I got my Switch card when I opened my First Direct bank account as before that with Barclays I had a Visa Electron card. I am certainly pleased I changed and got this card as it is accepted much more widely than that Visa Electron thing. Switch is issued by some banks instead of a Visa Debit ... Read review
Advantages: Free To Use, Cashback Facility, Accepted Nearly Everywhere Disadvantages: Cant think of any!!!
I got my Switch card when I opened my First Direct bank account as before that with Barclays I had a Visa Electron card. I am certainly pleased I changed and got this card as it is accepted much more widely than that Visa Electron thing. Switch is issued by some banks instead of a Visa Debit or Visa Electron, but just like them cards it is also free to cardholders to use. At present the card is currently accepted in just under 900,000 retailers but ... .../>
With Switch you also get the option of a Solo card which some card issuers prefer to issue. The reasons for the Solo card is that you can only spend what you can afford as every transaction gets authorised and deducted from your bank account at the time of the transaction meaning if you aint got it you cant spend it. For this reason banks such as Natwest tend to issue it to new or younger customers in order to give them some of the benefits of ... more
I got my Switch card when I opened my First Direct bank account as before that with Barclays I had a Visa Electron card. I am certainly pleased I changed and got this card as it is accepted much more widely than that Visa Electron thing. Switch is issued by some banks instead of a Visa Debit or Visa Electron, but just like them cards it is also free to cardholders to use. At present the card is currently accepted in just under 900,000 retailers but by all accounts this list is growing constantly.
With Switch you also get the option of a Solo card which some card issuers prefer to issue. The reasons for the Solo card is that you can only spend what you can afford as every transaction gets authorised and deducted from your bank account at the time of the transaction meaning if you aint got it you cant spend it. For this reason banks such as Natwest tend to issue it to new or younger customers in order to give them some of the benefits of a Switch card without the risk.
The beauty of a Switch card is that nearly every single retail outlet takes it. This means that pretty much where ever I make purchases I do not have to take the risk of carrying cash around with me, which we all know is becoming more and more risky these days.
To use it to make purchases all I have to do is hand it over to the cashier who will swipe it like any other payment card such as Visa or MasterCard. The benefit of Switch being a debit card is that there is no interest to pay as the amount is debited from my bank account within approximately 3 days. Although this can sometimes take a bit longer especially at weekends so don’t worry if it has not shown on your statement straight away as it soon will. Lately though I have noticed that with First Direct they show up online pretty much straight away which makes it even more useful.
If you have to take products back for a refund that you purchased on your Switch card then a refund can also be put back on this card. However in personal experience I have found that these take longer to go onto your account then purchases. I find that refunds can take upto 5 or 6 days to go back to your account.
Your Switch card can be used over the phone to pay for goods and services as well as over the internet. When you use your Switch card for one of these options you will be asked to enter your cards security number. This number is not printed on the front of your card but on the reverse, in fact it is on the signature strip which will have quite a long number but you are only required to enter the last 3 digits as your security number. This is purely to ensure that when used on the net the person using it is in possession of the card and does not just have the card number.
When a bank issues you with a Switch card as the main debit card for you account they will also use that as your cheque guarantee card if you have been issued with a cheque book for that account. Mainly banks that have issued you with a Switch card will give you the option to guarantee cheques for upto £100, although if you’re like me most payments are made online now as opposed to using cheques.
Your Switch card is also the cash card for your current account and can be used to withdraw cash at cash machines. You can use the card at any cash machine the displays the Switch symbol. Although you should check with your bank first as some of them charge you for using other company’s cash machines. The cash withdrawal limit for each day is set by your bank so varies from bank to bank.
All new and replacement Switch cards are now being issued with the new Chip and Pin Facility. This enables you to make payments as normal with your debit card only instead of signing for the card you enter a 4 digit PIN number. The only disadvantage is remembering the PIN. However the PIN number on your cards can be changed easily at a cash machine to something you can remember. At this point in time if you do not know your PIN number you can ask to sign for your card although this will eventually not be available and you will have to offer a different card until you get the a new PIN number.
