aren't all the must have cards black nowadays ) but the cashback or points offer is 0.5%. You could get a Conran card or Egg Money card paying double that, or more with some of the other offerings, yet you resist the move.

Is this a triumph of marketing over cold logic?

The_Boss

At the end of my 0% period, NatWest upgraded me to a gold card, so they were clearly hoping this would make me stay with them rather than cancel and move on.

I'm keeping the card anyway, but not because of the Gold status of it. The two I use for my purchases are a black Morgan Stanley card and blue bmi MBNA card.

jonesMUFCforever

Yeah all those Platinum silver ones look so cheap :rotfl:

CopperPlate_2

So last season

Fahim_2

Don't have any gold or platinum cards...

but HSBC Black-Red Card do look posh.......

so does the HALIFAX One Black card...

Astaroth

Must say I havent heard of many "black" cards (other than the Natwest Black) and all of them have significant fees (though most waive the fee if you spend £6,000 a month or such on it).

Certainly the benefits packages that come with them are good if you are the sort of person that does frequent international travel or like to buy things that are difficult to get hold of but the priority is that you get it and not the cost.

Certainly for your more traditional "colours" (gold etc) have been totally devalued given the requirements are now so low and the fact they dont give you any actual benefits at all in 90% of cases (though I did think it was surprising when Kew Gardens gave me a discount just because I happened to use a gold coloured card to pay with.)

The "problem" with Black cards is that at the moment is they are so unheard of that if you happen to use your Natwest Black card in Tesco the person behind the till may think it is an unusual card design but have no idea you must earn at least £80k to apply for one. Of cause it could however be used as proof of entitlement if you are in a more selective store/ resturant/ hotel but do not fit the normal stereotype of their clientele (eg me, look much younger than my age, male with long hair, only wear t-shirts and jeans outside of work etc)

GunJack

I have to say the colour/title etc. of a card does not make me want to keep it. I admit I have kept 2 cards for 3+ years (halifax plat and amex plat), both originally taken out on opening offers. Now both have decent limits (I even called halifax to reduce my limit from 15k to 10k last week, balance £1.51CR !!) and both send me offers every now and again (just done LOBT to amex) so I figure they're good for my shuffling and look good on my credit file.

I usually have 1 or 2 others on the go as well, but won't ever go over this. I've found a bit of stability and keeping a couple empty help me to CC shuffle with ease, and saves too many entries on the file.

GunJack

Oh, sorry, I almost forgot to ask the question...

Astaroth (btw I play SC-II as well, Ivy any time in that outfit !!), when you say the requirements for gold, plat etc. are so low, compared to what ? When I got Co-Op plat base rate tracker they ask for min £25k salary, so I'm just wondering what you mean, or have I missed something somewhere?

Thanks in anticipation.

roswell

me as a mear mortal got a platinum from barclays 6 years ago and aged 18 didnt dare buy anythign with it because counter staff always looked at me or said they would need to check with the bank, my Colleuges thought I was loaded because of these cards .. fast forward to now everyone I know has a platinum and i dont (because they cost more in interest).

I Would accept a black one thoguht but until geta 60 K pay rise (not going to happen) I will just have to want.

nrsql

Why would you want shop assistants to think you are rich?
I have a black card but only because I think I get good value for the (large) fee. It gets comments occasionally which I find a bit embarassing.
I pay for my bank account which comes with a gold card - but that is worth it for access to a bank manager who knows who I am.

Would ditch them straight away if I thought I wasn't getting value.

Redbedhead

I can't say I apply for cards because of what colour they are. I apply for them because of the benefits I get. If the benefits stop I will move on.

I currently have a Morgan Stanley platinum (is this any different to their standard black one in terms of benefits?) and a Goldfish. I am aware the Goldfish is no longer one of the best but am struggling to find anything else to change to. I cancelled my Egg due to bad customer service, so won't get another one and have a Nectar Amex already so doubt I can get another, plus Amex is not taken in quite a few places I shop in.