VISA Electron / Solo

melanie82

Hi.

A couple of weeks ago I received a new bank card from the Halifax.  My old card was SOLO - they have replaced this now with a VISA ELECTRON card.

I have had nothing but trouble using this since.  Some places dont accept it although they accept SOLO card payments.

Is there some sort of different between the two cards, and does anyone know how I can find out what stores accept my new card.

I would prefer a Switch Card but the Halifax have turned me down because of my credit scoring. Does anyone know of any banks that offer a Switch card using the basis of how much money you pay in per month. At the minute we are paying in over £2,000 pcm into a normal cash card account.
;D

cifpower

Few banks are offering Switch/Solo now. Switch is being renamed Maestro but Solo is staying the same. The only 2 banks I can think of are HSBC and NatWest. Halifax do not have Switch, they have a Visa Delta card instead. I have an account with the Woolwich and have a Wisa Electron card. I have no problem in it being accepted either online or in shops.

Dan29

Story from Moneybox

fairy

I have a Visa Electron and although I have no problems using it in shops I can't use it for online/phone payments  >:(

After recently splitting from husband, I'm a single mum on benefits. I don't think I can apply for a credit card as I don't have an 'income' as such. It's such a pain in the behind as all the good deals are online and I need to find the best price I can in my situation.

I have enquired about a Switch/Maestro debit card but the Halifax say I have to wait until my account with them is a year old. ::)

Is there a credit card that I can apply for and am likely to get in my situation? I just need something for online payments that I can clear each month. Any ideas?

guptalloyd

If you have a low credit score, and are after a Switch card (known as Maestro now), with a cheque guarantee card of at least £100 then try Natwest. I applied for a current account with them, they gave me a cheque book, no overdraft etc..

I went and spoke to the manager, saying that I was going to be paying in at least £1400 a month. They agreed that after 3 months of salary payments, they would review. They did and provided me with said Switch & Cheque card.

One thing to bear in mind, I did have a CCJ, and two defaults totalling nearly £10k, so give them a try.

fairy

Thanks Being on benefits I only have around £500 coming in a month so I suspect my chances are slim to nil. I'll give them a try though.

Thanks again