MasterCard/Visa, Maestro & Visa Electron

s1h

how anyone can prefer a visa electron card to a maestro i dont know.

ratttyo

Germans dont like credit cards VISA. Shops dont like paying the 3% charge and most people have Maestro cards. So I've joined Natwest and got myself a Maestro debitcard. This works no problem over there.

ratttyo

On accasions when the credit card has worked in some shops, its been counting as a cash advances, so when it has reached 300 pounds its stopped working! This was in Germany too!
Visa is a real pain over there!

Phoenix79_2

khurammm wrote:

Personally I like Visa Electron more if compared with Maestro

On what basis? Maestro is a proper debit card while Electron is issued to people who can't qualify for a proper Visa debit card. All of my current accounts (2 x Natwest & 1 x HSBC) have Maestro cards and i've never encountered any problems in the UK or across Europe.

khurammm

Phoenix79 wrote:

On what basis? Maestro is a proper debit card while Electron is issued to people who can't qualify for a proper Visa debit card. All of my current accounts (2 x Natwest & 1 x HSBC) have Maestro cards and i've never encountered any problems in the UK or across Europe.

Yes but in most Asian countries Maestro is not accpeted at all.

Phoenix79_2

Yeah but this isn't Asia. Its a UK based forum therefore advice should be weighted towards the UK.

I acknowledge your point though

s1h

Maestro is better than Visa Electron. Hence why I am off down to yorkshire bank this week to open their readycash account so I can get one.

Just hope I meet the criteria and my credit rating is good enough. I have a feeling i could get turned down.

khurammm

I think every one should try to get Visa debit card as thats the main big debit card and accepted more than any other card in the UK and internationally but those persons who cant get a Visa debit card then they should decide between Maestro and Visa Electron.