Which Card?

Jummy

Hello
At the moment i have an Electron Visa card from Lloyds TSB and want to start buying electrical items on the internet.
Do i have any protection with a debit card or should i go for a credit card to get more protection if things go wrong?
I would only use the card occasionally and would pay the balance off straight away.
I have a good credit history.
I just want to buy safely over the internet
many thanks! ;D

Milarky

As ever, you should look at the Visa Electron Terms and Condtions, but can think of two issues immediately

First, there is no 'Section 75' Consumer Credit Act [shared liability] cover offered by debit cards in a way that is required by all credit cards presently - this only relates to good with purchase value over £100, I thnk, and credit card cheques do not qualify - one reason why credit card issuers quite like us using them.

Second, acceptance. I have heard it mentioned that 'Visa Electron' (as opposed to 'Visa Delta' [Visa 'Debit Card'] has difficulty being accepted by certain online retailers. With 'Visa Delta' you should have no such problems.

So you might consider the benefits of a 'Visa/Mastercard' for their acceptance AND their extended legal protection OR just getting up 'upgrade' on your current account to 'Visa Delta' make the purchase itself more trouble-free.

There are also some account-specific benefits offered by individual banks and credit cards to encourage their use but I have no personal knowledge of these. [can anyone chip in?]

Suzz_2

Most CCs now claim to give you full protection against internet fraud.  It's never happened to me so I could comment on how good this is..

You will find general advise elsewhere in this forum about general precuations when buying on the internet.  I personally always look for a real address and postcode.

If you're buying items worth over £50, you can get a years extra warranty if you use a Nationwide card.  Barclaycard too, but I think item must be over £100 with them.

Jummy

Many thanks
Am looking into Barclaycard and Tesco. ;D