...
So we looked at a couple of cards and eventually chose the Mint card by RBS.
Here’s the vital statistics:
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RBS The Royal Bank of Scotland is a long-standing and reputable bank. It has been well known for its Advanta Card, again a credit card well respected ... Read review
Advantages: Low 10.9% for life of card, 0% interest till Feb 2005 Disadvantages: Be aware of interest before card activation
...cards and eventually chose the Mint card by RBS.
Here’s the vital statistics:
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
RBS The Royal Bank of Scotland is a long-standing and reputable bank. It has been well known for its Advanta Card, again a credit card well respected prior to the world going bonkers. Some evolution and realisation brought about a brilliant and radical change.
The old RBS Advanta card is ... ...and circumstances.
MINT CARD, mc² CARD, MINT GOLD CARD, MINT PLATINUM CARD
If you haven’t yet had a mountain of application forms in the post you can go online (link above) and fill out a form, request info etc and ... more
“We’re a couple now and although not married it’s important we have a joint credit card for household use. No balance transfers or anything just a card for ‘Stuff’”
It took a good 10 minutes for the colour to come back to his cheeks but my partner had recovered, he sat up again and looked at me, a little perturbed but in control of his panic. I sat down and told him (in my softest there, there, there voice) that I had been online and checked them all out. There is so much choice and choosing the best option meant we had to look at what we needed the card for. He cleared that gigantic frog in his throat, had a good slug of scotch and said quietly “yes we do”. If I had a heart monitor on him it would have gone off the scale.
We wanted a card that allowed us to use it as we need it, not always clear the balance each month and not sting us with high interest. We wanted to be protected online whilst shopping, protected should we lose it and get perks for spending and being loyal (not a word that seems to matter anymore). We wanted to manage our account online and actually talk to a customer services person – a real one.
So we looked at a couple of cards and eventually chose the Mint card by RBS.
Here’s the vital statistics: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
RBS The Royal Bank of Scotland is a long-standing and reputable bank. It has been well known for its Advanta Card, again a credit card well respected prior to the world going bonkers. Some evolution and realisation brought about a brilliant and radical change.
The old RBS Advanta card is now know as MINT
The Mint Credit Card has got a funky new shape and is nice and bright too, It's about time we had a credit card to stand out a bit, as there are only so many shades of platinum before they all look the same ;o)
There are four cards available and are all dependent on your age and circumstances.
MINT CARD, mc² CARD, MINT GOLD CARD, MINT PLATINUM CARD
If you haven’t yet had a mountain of application forms in the post you can go online (link above) and fill out a form, request info etc and generally find what I have put in here. The great thing is you can follow your application process and not just wait hoping you’ll get the card.
It’s a long form but relatively simple. Make sure you have your bank details with you. Within ten days I received the cards.
Make sure you have worked out what you want from the card, whether it’s a balance transfer cos you want to clear your balance over a period of time, like us an ordinary card to use, and how you intend to use it. There are a couple of choices. Read on.
A mint with a fat Zero %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
There's nothing quite like a MINT Card. It's a card that gives you all the standard features you'd expect from a leading credit card and then adds few more, just for good measure. You get 0% on balance transfers AND purchases fixed until the 1st February 2005 plus one of the lowest APRs around at just 10.9% and loads of other great benefits. Just look at what you get:
0% on balance transfers and purchases fixed until the 1st February 2005 that's right – a big fat zero. All new MINT Cardholders are offered a 0% interest on balance transfers AND purchases fixed until the 1st February 2005.
Option Too %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Alternatively, you can choose an APR of 4.9% for the life of balances transferred within the first 3 months of account opening, no matter how long it takes to pay off.
Whichever you choose, you no longer have to put up with the high rates on other lenders' cards.
Catch 59? - No %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Up to 59 day interest-free period on purchases Yes, free. You can enjoy up to 8 weeks interest free credit on purchases appearing on a statement if you repay the full new balance shown on your statement by the payment date shown on your statement (which will be between 25 and 28 days after the statement date).
No “iron on” transfers just real ones %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Money when you need it with our Money Transfer Service With our Money Transfer service you can transfer cash directly from your MINT Card to any UK bank account over the phone, giving you convenient access to cash when you need it to spend however you want.
Hello, you are real? Wow. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Manage your account online or by phone 24 hours a day Are you the type that likes to check balances at 3am on Christmas morning? You can access your MINT account online or reach MINT Customer Services whenever you need them, any time of the day or night.
Safe Spending – this is really cool %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
One of the great things about Internet shopping is the extra time it gives you to enjoy life offline.
With MINT Secure that time can now be spent with greater peace of mind. This new service means added protection against unauthorised use of your card when you shop online at participating merchants. Once you’ve registered for this free service, only you can make online purchases using your MINT Card.
So, how does it work? You begin by selecting your own private password. When you shop and check out at a participating online store, you are automatically prompted to enter the password – just like entering a PIN at the ATM/hole in the wall. If your correct MINT Secure password isn’t provided, the purchase doesn’t go through. Easy!
There’s no need to sign up for a new card or download any new software, and registering for your password is easy and free.
Choose your weapon %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Your choice of 0.5% or 0.75% Cashback Would you like Cashback? Or would you like even more Cashback? It's your choice with a MINT Card.
Earn 0.5% Cashback: Everybody loves money. That's why we like giving our customers 0.5% Cashback on every new purchase they make. It's automatic and you don't pay a penny for the privilege.
