First and foremost this credit card, I believe, would not be very useful for anyone that doesn't have Sky Digital.
I had started subscribing to Sky Digital just over a year ago and around the same time I found out about the Skycard Credit Card. The interest rate wasn't great (16.9% APR) ... Read review
Advantages: Great if you have Sky Digital, obtain points for prizes, very generous limit Disadvantages: Doesn't value existing customers,
...I found out about the Skycard Credit Card. The interest rate wasn't great (16.9% APR) which was, I think, around average. But what really lured me was the reward scheme on offer.
For every £1 you spend, you get 1 point. Accumulate these points and you can redeem a variety of prizes ranging from gamepads for your Sky Digibox to prize draws for a VIP trip to a sporting event. A catalogue of these prizes and rewards can be found on its ... ...of the day and the Skycard offers you the benefit of managing your account online. Again the registration process is very simple and within minutes you have access. The online facility also enables you to redeem your points from the catalogue.
Another perk of the Skycard is that you can insert the card to use with your Sky Digibox. Though the card has to be activated first with the Sky Digibox. I've tried to do this once but it just ... more
First and foremost this credit card, I believe, would not be very useful for anyone that doesn't have Sky Digital.
I had started subscribing to Sky Digital just over a year ago and around the same time I found out about the Skycard Credit Card. The interest rate wasn't great (16.9% APR) which was, I think, around average. But what really lured me was the reward scheme on offer.
For every £1 you spend, you get 1 point. Accumulate these points and you can redeem a variety of prizes ranging from gamepads for your Sky Digibox to prize draws for a VIP trip to a sporting event. A catalogue of these prizes and rewards can be found on its website. The most useful reward, for me, is for every 500 points you can get £5 off your Sky subscription bill (which is why I said that this card is only really beneficial if you actually have Sky).
Another good thing about this card is that they offer you a very generous credit limit, which surprised me somewhat. But it was good for me as I was transferring a balance from another card anyway and I could take advantage of the 6 month 0% on balance and purchase offer.
The application process is fairly simple. You can apply online and if you've been provisionally accepted then a further form gets mailed out to you which you have to sign and send back. A few days later the card is sent to you and your PIN under separate cover.
I think in the modern day it is very useful to be able to check your balance anytime of the day and the Skycard offers you the benefit of managing your account online. Again the registration process is very simple and within minutes you have access. The online facility also enables you to redeem your points from the catalogue.
Another perk of the Skycard is that you can insert the card to use with your Sky Digibox. Though the card has to be activated first with the Sky Digibox. I've tried to do this once but it just wouldn't activate for this purpose and I've never bothered trying since. Apparently you can view your current balance and recent transactions on the TV and also make purchases through the Sky Digibox, such as Skybet.
As I've been managing my account fairly efficiently (i.e. paying on time and not going over the limit etc) my credit limit was automatically increased after about seven months. Though this could be a bad thing as it encourages more spending I suppose.
Like I wrote in the disadvantages though, (I don't know if this is universally the case as I don't know anyone else who holds this card), it doesn't seem to value existing customers. The reason I say this is after nine months of me getting the Skycard a bombshell of a letter arrives on my doorstep. It starts off as saying they have reduced some of their charges (half priced) such as late payment fees and gone over limit fees. But then the next paragraph says that they were increasing the interest rates.
The purchase interest rate went from 16.9% (1.313% per month) to 21.9% (1.667%) and cash advance interest rate went from 21.8% (1.658%) to an astronomical 29.9% (2.207%). That's a whopping 5% and 8% increase respectively! No wonder the experts say 'Never, ever, ever, EVER withdraw cash using a credit card!'
At first I thought that this was some sort of joke or maybe there was a typo error on the letter. I checked the website and they were still advertising the 16.9%. Two months on, they're still advertising the 16.9% whilst my most recent statement I've been charged the new rates. So it looks like, for existing customers, the Skycard will have sky high charges.
In all, I still think it's a good card to get if you're looking to get discounts on your Sky subscription or you want to try your luck in the many prize draws. Just make sure you pay off the full balance within the interest free period of 56 days.
Advantages: None if you don't have Sky TV Disadvantages: Very poor customer care
Skycard Credit Card are very bad indeed.
I had a full Sky TV package from 2000-2003 and had been treated extremely well. When I moved house and was no longer a customer of Sky, I was offered at my new address a Sky Credit Card which I took. It was the first credit card company to give me a sensible limit of £3000 which meant I made it my primary credit card for household shopping, dining out and entertainment. It was great because the card acted ... ...gold card.
I called Skycard who then told me that was not so but that there was a problem with my credit at the credit reference agencies. Working for a bank, I was alarmed and paid the monies to check this. This was not true.
