The news for those of you that have to take cash advances from your credit card to get along has just taken a turn for the worse. It is never a good idea to take a cash advance from a credit card, as the interest rate is enormously high. The awful truth is that the latest news is that it is going to get much worse. (more…)
There are many credit cards on the market for the UK consumer. In a time of turmoil and high credit card debt it could mean that a consumer needs something to ease their plight even if it is only for a little while. The Virgin Money credit card has been touted by a few consumers to be one of the best balance transfer cards. It has some very lovely features, including the 0% on the balance transfers. (more…)
Nationwide Building Society is offering a new deal for credit cards. Though they are primarily a UK based company they do have locations in Ireland offering these deals as well. The Nationwide credit card is offering an extended 0 percent offer on interest for balance transfers. (more…)
Barclay Card is offering a new balance transfer deal on their One Pulse card.? They don?t cater to a large area of Ireland, but the credit card is available to some.? This card is going to offer a balance transfer fee of 2.5 percent rather than trying to offer a lengthy 0 percent deal.? (more…)
American Express has many credit cards that they offer around the world. There are a few credit cards that they offer to just their Irish clientele. Three years ago Nectar and American Express made a partnership. (more…)
Ryanair and other small airline companies are being accused of issuing unfair charges for their flights. Not only are they sneaking in charges that have to do with the exchange rate, hiking up the price of a ticket, but they are also charging more to a consumer that uses a credit card, even if it is their co- branded card.
Ryanair is just one of the airlines in Ireland that offers credit cards to those who wish to have one. The co- branded card is usually Visa or MasterCard and offers flight rewards. However, if you don’t have air miles racked up for a free ticket you could be seeing a very expensive flight. For using a credit card with Ryanair online there is a 25 pound handling fee for a flight between Dublin and London. That is a significant charge.
This is not the only company to have such charges. In some cases an airline will charge if the credit card is not registered to the person flying, but this transcends that even further. For flying and using a credit card payment there is a penalty.
Consumers are being urged to double and triple check the online services before a payment is made. All fees and charges are outlined on the site, but consumers rarely click on that page for an explanation. Instead that page is skipped as they continue to go through the purchase process.
With the increase of the exchange rate for a flight combined with the charge for using the card, some are unhappy to fly with any airline to the point they have restricted their summer holiday to the local area. Airlines used to want the credit cards and their online sites to be used in order to save money on the customer service employees.
Now with the current credit problems they are trying to make money in any way they can from the consumers. Though there have been many complaints, nothing has been done so far to clear up the unfair charges. All consumers can do is be aware of the supposed good deal and avoid the use of credit or debit cards when booking a flight. There are of course other fees with other payment methods, which makes things even more difficult.
When consumers combine the extra charges on the credit card with the airline company to the higher interest rates it makes having a credit card in the current market almost not worth it. In fact in Ireland about 60 percent of consumers don’t have credit cards as they are wary of a deal “too good to be true”.
For now all anyone can do is be aware of the charges and try to stick with an airline company that has the lowest amount of charges during the purchase process. Unfortunately the world today is requiring that more credit cards be used for purchases like rental cars and hotels to avoid certain issues. It is, experts say, going to get worse before new regulations are put in place.
Barclay has over eight cards to offer their consumers in a wide range of services. They have the student, business, football, and balance transfer cards. The Barclay OnePulse card is just one offering from the company you might be interested in.
They are offering a 6 month zero percent interest rate on purchases. It is an Oyster card, which means it has more than one use. The Oyster card is to make travelling around cities and abroad a little easier. The card was originally designed for Londoners, but it is available to Irish consumers as well.
The OnePulse is a one touch system for quick pay. As long as the purchase is under 10 Euros you are able to just scan it and go. You can also set up an auto top up in which the card is topped off for Oyster purchases without your conscious thought.
The annual percentage rate on this card is 14.9 percent. The offer of this card can be changed or withdrawn from the market at anytime. It is also for new consumers only. There is a chip and pin in the card meaning you need to enter in a pin for purchases that are over a certain amount. The card has identity protection, fraud protection, and travel services.
We mentioned above that this card was originally created for Londoners. It was created to make travelling on the underground easier for them with the Oyster properties. It still has those properties.
The best consumer for this card is one looking for a purchase special that is a long term commitment. Most cards offer 3 months for purchase offers, this one has 3 additional months. It can help you if you know there is a big amount to pay soon that you won’t have the money for.
It is still a better card for UK consumers, but if you are travelling to London or other towns with Oyster capabilities it can come in handy rather than having to pay as you go on your travels. The card also has the other perks mentioned above to make it more appealing.
To compare this card to others on the market in Ireland you will find it is not the best. While it has certain things to make it better than other cards in the world it is not necessarily going to fit your needs.
By weighing the options and reading a comparison it is easy to see why we would mention the card and caution you about it. Not all cards on the market will be the best or even worthy of being in your wallet because they fit a special need.
This particular one is to make paying for items a little quicker, which can certainly help in Ireland, but the Oyster travel portion for the underground is not really a great characteristic. Hopefully by reading this review you have learned more of what to look for and can make a decision on what card you need.
The Barclaycard flexi rate is just one of the many credit cards that the company offers in Ireland and the UK. In choosing credit cards there are a few things one must look at to decide if the card is right for them. In this review we have compared some of the perks the card has to other cards on the market. The information is provided in an unbiased manner to help you.
The first thing our experts noticed about this card was the zero percent balance transfer deal. This is a lot like other cards on the market. MBNA, Capital One, and Halifax all have these deals. The period for the balance transfer is 14 months. The time frame is one of the longer on the market as most are 12 months or less. The 2.9 percent handling fee does apply for the transfer, but this fee caps at 100 Euros, which means if the 2.9 percent is more than the cap you will only have to pay the capped amount. The balance must be transferred within the first month of obtaining the card in order to keep the great rate. You can lose the rate if you make a late payment or miss a payment. They will not end the special if your credit score fluctuates. Barclay also doesn’t tend to use the universal default for a slight shift in credit scores.
The Flexi rate card also has a zero percent interest for three months on purchases. This is a pretty great deal if you are using the card only for purchases though. Barclay has a payment schedule of interest first, then the special balance transfer, then special purchases. In other words any purchases you make will be paid after your money has paid the interest and any balance transfer on the card. If the balance is not paid before three months you end up with a 14.9 percent interest rate on purchases until the balance transfer is paid off as well as the purchases.
The annual percentage rate is flexible. Depending on your current scores and income status you can have a rate as low as 9.9 percent. This is awarded by the company and something you can’t choose. It is also based on the risk you pose to the card company. Most will receive the 14.9 percent interest rate.
The Barclay card will lower your interest rate if you prove you are not a risk, but they will not always do this. It is something you have to ask for and will not always get. But asking is a good thing, just in case.
Barclay also has the fraud protection, chip and pin, and identity protection insurance available.
If you need help with an emergency abroad there is cover for that as well as travel services. Their bank is online offering account management options. Barclay is a card that will withdraw an offer at any time, meaning the offer could be taken off the market or they may offer you a higher interest rate with similar specials.