Hi guys and girls!! Sorry not been around alot lately, got loads on. Hope to pop in from time to tim...
Hi guys and girls!! Sorry not been around alot lately, got loads on. Hope to pop in from time to time. Andy
Member since:08.09.2004
Reviews:52
Members who trust:32
I got my Switch card when I opened my First Directbank 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: 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!
SueMagee 30.05.2003 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of uSwitch.com
Oct 21st, 2004
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