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Curve Lite - is the physical card mandatory?

pochisoldi
pochisoldi Posts: 319 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper
edited 19 June 2024 at 8:17AM in Budgeting & bank accounts
Toying with the idea of signing up for Curve Lite so that I can use my Barclaycard on a couple of contactless devices. I don't want or need another card in my wallet.
The question is, if I don't want the card, do I still have to pony up the £6 "card delivery fee"?

Edit - To clarify:
The Barclaycard is a physical contactless card. It doesn't support Google Pay, or Garmin pay.
Garmin Pay is the issue - the range of cards that support Garmin Pay is vanishingly small - Curve is one card that does work.

Given that Barclays dropped support for contactless on android several years ago, and still haven't got their act together regarding Google Pay, I am 100% certain that they will never support Garmin Pay.

The exam question here is: "If I sign up for Curve Lite, and I don't want the physical Curve card, do I have to pay the card delivery fee?"
or put differently
"Can I have Curve Lite for free if I don't need a physical card?"



Comments

  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 13,464 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Some Barclays branches have (or did a couple of years back) the facility to produce a card actually in the branch.  Normally used for replacements but this might work?  Assuming you have a branch remotely close to you.
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  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,875 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Toying with the idea of signing up for Curve Lite so that I can use my Barclaycard on a couple of contactless devices. I don't want or need another card in my wallet.
    The question is, if I don't want the card, do I still have to pony up the £6 "card delivery fee"?

    You can ask them: their CS team are slow but do eventually answer queries.

    Does your Barclaycard not have contactless functionality?
  • gt94sss2
    gt94sss2 Posts: 5,953 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Toying with the idea of signing up for Curve Lite so that I can use my Barclaycard on a couple of contactless devices. I don't want or need another card in my wallet.
    The question is, if I don't want the card, do I still have to pony up the £6 "card delivery fee"?

    Barclaycard have finally started rolling out Google Pay support but only something 5% of their customers have it yet
  • gt94sss2 said:
    Toying with the idea of signing up for Curve Lite so that I can use my Barclaycard on a couple of contactless devices. I don't want or need another card in my wallet.
    The question is, if I don't want the card, do I still have to pony up the £6 "card delivery fee"?

    Barclaycard have finally started rolling out Google Pay support but only something 5% of their customers have it yet
    I must be in the 95% then as have heard nothing about this as of yet.
  • macy08
    macy08 Posts: 77 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper
    I use my Barclaycard on Google Pay via Curve. I have the free Curve plan and did not pay for a physical card.
  • pochisoldi
    pochisoldi Posts: 319 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper
    For the record, I went through the application process up to the point where I got the impression that there was no truly "free" plan, and abandoned.

  • macy08
    macy08 Posts: 77 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper
    The Curve Lite account is free.  You'd just need to pay for the card which is not needed if you're using it just to front your Barclaycard in Google/Samsung Pay
  • crumpet_man
    crumpet_man Posts: 651 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts
    macy08 said:
    The Curve Lite account is free.  You'd just need to pay for the card which is not needed if you're using it just to front your Barclaycard in Google/Samsung Pay

    If there is a charge to receive an unwanted physical card then the account is not free.  There is a one off upfront cost followed by zero subscription fee.
  • macy08
    macy08 Posts: 77 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper
    There is no obligation to take the physical card. I didn't and continue to use Curve through Google Pay at no cost
  • crumpet_man
    crumpet_man Posts: 651 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 500 Posts
    macy08 said:
    There is no obligation to take the physical card. I didn't and continue to use Curve through Google Pay at no cost

    I think this might be a glitch depending on when you applied.  I know when I signed up there was no way of completing the application without accepting a physical card.

    There are other people who report as you do that they signed up without having to order a card and others who cannot progress the sign up process unless they get a card.
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