Although Switch cards work the same as every other payment cards they are a debit card not a credit card. Due to this fact you have an additional facility with these cards that you do not get with Credit Cards. The Cashback facility! What this means is that when you make a purchase a retailer you can also request cash back. However be aware that not all retailers offer this facility. To get cash back all you have to do is ask the cashier for cash back at the time of you making your payment. Cash back can be up to a maximum of £50 at present.
Switch is operated by Switch Card Services Limited. Just before writing this I have found out that they are changing its name. The Switch name is going and the card is going to be called Maestro. Maestro is a large international brand that forms part of the MasterCard Company so is part of a truly reputable company.
The reason for this change is that at present your Switch card is only accepted internationally because of the fact it currently carries the Maestro logo either on the front or back. This symbol is recognised internationally as an international debit card where as Switch is not. This change will effect all Switch cards other than those issued by the Halifax and The Bank of Scotland. For what reason I am not too sure! For more information on the change see www.switch.co.uk and click card holders at the top there you will see a link called How to Get Switch / Maestro. Alternatively if you wish to check out who Maestro are you can check out their site at www.maestrocard.com or click the link on the Switch site.
For more information on the Switch card or its facilities:
S2 Card Services Ltd. Livingstone House 12 Finsbury Square London EC2A 1AS
Or alternatively email them at enquiries@s2cards.co.uk
Overall if you are looking for a debit card or a new bank then take advantage of the fact that a Switch card maybe on offer as I find it one of the most useful cards in my wallet and I know I would not be without mine.
Advantages: free to use, saves carrying cash Disadvantages: read the op - I'm bored typing :p
...~~ Which banks offer Switch ~~ As far as I know, Lloyds TSB are the only bank who do not – they favour Visa Delta instead. Everyone else, from the big high street names like HSBC, to regional set ups such as Allied Irish Bank to former building societies including Norwich & Peterborough, seem to like Switch. ~~ Talk me through a typical offline transaction ~~ You enter a shop. You find what you want. You approach the cash desk, and the conversation ... ...You: Do you except Switch here? Assistant: But of course my good fellow. By jove, I’m not sure I could name a decent store which doesn’t these days. Marks and Sparks do, and Debenhams and Boots. Then there’s HMV and WH Smiths and lots of smaller shops too. All the supermarkets do, and the travel agents. It’s blooming impossible at times to find somewhere that would say no to your little green logo. You : So that’s a ...
zoe_page 11.05.2002
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Switch
Advantages: Accepted all over, no charge for using it Disadvantages: very few stores accept it
...card, then may be a switch card is just up your street.
a very high percentage of retail outlets such as restaurants, hotels, garages and cinemas now widely accepte switch and there are several very big high street banks that offer the facility, and one of the major advantages is being a form of plastic card. it is possible to pass this card over for payment, or even to quote the details (ie: card number, expiry date, issue number as well as your ... ...sufficient funds in your account. switch is not the only debit card available - some banks offer delta and others visa, which is perhaps more commonly associated with credit cards, although the principle is the same in all instances. the major difference will be which debit cards are accepted at which outlets. switch is now very widely available, as is visa, although delta is also becoming much more commonplace as well. the amount that you have spent ...
carl_1_uk 10.07.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Switch
Advantages: Accepted at almost everywhere in the UK Disadvantages: Not recognised outside the UK
...server, you paid with your switch card. BIG MISTAKE!
Issued to most current account holders with good credit history, the switch card (and its competitor Visa Delta) is accepted by thousands of shops across the country. It's not an internationally recognised symbol but many debit card issuers include other transaction services (such as Cirrus & Maestro) along with a cheque guarantee to make this one of the most useful bits of plastic you could have.
... ...is a big disadvantage.
Switch cards also have a big security risk. If you do lose them, not only do they have your signature on them, but your switch card number, your bank sort code and account number. I wouldn't be too keen on letting anyone get his or her hands on all that information.