I then received a letter on 17 October dated 2 October (was postal strike) from Skycard telling me that my limit was reduced to suit what I could afford. How dare they make such a comment, I felt given I had no loans and ...
easykay 13.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of SkyCard
Advantages: point earned pay for sky tv Disadvantages: they don't know the meaning of 'customer serivce'
I am currently having a similarly bad experience with skycard. My card ran out at the end of May and since then I have not received a new one. This is despite them apparently sending out several new ones (today I have been told it was three cards and they have all been returned to sky). The 'manager' has managed to phone me twice but now it seems he has given up. My e mails are not being answered either. This means that I have clocked up over £10.00 ... ...been able to use the card there is no reduction in my sky tv bill via points. I have to keep logging on to make sure that it hasn't been stolen and used by someone else.
I have just been told that Chris Pash will call me by the end of today. I replied that if I didn't hear from him I would be cancelling all sky products. This card was great (as it paid for skytv) but a nightmare once something goes wrong. Overall I would now say that it is not worth ...
ploddo 08.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of SkyCard
Advantages: Great for money off Sky products if allowed. Disadvantages: poor service low credit allowance pocket money amount.
...tv. Skycard not used any more saving loads got freesat+ pvr
thank you Sky who needs you.
In my opinion Sky have no respect for existing customers and do nothing to keep them.
Being with them over 15 years thought would count for something but no answers.
kevsparky ...
Kevsparky 19.02.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of SkyCard
Advantages: None Disadvantages: Fraudsters can easily get your SkyCard details
I have a Skycard credit card (which is run by Barclaycard) and was the victim of fraud when someone changed the address and password details for the card I live in Nottingham and the address details changed to London. The fraudsters also managed to change all of the personal details that I had on the account such as date of birth, password, second card holder etc.
I spoke to their fraud people and the details were changed back to my address and ... ...believe that either Barclaycard's Skycard security systems are incredibly poor, or there are actually some unscrupulous fraudsters working within the organisation at the present time! I would strongly advise you not to take out a Skycard unless you are happy for someone else to steal your identity and your money!!! ...
nicknotts 24.11.2007 (25.11.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of SkyCard
Competitiveness of APR
Product package
Quality of Customer Ser...
Reward Scheme
Additional Charges
Security and Privacy
Ease of Application
Quick review of SkyCard
guys never ever thinking to apply for the sky credit card... the customer service is absolutely useless, and the worst think they can frozen your account for days without warning or letters....they dont even know how much is 500 minus 422 for them is 88 and this not only once for many months i ve notice discrepancy in calculation... ...
matty111 28.08.2008 (27.08.2008)
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of SkyCard
Advantages: Clubcard points and excellent fraud protection Disadvantages: None if you clear you balance in full every month
another card holder or request for an increase for your credit limit.
Fraud Prevention.
This brings me to the reason of writting this review. They have excellent fraud prevention. Recently I was a victim of online fraud with my card. Even though I check my statement every day Tesco actually picked up the fraud the moment it happened. They text me to contact them urgently and had already cancelled my card. They asked me if a list of transactions were mine and when I said no they transfered me to the security department. Within a week I had received a new card. They transferred all my information to my new account including the direct debit and my club card details. One thing they do not do is if you pay your Sky account through the card, you have to give Sky your new card number. All I had to do was sign a form for them to send ...
Advantages: Accepted every where (but then it is a Mastercard), earn club card points every where Disadvantages: The additional rewards are quite poor
's a credit card" quickly turned in to sarcasm that, I regret to say, were almost to the point of rudeness. Whilst a Mastercard that looked like a clubcard was a talking point at many cash tills it soon got tiresome. Another thing I found was that I sometimes handed the cashiers my actual clubcard (after all I do carry a club card as well) which was actually quite embarrassing. It was soon time to change to the strawberry design.
****Interest rate****
The current interest rate is on this credit card is 16.9% APR. In all honesty this is not a great rate (at the time of writing both the 'basic' Natwest and RBS credit cards are at this level) and there are lower rates (the MBNA platinum card is carrying an interest rate of 15.9%) and higher rates (the American Express Blue Skycard is carrying a rate of 17.9%).
****The Tesco rewards ...
Advantages: 10% discount on first purchase and special offers Disadvantages: High APR
rates are like all cards up in the sky somewhere but the service connected with the card is excellent.
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Burtons Gold Card – Additional information
Interest rate is currently 28% APR and on a £1,000 balance you pay about £60 per month which is very roughly £30 off your balance.
You can use your card to shop-online with Burtons and they have a nice on-line catalogue. At http://www.burtonmenswear.co.uk
Your reward/loyalty points are accumulated at £1 per point but I have not figured out how to actualise these yet.
Also as a Gold Card customer you get regular special offers that are not filtered down to the standard card, and better still you do not have to take the vouchers into the store!!
The Card can be managed via the telephone and the customer services are normally very ...
