The best thing with SonyCard is that you can save up PulseBeats (loyalty points) and get some free Sony stuff! Whether you want to save for a free CD or a DVD player, this is the credit card for you! You receive one PulseBeat per pound spent, so the more money you spend, the quicker you can get free Sony stuff. Also whenever you buy a Sony product you get triple PulseBeats. This is great if you buy a lot of TriStar Columbia DVDs, Playstation games, or Sony MusicCDs, or even a widescreen Sony TV as you will receive a lot of PulseBeats quickly.
There are also exclusive monthly "Dream Draws",
where you have the chance to win 'money-can't-buy' holidays and Sony stuff like that cool robot dog AIBO. In the past they've offered trips to the Oscars ceremony and a VIP trip to the Monaco Grand Prix.
They gave me 1300 free PulseBeats when my account was opened, but at the time of writing they are giving away 2000 free points, which is pretty generous that means you can get a free DVD, or free Playstation game, or even a Sony Walkman immediately!
The card is run by The Bank of Scotland and can be applied for online at www.sonycard.co.uk via a secure application process. The application is hassle-free and the card arrived really quickly within ten days. Currently, the first five months APR is incredibly low at 2.9% for balance transfers. The standard APR is 15.9%, which is fairly high compared to some other credit cards, so you may only wish to apply for this card if you pay off all or most of your balance very month. (These APRs were correct at the time of writing, but please check their website for the latest rates and offers)
The card itself is incredibly sexy and stylish looking, just like you would expect from Sony. Unfortunately the picture of it above, does not do it justice - the colours in reality are not as flat. It is kind of a glistening silver-green-blue, with a silver coloured magnetic strip at the back. So goodbye to boring brown strips! This card is very different and guaranteed to impress, if you're into looks and style. I actually get compliments about it when I use it in shops, which is extremely weird, but great if you actually want to get talking to the shop assistant! It has a silver-coloured microchip embedded into it. This makes it harder to clone your card, so it's there to combat credit card fraud, making Sonycard a safer choice.
Sonycard also provide you with a PIN number so you can withdraw up to £250 in cash from any cashpoint displaying the Visa sign. They will assign the PIN to you when you join, but this can be changed at any Bank of Scotland machine to a PIN you can easily remember. THis is great because you never know when you'll need some emergency cash, but be warned cash withdrawls are charged at a big 17.9% APR!
As for customer service - the team are very helpful and efficient - which is especially great if you are sneaking a call to them whilst at work, so I have no complaints. Calls are handled quickly and if you're calling out-of-hours, there's an automated account line which you can use to access your balance.
You can also access your account details in full online, if you register via their website first. This function is extremely secure, but the downside is it's quite time-consuming to actually set-up the internet access to your account. You have to print out and mail a letter the old-fashioned way and then them telephone for a password. Although of course, this process does make it extremely secure.
Once set up, this online feature incredibly helpful, because you can keep an eye on your spending, rather than have a huge shock when viewing your monthly statements. The online statements are clear to read, showing credits in black and debt in red.
The actual account was set up with ease, including my monthly minimum balance direct debit and the transfer of balances from another credit card. Nothing felt like too much trouble for them and no mistakes were made.
I have had my Sonycard for over two years now and am still extremely happy with it and Sonycard's improved service and features. Additional balance transfers have been easy to set up, as has obtaining an additional card for my mum and increasing my credit limit was extremely painless.
So if you like Sony stuff, want some Sony stuff for free and want a sexy looking card, this is the one for you! In case you wonder... no, I don't work for them, I'm just very happy with this card!
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I've just wrote my opp.on sonycard, yours is a great one, well done, don't have a microchip on my card though:)
Montenegrin 28.02.2002 02:31
Yours is a very helpful opinion. I fully agree with you. I got a Sony last April and it was so easy to get one, I just could not believe it. I quite like the customer service, too. No hassle at all. I do like the design as well. And also the free Sony products. I did not know you could check your account online. I will certainly try it right away. Thank you for pointing it out, and helping me to save money on my phone calls.
Advantages: Reward points (for some), flexibility in APR choice, and options to change your APR at any time Disadvantages: High(ish) APR rates, Internet and phone based only (some may not like that).
indiegirl 25.11.2002 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
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