Can a 17 year old get a maestro card?

Solac

Hi

Do any banks offer a maestro card to a 17 year old for free banking? As I am currently with HSBC and they will charge me monthly if I get a maestro card

Thanks

Kilty_2

Yorkshire/Clydesdale Bank will but I wouldn't recommend them.

Go to Lloyds TSB, you'll get a Visa Debit card which is better anyway.

computerwoman

Solac wrote:

Hi

Do any banks offer a maestro card to a 17 year old for free banking? As I am currently with HSBC and they will charge me monthly if I get a maestro card

Thanks[/quote

my son joined hsbc when he was 16, they gave him a solo card, when he was 18 they gave him a switchcard and a mastercard with £500 on it, hope this helps. also he does free online banking at hsbc, you have to give them a 6 digit code to set it up. you can set this up in the bank

Cypher

As Kilty mentioned above, my Son is 16 and he recently (sept) joined LTSB, opening an under 19 current account and he got a Visa Debit card

techno_geek

I don't see why HSBC would charge you... I got a maestro card from HSBC when I was 17, just because I worked and had my salary paid into my account regularly.

Are you sure you didn't ask to subscribe to their Bank Account Plus??

If they can't issue you one due to lack of funding into your account, why should any other bank?

You could ask your parents to transfer a few hundred pounds into your account each month (and you transfer it back to them the next day) in order to make it look like you have money flowing in and out?

lynxptc

Pretty certain you need to be 18 as it is normally paired with a cheque guarantee facility as well.

GoldenEye

Solac wrote:

Hi

Do any banks offer a maestro card to a 17 year old for free banking? As I am currently with HSBC and they will charge me monthly if I get a maestro card

Thanks

Yes you can. I remember my sister being given a Solo card when she was 17. She found out that at the time many stores wouldn't accept Solo so she went to the Bank who issued the card (HSBC) and complained. They apologised and gave her a Switch (Maestro) card.

I do think it depends on what relationship you have with your bank though. My family and I have a good relationship with our banks and they do treat us well.

Phoenix79_2

Kilty wrote:

Yorkshire/Clydesdale Bank will but I wouldn't recommend them.

Go to Lloyds TSB, you'll get a Visa Debit card which is better anyway.

Out of interest, why do you think Visa Debit is better? I can think of that thing with Farepak where you can claim back payments on a Visa debit (chargeback?) but not on Maestro but apart from that i can't think of anything more

Helix

lynxptc wrote:

I got a Maestro card with Natwest when I turned 18. I tried getting one earlier but they said no.

I've heard other people have managed to get a Maestro card with Natwest before 18, I think it all depends on what branch you go into and who you ask.

Were you earning a lot each month to get a maestro card. I earn about £120 a month went into natwest last week when I became 18 and they wouldn't let me have one. It was 'computer says no' rather than the staff member saying it.

They told me that if I go into the branch with my UCAS welcome letter they will upgrade the account to a student account with maestro but I'm sure they have got this wrong I thought I would have to have my A-Level results to be able to get a student account.

techno_geek

HSBC are more lenient lenders than NatWest - they will offer a 17 year-old a maestro card if they see good conduct on the account.
If you bank with them and are interested, go into a branch, ask to talk to an adviser, and ask to see your conduct score (out of 100). I was told anything over 40 is good, and anything over 60 is excellent.

To be honest, advisers can override the system to some extent, so sweetalking them might be in order!! lol


Banks are very two-faced: NatWest are harsh because they won't give me a maestro card on my second current account (even though I pay £200 in a month from another bank account), yet gave me a £1400 overdraft on that account on top of my £1250 interest-free student overdraft! HSBC gave me a maestro card when I was 17, and a credit card when I just turned 18, yet refused me a £50 overdraft (on my then-normal bank account... is now a student account) because I didn't have a job!

Solac

Hi

Thanks for the replys

I had a chat with the bank call call centre over the phone and they said due to me not paying in £300 a month I cannot get one.
So I am going to pop into my local branch tomorrow and try again, if they say they will not do it I will just close my account with them there and then.

Is the Lloyds TSB Visa Debit Card one that will be accepted everywhere (eg. on line and in almost every store)?

Thanks