ITS A SOLO THING
 Apr 29th, 2001
Advantages:
Great advantages and offers
Disadvantages:
nothing !
Recommendable:
Yes
  emu128
About me:
HeLLo!
Member since:18.01.2001
Reviews:225
Members who trust:46
Review rated by 12 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
This review received a counterstatement by a party concerned
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What is SOLO? SOLO is a debit card for people aged between 11-21. It has been around for quite a few years now, since 1997. I have one of these cards and I think there absolutely brilliant! I'm very impressed and happy with it. My SOLO card is based with my Natwest account but you can get them elsewhere too. I'm only 14 years old and I think its brilliant having my own personal card. Many folk think that we're too young to own our own personal debit card and we deserve too loose our priveledges for mis-using it and getting in debt. (Which happens!) but not all young kids and teenagers are like others are they? I always make sure that I'm NEVER in debt and am always very careful with my account. The thing about this account is that you can get in debt VERY EASILY and people think this is inappropriate to children as young as 11 years old.
Back to the card itself though, What does it offer? You can use your card for a number of things such as the following: Using cash machines
as a cash card
Buying products in stores
Buying products online
Buying products over the phone
Using your card abroad
Automatic statements
Using cash machines as a cash card You can use your debit card in most cash machines. I only use the 'Natwest' cash machines as 'Natwest' is my account and therefore using their cash machines is FREE. If you use other cash machines you will be charged. I think its only a small amount around £1-2 but still its better being FREE! You just need to remember your 4 digit PIN number and remember not to tell anyone! Type it into the cash machine and choose what you want to do! On the cash machine you can, look at your account balance, print off a mini statement, change your PIN number, request an early statement via the post, take money out and in some places pay money in too, basically all the normal things that you can do on a cash machine. I find this very helpful if I'm about to go shopping and I may want to see how much I have available to spend.
Buying products in stores If you see a SOLO sign on the door of the shop or somewhere round the tills area then you can use your card to buy products in the store. Many stores across the country have these advantage but others do not, so make sure that you check! There is no limit to how much you can spend but I always make sure that I NEVER pay for something which is more than what I have in my account, this way I know that I'm NEVER in-debt. I love using my card in shops it makes me feel more independant about my money~What there is of it!!! The process is simple you hand over your card, you get a reciept with the amount, (ALWAYS chack how much the reciept says incase it's wrong!) and then sign on the dotted line! The staff will compare the signature to the one on your card and thats it, all DONE! The money may take a few days to e taken out of your account but it will all say in your monthly statement. You cannot unfortunately recieve any cashback.
Buying products online I've never personally used my card to buy anything online, as a girl the only thing that us females would buy is probably is, you guessed it~ Clothes! I didn't even know that you could use your card online to buy purchases till the other day, this is also pretty impressive and if your a first time trier than I'm sure you will recieve very simple on screen instructions, but always make sure that you've got your card on you! Visit www.amazon.co.uk for a quick browsw, it's highly recommended by many people!
Buying products over the phone You can also buy products over the phone! YES another great advantage! This is so simple, you can use it for many things but the most popular thing that people use their card for over the phone is to order a pizza! YES, ordering pizzas, you can do it, this is also very simple and easy and also very handy if you can't be bothered to go out or your having a night in with some mates!
Using your card abroad You can also use your debit card abroad in most countries, although I've never actually done this, there has never been any need too this could be very useful! If you are stuck in the middle of no-where and need help or money, just try and find a cash machine with a 'Maestro' or 'Cirrus' symbol on it. This does cost quite a bit due to money exchange. I think it costs a perecentage of how much you take out from your account.
Automatic Statements Although you can print off mini statements of your account balance from a 'Natwest' cash machine you will also recieve a monthly statement through the post. This will show what you have used your debit card for, it'll say what shops it was used in etc. It will have 2 sheets, one in detail which says what you've used your card for and one just sayin how much you've payed in and taken out leaving your end of month balance at the end. These are VERY helpful and keep you up-to-date with your account. If at any satge in the month you would like to recieve your staement early for any reason then pop along to a cash machine and request it, it will take a few days up to a week.
OTHER INTERSTING POINTS When you sign up for the account with Natwest (Only Natwest) you will recieve as well as your card, a paying in book, a big filo fax folder with info and a place to file your statements and help lines etc.
You also recieve a small gift to say 'Thank you' for choosing 'Natwest'. When I joined last year I recieved a £10 JJB sports voucher and was very impressed! At the moment the offer is a music CD but the offer changes regularly. If anyone should ever become in-debt a letter will instantly be sent to the parents/guardians of the person informing them. Any more transactions will be STOPPED until the problem is sorted. This is for the under 16's who own the account, if you are over 16 then its up to you to sort yourself out! Your parents will also be informed with a letter when you decide to open your account leting them know!
For anymore info on anything that I've mentioned you can visit the 'Natwest' website at www.natwest.co.uk OR the solocard website at www.solocard.co.uk. Personally this bank account suits me brilliantly and is prooving a sucess with now over millions of users world wide. It's great and easy to use with so many advantages. It doesn't take much getting used to, I've had my account for a while now and works brilliantly and I;m very happy with it, its the best account I've had in years! AND it takes in my 'ciao' boostings very well!
Thanks for reading guys! ~Em~
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27.07.2001 15:42
great op, i used to have one of these but ive moved on to one of those devil creations, the credit card! somebody help me!!!
30.04.2001 14:07
Good op, very informative. I've also got a Solo card but feel sometimes that it doesnt give me as much freedom as some of my mates with other cards so i might change it before long. Cheers 4 the op, Will
29.04.2001 20:57
It's better than when I first got one, as more retailers now accept solo. Cheers - Craig