I am a student in secondary education, and before setting up my NatWest card-plus account I only had a National Savings Account. However, as time went by I became more and more annoyed at the pathetic service, inaccessible saving and hundreds of other things, so I decided to open a new account, and at the time it seemed as if the (new) solo card would be the thing to go for, as a lot of my mates had one, and they all struggled to think of anything bad about it.
So, I strolled along to NatWest, and I now have on of these cards. Solo is a branch of the well known debit card “Switch,” and it works in a similar way, except that it is meant for under 18s. There are several areas in which I have been particularly pleased with the Solo card, and I shall tell you about these below.
One
of the main bonuses of the Solo card to me is that it saves having to carry around large amounts of cash. Before getting the card, I would have to go to the bank, take out the required sum of money (which could have been very large) and take it the shop where I wanted to buy something. The Solo card is much safer and convenient than cash – simply slip the card into your wallet and you are away.
This may also make young people feel safer on the streets – with the solo card there is no risk of being mugged, and there are numerous safety precautions that are taken by the people that make the card to ensure your cash is safe. Perhaps the most useful of these is a 24-hour, freephone (so you can call it from a phone box if necessary) number that you can use to immediately de-activate your card if it is lost or stolen.
So – how easy is it to use? Well I have found mine to be very easy and convenient. You can use your Solo card to pay for anything in all shops that display the Solo logo (kind of like the switch logo on a purple background) in the window. In the early days of Solo, hardly any places accepted the card – many shop owners weren’t happy about people as young as eleven having debit cards. But now the card is accepted almost everywhere. There has only been one place that I can think of that will accept other credit/debit cards but not Solo – and this is WHSmiths. Other than them, have no fear that your card may not be accepted.
When you want to use your card to pay for something in a shop, you follow an identical procedure to that of the “grown-up” Switch card. Simply hand your card to the assistant, it gets swiped and then the money is immediately debited from your account. You also have to sign the receipt, as you would with any credit/debit card. Because the money is instantly debited from your account, it makes the card easier for young people, because you can only spend what you have in your account – and nothing more.
One of the most useful things about the Switch card is that you can get up to £50 “cashback” at many stores – the same applies with the Solo card (providing you have enough money in your account!). I have found this very useful because it saves the trip to the ATM or the bank to get money out.
While we are on the subject of ATMs (cash machines, or “holes-in-the-wall”,) the Solo card can be used at almost all cash machines – if you see the “link” symbol then you know it will work. Also, there is almost never charge made for using ATMs, and if there is then you get a warning on screen. At NatWest (or wherever your account is,) you can obtain mini-statements and order new cheque/paying in books from the ATM.
Another good point about the Solo card is that it can be used almost everywhere online. Most major online retailers have an option for you to pay by Solo, but if there is only a Switch option, then the card will work fine using that, as they are the same company. Simply enter the standard details (card number, issue number, name on card, expiry date, etc.) and you can purchase almost anything online. I am a huge fan of online shopping (I’m too lazy to go out!!) and I think that the majority of my Solo card use is for buying stuff from the internet.
Last year I was on a school trip to Germany, and I was able to use my Solo card there as well. You can use it in shops if you see the “Maestro” symbol, but I was asked to enter my PIN number into the swipe machine – this is standard procedure for using your card abroad. If you want to withdraw cash from an ATM while abroad then that can also be done – just look out for the “Cirrus” symbol. Beware however – NatWest and some other banks place a small charge on using the card abroad.
Wow – there are a lot of good things about this card – is ANYTHING wrong with it? Well, the only thing I can think of is that it is still not quite accepted everywhere. However, this is not too much of a problem because (certainly around where I live) nearly everywhere will willingly take my card. Also, as I just mentioned, it is likely that you will be charged for use of your card abroad.
The Solo card really is excellent – it is a great idea because it gives young people the chance to have the same convenience of a debit card as other people do, but it is safe for them to use. It certainly beats having to carry around large sums of cash. If you are looking for a new current account then go for one with a Solo card – if you are aged over eleven then it shouldn’t be too hard to find one.
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did u know that the natwest card h two symbols on the back "maestro & cirrus" and use can use the card abroad where you see the symbols. if a cashpoint hasnt got a maestro, cirrus or link sign on it (which is very rare) you can use your card where you see the mastercard symbol (only for cashpoints) as mastercard is part of the maestro family.
hope you find this useful :)
shadyem 28.03.2003 21:14
This is a great card, I got this when I was 14 and was so happy to have 'plastic' Im now eligible for a switch card though.
pablodiabloescobar 17.03.2003 17:12
the only problem i had with solo was getting petrol, had to go for switch in the end
Advantages: Fairly widely accepted and you can pay for things with it Disadvantages: Marketed as idiot-proof but will allow you to go over your limit and be charged penalties
JL008 03.09.2004 (03.09.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Solo
Jan 12th, 2003
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