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Which credit card for good customer service?

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  • dr_adidas01
    dr_adidas01 Posts: 2,157 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Can one pay by Amex in places that don't accept it directly, when the Amex card is linked to say an Apple Pay account?
    No as it’s still an Amex card, adding it to your Apple Pay account doesn’t change what the card type is. 
    Time is a path from the past to the future and back again. The present is the crossroads of both. :cool:
  • Zellah
    Zellah Posts: 303 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Can one pay by Amex in places that don't accept it directly, when the Amex card is linked to say an Apple Pay account?
    No, the merchant has to accept Amex in order to pay by Apple Pay Amex. 
  • blue.peter
    blue.peter Posts: 1,362 Forumite
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    edited 10 January 2021 at 12:26PM
    Can one pay by Amex in places that don't accept it directly, when the Amex card is linked to say an Apple Pay account?
    Maybe. I use PayPal to pay for online orders at my local Indian Takeaway. It doesn't accept AmEx, but does accept PayPal. My AmEx card is my PayPal default payment method. This is great for me, because the takeaway gives a 10% discount for online orders, with free delivery, and I get cashback from AmEx, too.

    I don't use Apple Pay/Google pay etc, but can't see any reason why the same system wouldn't work with them, since it does with PayPal.
  • Zellah
    Zellah Posts: 303 Forumite
    100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    ^^^ PayPal works in a totally different way to Apple Pay. 
  • lloydyyy said:
    I'm looking to take out a credit card to build up my credit history. I don't have any aversion to a particular card because of cashback, interest-free spending, etc. I'd like a card backed up by good customer service, in case anything goes wrong with a purchase that I need support with - i.e. Section 75. Any suggestions?

    From my experience:
    Great - American Express
    Good: Natwest, Lloyds.
    Okay: Sainsbury's.
    Avoid like the plague: Jaja
  • username
    username Posts: 740 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    edited 10 January 2021 at 7:06PM
    I'd say in my experience from having a number of them (barring Amex) they're all much of a muchness - focus on what features are important about the card. Do you want to get points/air miles? Would you rather have a low interest rate? Are you going to clear the balance in full and on time every month, or do you want to be a 0% card so you can stretch a large purchase over a longer period?
    I have a First Direct credit card and account and have not really had much to rave about - I mean, it's not like they brought the card to me in outer Mongolia on horseback or something ;) but I will say this, they're pretty hot on detection of fraud, which can't be a bad thing. Had some random spends in the US (not me) that were not within my usual behaviour and got a text, called them and a new card was out within a few days. By contrast Lloyds let the fraudster buying gas on the other side of the world to max out my card and I only found  out when I tried to use my card in a shop and it was declined.
  • Thanks for the replies. I understand it's a very specific piece of criteria to base my selection on. I have no need for a low interest rate or balance transfer, as I won't be transferring a balance and I intend on clearing the balance in full and on time every month. I don't plan on making any large purchases soon, so that pretty much negates the need for a 0% rate for purchases. Cashback would be nice and it seems that Amex have the best offers at the moment but they're not accepted everywhere, including some of the places I regularly go to. I figured a card with reputable customer service would do me fine.
  • MalMonroe
    MalMonroe Posts: 5,783 Forumite
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    I once applied for an Amex card and never heard anything at all about it. Mind you, that was in the days before online banking, etc. But how rude. Sent off my application form and - nothing. Ever. 
    So I don't like them. I got a Barclaycard instead.

    I'm of the opinion that all credit card companies are much the same. I had a Capital One credit card a couple of years ago and their customer service was second to none at that time. 

    I have a Virgin card now and same thing. No problems whatsoever. 

    I've also had a Tesco card and way back, an MBNA card. Both with no problems and good customer service. 

    It just seems to be different people have different experiences and nobody can predict what yours will be. 

    Credit card companies at the moment seem to be a little more stringent though and I have heard, generally and through this very site, that it's not as easy to get credit cards as it used to be. I think there are fears that people may lose jobs and not be able to pay balances because of coronavirus. For whatever reason, customers do not appear to have the same freedom of choice right now.
    Please note - taken from the Forum Rules and amended for my own personal use (with thanks) : It is up to you to investigate, check, double-check and check yet again before you make any decisions or take any action based on any information you glean from any of my posts. Although I do carry out careful research before posting and never intend to mislead or supply out-of-date or incorrect information, please do not rely 100% on what you are reading. Verify everything in order to protect yourself as you are responsible for any action you consequently take.
  • blue.peter
    blue.peter Posts: 1,362 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    lloydyyy said:
    ... it seems that Amex have the best offers at the moment but they're not accepted everywhere, including some of the places I regularly go to. I figured a card with reputable customer service would do me fine.
    How about getting two cards? You could have AmEx as a default, for the cashback, and a Visa or MasterCard for backup, to use in places that don't accept Amex. I do that, and find that I can put about 95% of my spending on AmEx.

  • Fingerbobs
    Fingerbobs Posts: 1,705 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    jbrassy said:
    I would also say Amex are the best when it comes to customer service. They tend to be accepted more than you realise. The only places they're not accepted nowadays are small shops and pubs. 
    B&Q doesn't accept Amex. Screwfix doesn't accept Amex. Wickes only accepts it for in-store purchases. None of those are small shops or pubs. 
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