Barclaycard to start issuing Amex network cards

reclusive46

toasterman wrote: »

I just got the same letter this morning, and thought the very same!

I've got a similar arrangement with my bank - a Visa that earns one benefit, and an Amex that earns a better rate (although it's airmiles, so the chance of me accruing enough to get a budget Ryanair flight to France in my lifetime is pretty slim). The reality is that I don't have enough room in my wallet for both cards (what with loyalty cards, and various other things), so I take the one I know will be accepted everywhere, and the Amex has spent the last 2 years in a drawer at home.

Can you imagine being in the meeting where either of these companies discussed how they were going to promote having to carry 2 cards instead of 1, as a benefit to the customer? Ridiculous marketing bs.

Maybe you should carry less, generally the MasterCard or Visa that comes with airmile cards is basically useless (Sometimes the equivalent to 0.20% cash back). You'd be better off having the Amex and using a completely unrelated card (Debit card) for the other purchases. Admittedly with some cards this is not true, there were some really good MasterCard air mile based cards a couple years ago (But no longer available).

apt

OverlandLandy wrote: »

Just got the same letter...
Cant see any benefit in keeping either?
I already have Amex Platinum with cashback
and at 0.5% Cashback on the Barclaycard can their rate not be beaten by other cards now?

Time to DITCH & SWITCH!!!

Not quite time to ditch and switch as Barclaycard is offering £15 if you spend £300 on the new cards within the first three months.

yesitwasme

Their way of dumping the agreement to pay 1% cash back to old Egg customers like me, been expecting it for a long time.
Who on earth wants to mess with with two cards, this is corperate cow plop.

I'm looking for an alternative but it's not easy cutting through all the er, cow plop.
I can't believe anyone gets taken in by the 5% for the first 3 months carrot........

Is it still the case Amex are not accepted everywhere?

reclusive46

yesitwasme wrote: »

Their way of dumping the agreement to pay 1% cash back to old Egg customers like me, been expecting it for a long time.
Who on earth wants to mess with with two cards, this is corperate cow plop.

I'm looking for an alternative but it's not easy cutting through all the er, cow plop.
I can't believe anyone gets taken in by the 5% for the first 3 months carrot........

Is it still the case Amex are not accepted everywhere?

Its not accepted everywhere but it is in the majority of the places. Its hardly a big deal having to carry two cards either.

From the start of 2015 the European Union is capping credit card fees to merchants at 0.3% for Visa and MasterCard (And Diners Club) so the only decent reward cards are going to be American Express based.

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2014/0226/506758-visa-europe/

OverlandLandy

reclusive46 wrote: »

Not really. The Amazon cards gives an equivalent to 1% cash back on Amazon vouchers but thats about it at the moment.

Out of interest, does it say when your getting the new cards?

Thanks Amazon is certainly worth a look OR is Tesco Better?
OR How about the Santander 123 and change how I pay for some things?

The new cards are arriving 'a week to 10 days after the May 2014 statement'

Also -'As a WELCOME (yeh right) we will be giving you £15 when you spend £300 within the first three months of receiving your card'

'Cash back can also be paid on the next months statement'

SO If I am right ..the best strategy is
1. Get the cards
2. Spend £300
3. Get £15 cash back (equivalent to 5% cash back)
4. Cancel both cards
5. Use NEW (Amazon or what have you card?)

Gordon861

OverlandLandy wrote: »

SO If I am right ..the best strategy is
1. Get the cards
2. Spend £300
3. Get £15 cash back (equivalent to 5% cash back)
4. Cancel both cards
5. Use NEW (Amazon or what have you card?)

We should all do this and try to make sure that it is exactly £300 we spend just to make the point.

toasterman

reclusive46 wrote: »

Maybe you should carry less, generally the MasterCard or Visa that comes with airmile cards is basically useless (Sometimes the equivalent to 0.20% cash back). You'd be better off having the Amex and using a completely unrelated card (Debit card) for the other purchases. Admittedly with some cards this is not true, there were some really good MasterCard air mile based cards a couple years ago (But no longer available).

Yes, you're right. It's mostly laziness on my part. The visa+amex card is linked to a bank account (laziness regarding logging in to check balances), and replaced an old (single) credit card I had with them ages ago. I didn't bother to change it or query it when it changed, and because I had the Mastercard/Egg one, it was just a backup card anyway.

I did look at using the Amex card more, but Airmiles are a bit rubbish anyway. According to Avios' website, the only place you can fly from in the south of England is London (inconvenient for me).
It says you can fly London-Paris (BA) for 5000 points plus 50.00, plus 35.00 "reward flight saver" (apparently flat-rate cost for taxes/charges) per person. That's £85 plus 5000 points. Even ALWAYS buying with Amex on this card, you'd have to spend £4,000 to get 5000 points.

A quick search on BA's website, finds me return flights (London-Paris) on some randomly-chosen dates in March, for £109.
So does that mean that the value of your £4,000 (5000 points) is only £24? That's only what...0.6% return? (if my maths haven't completely escaped me), and that's using the better of the two cards.

(You have to spend 5x the amount on the other card to earn the same amount of points.)

yesitwasme

Showing my dumbness now....
So are getting the 2 cards because one of them is not accepted everywhere, not allowing for cash back, just coverage?

Please will someone tell what the green or red dot bottom left signifies? Thank you

toasterman

yesitwasme wrote: »

Is it still the case Amex are not accepted everywhere?

According to this website: http://www.whoacceptsamex.co.uk/a-z-who-accepts-amex/ B&Q, O2, H&M, Play.com, and various parts of the Co-op group, don't accept it.
However, it only lists chains/large websites really. At a guess, I'd expect the majority of places that might not take it are smaller independent businesses, tourist attractions, and charities.

Aquamania

toasterman wrote: »

According to this website: http://www.whoacceptsamex.co.uk/a-z-who-accepts-amex/ B&Q, O2, H&M, Play.com, and various parts of the Co-op group, don't accept it.
However, it only lists chains/large websites really. At a guess, I'd expect the majority of places that might not take it are smaller independent businesses, tourist attractions, and charities.

According to MSE,
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/amex-acceptance#h

H&M do accept Amex.
So do the Cooperative Retail Group.

Edit:
Got the above link from this post which was "Last edited by MSE Andrea; 06-01-2014 at 9:13 AM. "
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=18616&postcount=1

However I now see the article itself was last updated 28 Sept 2009 :eek:

But according to that post "Last edited by MSE Andrea; 06-01-2014 at 9:13 AM. " it says B&Q, H&M and possibly the Co-op do accept Amex. It does confirm play.com do not accept Amex. No mention of O2.

In the MSE article, it mentions MMO2 accept Amex - wasn't that the former name of O2?