Terratec SOLO 1

Going Solo

Advantages: Can't get into debt, lots of shops take it, from 11 with some banks,
Disadvantages: Woolies don't take it!

once found myself desperate for money in the middle of nowhere and had no choice to pay the steep £1 fee at a local newsagent. I bought something as well so I wasn’t using the shop as a cashpoint! Solo is offered by NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Lloyds TSB, Abbey National and probably a few more. Though most of the other larger banks will issue with Visa Electron. Most banks ask for you to be 16 to have a Solo which I find stupid as you cannot get into debt with it, though NatWest allow you to have one from the age of 11 – which is why I am with them. The Solo card can also be used as Maestro and Cirrus. Maestro is the equivalent of Solo abroad, so can be used to buy things. Cirrus lets you use foreign cashpoints, obviously the currency will be the local one. Though the banks do charge you a commission for this ...

Disillusioned 18.06.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Solo

Flying Solo

Advantages: No worries about carrying cash
Disadvantages: Many well known stores don't accept them

Switch, Delta, Electron, Solo - they're all basically the same. I used to have a Switch card - accepted by virtually every shop or service - a debit card by any other name. I now have a Solo card, due to recent financial difficulties it was all I could get. This works in much the same way as a Switch card - it's a debit card which you hand over in place of cash for payment and saves time and hassle writing cheques. Funds are normally debited from your bank account within one to two working days and you can also get up to £50 cashback with it where that facility is available. It will not allow you to go overdrawn on your account unless you already have an overdarft facility - unusual with accounts offering a Solo card to begin with. BUT, and it's a big but, not all the expected shops - including large, well-known stores, accept ...

blurbubble 05.04.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Solo

Flying Solo

Advantages: Almost universally accepted, makes you more financially aware
Disadvantages: Can't write cheques, not a lot really!

Ah, the sweet smell of financial independence! When I?m older, I?m going to be an internet millionaire; I?ve decided that. Joining Ciao was to be part of the grand plan, but alas .. ah well, I still have my Solo card. ?What? You?re fifteen and you have your own credit card? Now I know you?re entrepreneurial Matt, but this..? Well, almost. You see, Solo shares many of the features of other debit cards such as Switch. The differences are that it?s been adapted for people who may not be eligible for a 'proper' credit card. Typically these groups are the under-18s, those not in employment, and those whose credit history doesn't merit a credit card in the opinion of the banks. So what is Solo? Well, Solo is an offshoot of Switch, the worldwide standard for debit card transactions. Essentially, a Solo card is just like a Switch debit ...

mattwood 11.05.2003 (09.07.2003) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Solo