All these times I keep trying - and failing - to come back to Ciao properly...
All these times I keep trying - and failing - to come back to Ciao properly...
Member since:30.10.2002
Reviews:168
Members who trust:141
After having my student Barclaycard for two years now, I can honestly say that I’m relatively happy with the service I’ve received. Sure, the card has both advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole, the package they offer is attractive and sensibly designed for students.
When I started at university, I decided I needed a credit card. Well, I was living away from home, and worried about those nasty gaps in between student loan payments. I know I should have shopped around, but I spied a Barclaycard stall at my Freshers’ Fair in the first week of the first term and went for it.
The application process was incredibly easy – I was guided through it by the advisor, and all of the necessary information was given to me before I actually committed myself. After applying, the card and paperwork arrived about a week and a half later – I was quite impressed with the speed at which they manage to process applications.
So, what does the student Barclaycard
offer you? Their range of benefits is quite large, and detailed below:
- Free £30 worth of vouchers, redeemable in Waterstones and HMV. - 15% of Waterstones and HMV vouchers bought on the Barclaycard. (useful – you should see the number of books that we students have to buy!) - No annual fee. - Credit limit of up to £600, which is reviewed regularly for the customer. - Free online account management. - Free extended warranty. - Free price promise. - Free purchase cover.
As you can see, it’s a pretty good package, with lots of benefits that should appeal to students. Free online account management is very handy indeed – after registering to view your account online, you can see what your balance is, see when bills must be paid by, and even pay your bill online if you have a debit card with which to do so. You can be confident that your details won’t be seen by anyone else online – the Barclaycard server is encrypted and very secure.
The price promise aspect of Barclaycard is very useful – if you buy something on your Barclaycard and see it cheaper elsewhere, Barclaycard will refund the difference. Well, we all know students need to save money – this is an ideal way to do it!
The extended warranty and purchase cover also help you out with money, but in a different respect. Barclaycard offers a whole year’s extra warranty on household appliances, but I believe that the appliances have to be worth at least £50. Purchase cover is great, as Barclaycard give you 60 days cover against theft and accidental damage when you buy products with your card, both online and on the high street, providing that cover has not already been provided.
Add to these the fact that you get up to 8 weeks interest free credit when you pay off your bill on time and in full, and the fact that you can earn Nectar points when shopping with Barclaycard (Nectar has replaced the Barclaycard Rewards Scheme – you earn 500 points when you apply for a Barclaycard, and get one Nectar point for every £2 spent on the card) – it’s a great package!
However, it does have its disadvantages, these mainly being in the three little letters APR. APR on the student Barclaycard is 17.9% (20.8% for cash withdrawals) - if you’re not planning on paying off your bill in full every month, then you should probably shop around, as there are plenty of cards out there with a lower rate of APR. Basically, this 17.9% means that if you don’t pay off your bill in full, 17.9% of the remaining amount will be added to your next bill, meaning you have more to pay. So if you just pay off the minimum every month, you’ll soon find your bill getting gradually higher….
Speaking of billing, this is something that Barclaycard do very well. Bills arrive once a month, and detail all of your expenditure in the last month, and give you a total and how much you have to pay before a certain date. You are usually given a good few weeks in between receiving the bill and having to pay, meaning that you have time to sort out payment – you don’t get charged because of the company billing you too late, as has happened with a few of my friends who have other cards. The bills are laid out very well and are incredibly easy to understand. On the back of your bill, you will find useful information about your card, such as useful phone numbers, and info about interest and charges, and how to pay. Be warned, though – if you don’t pay your bill on time, you’ll be charged a whopping £20, which will appear on your statement the following month.
Customer service at Barclaycard is brilliant. If you phone one of their customer service advisors, you’ll be treated in a friendly and helpful manner, and the staff seem like they genuinely want to help, rather than sounding bored. Their customer services line is open 24/7, and is secure – before the staff can discuss your account with you, you must first provide some personal information that you give when opening the account, so they can verify that it is really you who is calling.
The customer service facilities in branches of Barclays Bank are also very good. A lot of banks now have resident student advisors, particularly when situated in the vicinity of a university or higher education college, and these people are trained especially to deal with students’ accounts. They are always, in my experience, friendly and helpful, and if you have problems with the account, they’re happy to help you to sort them out.
So there you have it. If you’re after a student account with a huge number of benefits relevant to students, along with the option of internet banking and great customer service, then this is the credit card for you. However, if you’re looking for a relatively high credit limit, or aren’t planning on paying your bill off monthly, then look elsewhere – the credit limit is not amazingly high, and the APR is not amazingly low. Four stars from me – I would definitely recommend this card.
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Really thought this opinion was useful. I wrote a similar one about HSBC (everyone feel free to read) I thought they were brilliant for students and recommend them (I work at a Uni now). For graduate banking Intelligent Finance is good.
twinkle100200 11.08.2003 15:36
Excellent review - very helpful for all students deciding what card to go for - I understand that if you wait until the Fresher Fairs they also give you a free gift just for signing up
starsally 08.07.2003 09:51
I have no card at the moment as yesterday I discovered that someone was trying to use my card on the net for about £10,000 so I am waiting for a replacement!! this opinion is making me all broody about my lost card! Sal x
Advantages: great introduction to credit card, good reward scheme, sensible apr for student account Disadvantages: needs to be run carefully or could get in too deep
nicolemorgan 05.04.2003 ·
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Review of Barclaycard Student
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