Barclaycard Under 21

lawstudent

Hi everyone,

I have browsed these forums for a while but decided to make myself an account just to ask this question.

Has anyone under 21 managed to get Barclaycard to give them a card other than their 'Initial' card? If so how?!

A bit of background...

Barclaycard have always been very good to me, I have had my account for over a year and a half. They have given me a very generous credit limit and the same interest rate as on their platinum card (I have never carried a balance though), but whenever I ask customer services they say they cannot move me off the 'Initial' card. The reason I must presume is that there is a strict rule you must be 21 to hold any other card. Their website won't even let you apply for any other card if you are under 21.

I know its just the colour of the plastic but then again why is it such a big deal to them? This logic works the other way round - they have given me all the components of their 'better' cards - why are they worried about the colour of the plastic? To be honest the only reason I want a different card is because I work with some rather snobby people and have to use my card at work.

wiseshark

lawstudent wrote: »

Has anyone under 21 managed to get Barclaycard to give them a card other than their 'Initial' card? If so how?!



Barclaycard have always been very good to me, I have had my account for over a year and a half. They have given me a very generous credit limit and the same interest rate as on their platinum card (I have never carried a balance though), but whenever I ask customer services they say they cannot move me off the 'Initial' card. The reason I must presume is that there is a strict rule you must be 21 to hold any other card. Their website won't even let you apply for any other card if you are under 21.

To be honest the only reason I want a different card is because I work with some rather snobby people and have to use my card at work.

You have answered your own question. It is Barclaycard's policy not to issue cards such as platinum to under 21's. They are very strict about this. However, it would appear that in your case, they have gone out of their way to accomodate you, so be grateful that you currently enjoy the benefits of a much lower APR when it really should be 29.9%.

If you are so concerned about the snobby people at work, then clearly that makes you a snob too.

As a matter of interest, would you be too ashamed to pull out a Vanquis card in front of them?

BugsyBrowne

Law student surely you can claim through the human rights act that you feel threatened or victamized as you pulling out the barclaycard initial makes you look less credit worthy then your colleagues;)

guesswho2000

I've held an Initial since I was 19, so 7 years, in which time my payment history (and that on all other accounts) has been perfect - however, they are adament that you have to close down the account and wait six months before changing product - they can't/won't do upgrades.

Now this wasn't an issue, I don't use the card to carry a balance at its 25.9% APR, but it is now my oldest card since I've closed my other old ones, and very useful to have as their ongoing 6.9% LOB transfer offer is a really good deal. I did however raise the APR issue with them, to see if I could get an upgrade, no joy, but they did reduce the standard APR to 18.9% - I'm more than happy with this, the lady on the phone did, in my opinion, a good job of satisfying a loyal customer. Not really too fussed about the colour of the card, just pleased that it's now a more competetive product for me!

lawstudent

wiseshark wrote: »

You have answered your own question. It is Barclaycard's policy not to issue cards such as platinum to under 21's. They are very strict about this. However, it would appear that in your case, they have gone out of their way to accomodate you, so be grateful that you currently enjoy the benefits of a much lower APR when it really should be 29.9%.

If you are so concerned about the snobby people at work, then clearly that makes you a snob too.

As a matter of interest, would you be too ashamed to pull out a Vanquis card in front of them?

I don't understand why some people who use this site take it upon themselves to make comments like these. You have not answered any of my questions. For example:

Has anyone under 21 managed to get Barclaycard to give them a card other than their 'Initial' card? If so how?!

I know its just the colour of the plastic but then again why is it such a big deal to them?

In fact you haven't even provided any of the wild guesses I was expecting (such as they do this so you feel good and stay with them when they upgrade you as you reach 21) to be given by people who didn't really know and had not been offered another card under 21 but still wanted to try and help.

Instead you decided to make rather sarcastic comments. Didn't your mother teach you if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all?

FYI when you say...

when it really should be 29.9%

...that is a representative APR figure and does not take into account your personal financial circumstances. As you will not be aware of mine I would ask you stick to answering the question rather than making assumptions.

As for...

If you are so concerned about the snobby people at work, then clearly that makes you a snob too.

... let us extend this reasoning to another situation. If you are concerned about being bullied at school, then that clearly makes you a bully too. You will now see this is not a valid argument. Your conclusion does not follow necessarily from the proposition. In fact I would like to think I am quite a nice guy ordinarily.

guesswho2000 wrote: »

I've held an Initial since I was 19, so 7 years, in which time my payment history (and that on all other accounts) has been perfect - however, they are adament that you have to close down the account and wait six months before changing product - they can't/won't do upgrades.

Now this wasn't an issue, I don't use the card to carry a balance at its 25.9% APR, but it is now my oldest card since I've closed my other old ones, and very useful to have as their ongoing 6.9% LOB transfer offer is a really good deal. I did however raise the APR issue with them, to see if I could get an upgrade, no joy, but they did reduce the standard APR to 18.9% - I'm more than happy with this, the lady on the phone did, in my opinion, a good job of satisfying a loyal customer. Not really too fussed about the colour of the card, just pleased that it's now a more competetive product for me!

Thank you for your reply! I have been told to close the account and wait six months before applying for another card as well. I don't understand why they ask this. I am not being a rate tart. I do not need to be classified as an new customer again. One member of customer services even told me there is no way of getting off this card ever! I am highly skeptical of this because I have read of others who have managed this great feat. I have noted that this is always instigated by Barclaycard themselves never by the customer. I suspect the solution is just to wait it out but no one likes doing that if they can avoid it.

BugsyBrowne

Law student I am serious now have you thought about maybe colouring in the Barclaycard initial card, maybe gold or something along those lines.

Maestro.

Get a Clydesdale/Yorkshire Bank Gold Card. It is literally Gold and looks like it came straight from the 1970s... classy though.

lawstudent

BugsyBrowne wrote: »

Law student I am serious now have you thought about maybe colouring in the Barclaycard initial card, maybe gold or something along those lines.

HA, fortunately I'm not quite that desperate yet. I just wanted to see if the people at the call centre were telling me porkie pies about not being able to do it. I now think they were probably telling the truth on this one though.

Thanks for your suggestion Maestro. I would preferably like to stay with Barclaycard because for me at least they have always offered great customer service and I love their website.

Will just wait 'till my birthday and maybe after recovering from the hangover give them a call and see if they want to give me a present.

Maestro.

lawstudent wrote: »

Thanks for your suggestion Maestro. I would preferably like to stay with Barclaycard because for me at least they have always offered great customer service and I love their website..

I was being cheeky.

I wouldn't like to work in a place where people judge you on the colour of your plastic. Do they all strut around with American Express cards and laugh at you or is it just a bit of paranoia?

lawstudent

Maestro. wrote: »

I was being cheeky.

I wouldn't like to work in a place where people judge you on the colour of your plastic. Do they all strut around with American Express cards and laugh at you or is it just a bit of paranoia?

No it's not that bad. Someone on my team just made a comment about me being like a customer who had had a problem with the card and I was a bit annoyed. The funny thing is I am actually their boss!

Maestro.

brush it off lol... they probably have about ten cards themselves and a shitload of debt.