Know people by their Card...

jd87

What about people who pay with a Tesco Clubcard credit card? It looks exactly like an actual Tesco Clubcard. I've had to explain to people that it really is a credit card, and I get the feeling that many shop staff think I must be some kind of confused person, then they get a surprise when it lets me enter a PIN.

Maestro.

JuicyJesus wrote: »

They still exist, although not for much longer. The only big(gish) bank that issues Maestro any more is Clydesdale/Yorkshire. HSBC Group (including First Direct) and RBS Group (including NatWest) both stopped issuing them in 2009. HBOS stopped issuing them many years ago now. Clydesdale will probably also go to Debit MasterCard before long; the Maestro scheme is essentially being wound down in the UK. The sister Solo scheme closed completely last year.

I had a Maestro card up until very recently, when I went into my bank and asked them to upgrade me to a MasterCard. They said my account type was eligible for it and they'd do it since I asked, but it wouldn't have been upgraded automatically.

Since MasterCard now own and run Maestro, and a 16 digit Maestro card with expiry date is pretty much a MasterCard, there's no reason for them to still exist, so it's farewell Maestro!

Oh, I almost forgot - Bank of Ireland still issues Maestro cards.

jd87 wrote: »

What about people who pay with a Tesco Clubcard credit card? It looks exactly like an actual Tesco Clubcard. I've had to explain to people that it really is a credit card, and I get the feeling that many shop staff think I must be some kind of confused person, then they get a surprise when it lets me enter a PIN.

the red and yellow circles on the card that are a recognised symbol worldwide should be the clue they need

olly300

BugsyBrowne wrote: »

The only snobbery bank accounts are private current accounts Cater Allen etc where you actually need to have a few quid in the first place unlike the joey banks listed above where anyone can have an account if your credit report is fine.

Actually there are quite a few Carter Allen small business account holders around.

While they earn above average they don't have loads of money and depending on what their business is and what they are buying they will use that card.

It doesn't mean they are a snob or never take public transport. It amuses me that people think that. (And no I don't have a Carter Allen card as they are part of the Santander banking group.)

BugsyBrowne

I actually agree with you there olly.

TzarJay

Maestro. wrote: »

What do you think of people who pull out a Clydesdale Bank Maestro card?

"Do you take... Maestro?"

Any idea how Clydesdale decide who gets a Maestro or a Debit Mastercard ? My mum still uses a Clydesdale Maestro, but when I used to have a Clydesdale account I had a Debit MasterCard. She just got a new Maestro from Clydesdale a few months back too.

savagej

I wrote to them by email this time and they said there were no plans to stop the issue of Maestro Cards.

They gave me a figure for the number of cards needing to be re-issued but accepted there was a small number of retailers, but only a small number, no longer taking Maestro in the UK (after all there are many prepaid Maestro Card's issued in this country).

They were, 2.2m Debit Mastercards and 300m Maestro Cards. So it will cost so much to replace and they are sticking with the Maestro Card for the moment.

Hope this of help.

James

Maestro.

TzarJay wrote: »

Any idea how Clydesdale decide who gets a Maestro or a Debit Mastercard ? My mum still uses a Clydesdale Maestro, but when I used to have a Clydesdale account I had a Debit MasterCard. She just got a new Maestro from Clydesdale a few months back too.

not an exact idea but i think from now on Maestro is their lower tier of card. I have a regular current account and ordinary savings account with them along with telephone banking, and I was a Maestro by default but they upgraded me to MC because I asked.

Quite frankly the fact that they still latch onto the Maestro brand like a lifeline is bizarre... it's gone and dead, and every other bank has managed to change over to something more properly recognised. Clydesdale are so backwards it actually surprises me they even offer a credit card!

if your mum doesn't want the Maestro card ask her to go into branch and request an upgrade to MC.

savagej

Rather than lower tier, it is actually the most technologically softisticated.

For example use one in a petrol pump, in at the pump, not in the station. It wont authorise £1 but rather £50 and and it wont let you fill up more than that. Then within 20 minutes it must reconcile with the issuing back the exact amount and charge it to the customers banks account and this all gets done on the same business day. So use it on a Monday morning and the money will be debited from your account on the Tuesday.

As I say, it is the most advanced card product I have seen, especially given the money comes out the next day and if it authorises £50, you only spend £42 then within 20 minutes your available balance should be corrected to show to that you only spent £42, the exact amount, so you neither have to try and recall all your transactions and it will all mean you don't get overdrawn due to Visa and Mastercard Debit taking £1.

This is how it is written in the handbook of rules and should work, rather than how it does work,

Plus all transactions should be debited the day after the card is used, again much easier to budget your money.

I know some people won't like this because they like to take advantage of the few days inbetween, but then they cant make everyone happy all of the time.

Edit: they bank say they do a credit search to see who is eligible but I don't think this is what happens, I think it is based on internal scoring from what previous posters have written.

Maestro.

savagej wrote: »

Rather than lower tier, it is actually the most technologically softisticated.

For example use one in a petrol pump, in at the pump, not in the station. It wont authorise £1 but rather £50 and and it wont let you fill up more than that. Then within 20 minutes it must reconcile with the issuing back the exact amount and charge it to the customers banks account and this all gets done on the same business day. So use it on a Monday morning and the money will be debited from your account on the Tuesday.

As I say, it is the most advanced card product I have seen, especially given the money comes out the next day and if it authorises £50, you only spend £42 then within 20 minutes your available balance should be corrected to show to that you only spent £42, the exact amount, so you neither have to try and recall all your transactions and it will all mean you don't get overdrawn due to Visa and Mastercard Debit taking £1.

This is how it is written in the handbook of rules and should work, rather than how it does work,

Plus all transactions should be debited the day after the card is used, again much easier to budget your money.

I know some people won't like this because they like to take advantage of the few days inbetween, but then they cant make everyone happy all of the time.

Edit: they bank say they do a credit search to see who is eligible but I don't think this is what happens, I think it is based on internal scoring from what previous posters have written.

interesting info. Bank probably didn't credit search me for the upgrade to debit MC as it was pretty much instant decision. I do get the feeling though that you have to be in reasonably good standing with them to "upgrade" and that only certain types of accounts can get it.

I am not aware that debit MC gets charged transaction fees like credit card MC will - debit MC and debit Visa are still seperate from their credit card variants and I know that on certain websites you won't get charged for using them while you will with a credit card. Or have I misunderstood you somewhere along the line?

TzarJay

Maestro. wrote: »

interesting info. Bank probably didn't credit search me for the upgrade to debit MC as it was pretty much instant decision. I do get the feeling though that you have to be in reasonably good standing with them to "upgrade" and that only certain types of accounts can get it.

I am not aware that debit MC gets charged transaction fees like credit card MC will - debit MC and debit Visa are still seperate from their credit card variants and I know that on certain websites you won't get charged for using them while you will with a credit card. Or have I misunderstood you somewhere along the line?

I had a Clydesdale Debit MasterCard when I was 18 so I'm guessing it must just be an option you can ask for. I had a Maestro, but couldnt pay for a hotel online, so I went to my Branch and asked if there was another card I could have, and they just said, yeah I'll issue you with a DMC instead, and destroyed my Maestro.

I had the £12.50 p/m current account, and didn't have a massive balance, nor a well paid job, so I guess its just an option on a screen. I had only been banking with them for a year too.