Credit cards, prestige and snobbery

CopperPlate_2

*srjp* wrote: »

Although cashback, rewards and the wry smile when someone comments on the colour of a card are nice, I've decided that customer service is really the most important, and once I find a good one of those that's who I'll stick with - suggestions welcome!

Okay: here's the offer. A credit card with first direct - which offers IMHO exceptional customer service (others may disagree!) - offering no cashback or rewards; but incidentally is (or will be) pure black with a minimalist logo, so will satisfy those seeking 'style' (:rolleyes:) - or a plain old classic bog standard card that offers cashback at 3% for 3 months, then 0.5/1% for the rest of the time BUT is with a provider that is notorious for offshoring resources and providing poor customer service - which do you choose?

The cashback card with poor service (and a hope and prayer that nothing goes wrong with the card or you're not the victim of fraud), or the card which offers nothing more than internet fraud guarantee, nice looking card and the guarantee to sort out any problems if they occur?

reehsetin

*srjp* wrote: »

So at the age of around 22 I was a student holding two BarclayCard Platinum cards but was earning so little (from part-time bar work) that I didn't even pay income tax!

think its just barclaycard, my first credit card at 18 was a barclaycard platinum, I had a part time job minimum wage :rotfl:!

chinbergs

At some point when a credit card company is producing a new offer, it will have to decide on what the card looks like. With knowing how attractive marketing can be, surely it should be in their interests to make the card look attractive/exclusive/appealing etc - since this discussion has shown that there are people out there who can be swayed by the look of the card, it goes to show that card design/brand experience could attract extra customers for them.

So on the reverse, why are the marketing teams of some credit card companies chucking out cards that aren't so pretty!

I'm not saying that it's the be all and end all, but since it can be a positive attribute that some people enjoy, I like it when companies realise this and pay attention to it.

juno

I saw someone with a transparent bit on their card once, and I thought that was pretty. I don't know what it was though.

CopperPlate_2

chinbergs wrote: »

So on the reverse, why are the marketing teams of some credit card companies chucking out cards that aren't so pretty!

I'm not saying that it's the be all and end all, but since it can be a positive attribute that some people enjoy, I like it when companies realise this and pay attention to it.

But then you get the likes of Capital One who, generally appear to focus on lower credit scorers, producing a card which they advertise as only available to extremely good credit scorers - trying to get 'all' ends of the market. The problem for hte CC companies is that if they try and appeal to everyone through marketing or design, it might put off those people who see a specific card brand as only for 'posh' or 'poor' folk and as a result one end of the credit score spectrum is put off applying?

CopperPlate_2

juno wrote: »

I saw someone with a transparent bit on their card once, and I thought that was pretty. I don't know what it was though.

The American Express Nectar Credit Card has a transparent strip at the bottom, and from memory I think there might've been a transparent Mint card at one time?

Moggles_2

Originally Posted by *srjp*
I started with a basic credit card when I was 18, back in the day when Barclays gave you a VISA and a MasterCard with separate credit limits.
After a year or two in which I paid off every month, bought a PC and went abroad for a few weeks, both had become Gold cards

According to a friend who worked for them, Barclaycard used to dish out Gold cards to customers who settled their bills in full each month for three consecutive years - nothing to do with income

*srjp*

Stompa wrote: »

How does this throwing in the pot business work? Does this mean that you end up letting the card out of your sight at some point? (presumably not because of C&P)

No, sorry, it's just a turn of phrase. I meant the bit when the bill comes and you get your cards out and place them on the plate while the waiter/ess gets the card reader and goes through them all. No security risk (unless someone swipes the plate!)

Copperplate,
In response to your query, I'd take the one with the service. Shame it doesn't exist!

Barclaycard seem to have gone offshore so their service is potentially questionable. I've been trying to get them to send me a form for the new combined Oyster card but they keep getting confused and sending other rubbish. Nonetheless, I've had one stolen before and they sorted it quickly.

Morgan Stanley offered a good cashback deal but changed the credit terms and expect people to pay almost only a week after the bill comes in, which does not agree with my monthly wages so that's useless now.

Interesting to see other people have had the same Barclaycard experiences, I wonder just what proportion of people holding these cards actually meet the publicised minimum criteria?!

judderman62

hilarious thread ... though it does reflect modern society sadly.

Having a card because of it's perceived status :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: hilarious .. western society really has gone somewhere bizarre hasn't it :rolleyes:

sofa_surfer

Although I can appreciate the design of the card (the fd new black one is not bad in my opinion), the financial benefits of the cc in use outweighs for me the estetic pleasure that I will derive from looking at it and/or the potential 'wow' effect it will produce when smone else does so.