Well solo has 5.2 million card holders, its not a credit card its a cash card which means you pay in money to your bank/building society and you then can retrieve it from most cashpoints and your bank branch. Anyone from 11+ can get this card.
What are the advantages then?
Well you sign up through your bank/building society and you get some free gifts! ie with Barclays you get free ciniema vouchers, unfortunately i signed up through Natwest and i only got free a ringbinder which was disappointing! You then can access your cash anywhere you want, this is a good idea if you want to keep your cash safe, but still want to access it. You can also pay for goods with it in a shop displaying the solo sign. You also get a measly amount of intrest, i only got 0.2%!
There must be some disadvantages, it can't be this good!
Well yes there is, i found out that the shopkeeper are very suspious about young people with cashcards, they sometimes ask lots of questions and sometimes don't even serve you, i found this very offputting, so i didn't use it in a shop. I think that the solo company should educate the stores so that they know that people as young as 11 can use it.
OK whats your conclusion then?
Well i would recommend this to anyone looking to keep their money safe, but on tap. You should shop around the major banks to get the best deal possible. If you were thinking about getting a card and you are in your early teens i wouldn't get it because people are very suspious about it, especially when you access your account on a cashmachine or when paying for things.
Yeah! They really should tell the shopkeepers - I went into Sainsbury's, and the man at the till goes "This is not your card". "Uh, yeah it is" I reply. "No, it's you mum's" he says. Eventually I end up crying on cue, so he lets me use it. But you didn't really need to know all that...
I ahve a bills account with my bank and opted for solo to ensure that the account doe sno go overdrawn I have been surprised the number of outlets that now accept solo especially on the net, great op squidget ;o)
by (44%):
15.08.2004 21:44
Yeah! They really should tell the shopkeepers - I went into Sainsbury's, and the man at the till goes "This is not your card". "Uh, yeah it is" I reply. "No, it's you mum's" he says. Eventually I end up crying on cue, so he lets me use it. But you didn't really need to know all that...
01.05.2001 19:56
I have a Solo card - also got it with NatWest. They were the only bank that let me have it at 13, all the others said you had to be 16. Great op. :)
21.04.2001 15:26
I ahve a bills account with my bank and opted for solo to ensure that the account doe sno go overdrawn I have been surprised the number of outlets that now accept solo especially on the net, great op squidget ;o)