Earn 0.75% Cashback: So you want even more money back? If you're a big spender, choosing this option could really pay. For just £10 per year, you'll earn 0.75% Cashback on every new purchase you make. So now you can rake it in even faster.
Me? Little ol’ me won something? %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Feeling Lucky? MINT means you can be really lucky with their free prize draws. They hold regular draws, allowing you to win anything from a weekend in Monte Carlo to the chance to live the life of a millionaire for a week. Information will be there when you get your monthly statements.
WATCH OUT! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
My only downer is that I checked the details before activating the cards and found that the interest rate was 15.9%. I nearly fell over it was supposed to be 10.9% for life. Anyway I phoned a rather nice lady and she helped me. She checked my application form and apologised for the error. They resolved it immediately. My warning to everyone irrespective of card they apply for, do not activate your card until you have read everything. Good luck.
A Happy Ending? :o):o):o):o):o):o):o)
I filled the form in and in less than two weeks got the cards – gobsmacking And hey! they spelled our surnames right (normally a bone of contention, I am normally mispelt Bosom) -- I got through to a customer services person and spoke to them checking the interest rates on our cards. She was polite and knowledgeable and it was a pleasure (this was about 9:30 PM midweek). -- I can manage my account online -- I am safe to spend (nice feeling) and I feel in control (a first when it comes to credit cards) -- The statements are clear and informative. I feel pleased that I have the card. -- And…
My partner’s heart has returned to normal and he is no longer traumatised.
...be signed and sent to MINT to activate my account, I could have requested that they send them to me to sign instead, but as I said, I can't be doing with all that waiting nonsense!
Unfortunately my computer decided to crash at this point (a driver error I believe) and when I logged back in to MINT's secure website, I could not re-access the details as MINT thought it had all been completed. I tried to re-apply, but their clever anti-fraud software ... ...be signed and returned to MINT in the supplied pre-paid envelope, the other copy to be kept for my records. I confirmed that all my details were correct, including the details of my Balance Transfer, signed the bottom, and stuck it in the post the same day.
About a week later, I received a special delivery sent by courier, I was quite excited as I opened the envelope because I'm a sucker for anything with any novelty value, such as a funny shaped ...
DarkDave 16.10.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mint Card
...you won't go wrong with Mint I have looked and looked but still can't find a hole in this organisation.
It was a long time ago back in November 2003 that I was informed that my RSB Advanta card would be changing to something called Mint under The Royal Bank of Scotland's ownership.
I remember thinking "Oh great this will be a right mess up."
Then in December 2003 I received another letter welcoming me to Mint and stating that actually there were ... ...could I be, along came Mint and the changeover was very smooth indeed, I had no need to worry at all.
Their statements always arrive on time and are very clear and concise giving one all the detail that could possibly be required.
Whenever I have communicated with Mint the reception received has always been pleasant and polite. So good to be treated courteously these days, particularly from a financial organisation.
And I have to say that I like ...
timeup 25.10.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mint Card
Advantages: NONE Disadvantages: Not being able to use MY money!
Mint is a sub-company of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The service I have received from them is absolutely unacceptable and here are MY reasons why: Going Into Credit I put my credit card into credit in order to avoid paying any charges. I was send a letter saying I should phone customer services, which I did so as soon as I got the letter. I was told that customer services did not want to speak to me and that the that letter was sent out automatically. ... ...relevant details. I then rang Mint back up, who said that my card would be OK to be used the following day, I was OK with this. The Following Week The next day came and I tried to use my card. I WAS able to use my card, but not to its full potential. I found out I could only use a QUARTER of what I had. I was frustrated and angry at this point as this was MY money and not even Mint's money! Anyway I called customer service and asked what was going ...
MyViewMatters100 16.10.2009
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mint Card
Advantages: 0% balance transfer 9 months 10.9% APR and cash back! Disadvantages: To be honest I havent found any!
...The best thing bout Mint is the personal cheques you receive with your card! this allows you to pay off balances on other cards, or you can do as i did and use it for your deposit on renting a flat or house! No hassle and you dont have to worry bout apying back for a month if like me your skint 2 weeks after getting paid!
The online banking service is really useful to use, and finally a wedsite that calcualtes your minium payment well before you ... ...firends have also switched to Mint now and you find any compaints from us! Oh yes and one more thing, unlike other credit cards they dont limit your credit limit to £1,250 or something similiar if you have huge balances like I did, and they are always happy to extend it without making you wait 6 months!! My recommendation you'd be mad not to get one! ...
louisemarygray 30.06.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mint Card
Advantages: Good looking card and great customer service. Disadvantages: Nothing has came up so far.
I applied for my Mint Card over the Internet in September 2004. Right from the word go everything went smoothly. I knew what to expect from Mint and what was expected of me as the customer, which is normally a grey area with some credit companies.
Within 2 weeks of applying my card arrived and all I had to do was call them and request my P.I.N. which came within 2 working days!!! Not only all this from the service side but I got 6 months of 0% interest ... ...credit companies Mint also have a huge focus on ease of use. They have a very simple and easy to use internet banking site and many ways in which you can pay. Direct Debit, over the phone, bank or post office or you can simply send them a cheque. The minimum repayment is also quite good 2.25% of balance or £5, whichever is the greater.
If your not like me and you tend not to apply for products over the internet you can also request an application ...
steve_archer 24.10.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mint Card
Competitiveness of APR
Product package
Quality of Customer Ser...
Reward Scheme
Additional Charges
Security and Privacy
Ease of Application
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