Transactions will normally show up on your account the next day, which makes budgeting and book balancing much easier than with a credit card. As they are part ...
Will 04.02.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Switch
Advantages: One card for several functions. Disadvantages: Bad for your cash flow. If lost, you're up that well-known creek.
A Switch card leads a Jeckyll and Hyde existance. It can be used as a cheque guarantee card, it can be used INSTEAD of a cheque, and it also acts as your ATM card - so DON't lose it!
Retailers like them because, unlike a credit card payment, their account gets the money almost straight away, improving their cash flow at the expense of yours. Unlike a cheque, they can't get robbed of them, nor is there anything to take to the nightsafe.
Some retailers ... ...the till to a larger Switch payment for you, saving you from a separate visit to an ATM. This is also good for their security, since the less they have, the less can get stolen!
They can be used abroad in ATMs, but be careful not to mess it up, and please don't give the machine any excuse to keep the card like forgetting your PIN number- this could be a disaster if you are just "passing through" on a Sunday, for example. ...
BNibbles 17.12.2000
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Switch
Advantages: Good for convienence Disadvantages: GO INTO DEBT IF NOT CAREFUL
I got my switch card around 4 months ago when I was just 16. You are not meant to have one of these cards until you are 18, but they let me have one. It is one of my biggest ever mistakes. I am now £20 in debt, because of a transaction my step-sister made using my card to top up my mobile phone. I could not cancel the order, and there was nothing stopping the transaction going through, although there was no money in my account!. The switch service ...
MarcYerrell 24.02.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Switch
Advantages: quick & easy Disadvantages: Possibly being decieved????
I used uswitch to find the cheepest supplier, which i thought i had and was happy with the company i switched with.
Just to check once i'd switched i checked again and what do you know (a cheeper different supplier?????) and not evan a mention of the current supplier they recommended not even in the top ten, so what i did i changed deatils of my current supplier and made one up!!!! and the result even though only changing the name of the supplier i used brought up different suppliers & results. How can this be all details were the same only the supplier changed.
Someone needs to look into this site a little more and find out if were being tricked into thinking were switching cheeper suppliers as were not all brains when it comes to working out gas / electric usage. ...
saucysez23 20.02.2007
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of uSwitch.com
Advantages: No hassle, quick, guarentee to save money and chance of rebate Disadvantages: None as yet!!
Using uSwitch.com to change energy supplier.
I have recently used www.uswitch.co.uk to change energy provider. I was paying for both gas & electricity through the same provider. I received a letter throught the post one day informing myself that the rates for both were going to be increased. This immediately angered me and so I set about getting a better deal. I found uswitch with the help of www.greasypalm.co.uk & the t.v. adverts. The advantage of going through greasy palm was that they offered £9.00 cashback deal!
The first thing to do is to provide you post code. This will create a list of suppliers. The actual web site itself is littered with helpful pop ups to provide help if unsure.
After spending approximately 15 minutes on the uswitch website it was all completed. The website itself offers a comparison of providers ...
wcphipps 16.06.2007
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of uSwitch.com
Advantages: Simple-to-use, reliable site, which could save you quite a bit of money! Disadvantages: You might need to pay your current supplier quite a bit of money too!
Has someone knocked at your door and suggested you could save a small fortune if only you'd allow their employer to supply your gas or electricity? Sometimes they appear in a fluorescent yellow jacket to "check that all's well with your fuel supply and ensure that you're getting your discounts". They tell you about the savings that you can make by signing up with them, but what they never do is show you that they're offering the best deal available. So, how do you find the best deal?
The simple answer is that you visit www.uSwitch.com and use their calculators to find the best deal. The site has no links with any of the suppliers that you see on the site ? in fact it's owned by private investors and company employees, so it's unbiased. There are details of all suppliers too, and not just those who pay them commission, which, I ...
SueMagee 30.05.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of uSwitch.com
