How many credit cards do I need?

[Bminusrob]

In answer the original question, I have two, and two debit cards.

Last year, while visiting London, my wife had her handbag snatched. The handbag contained her telephone, which had the e-ticket for her return rail travel, as well as her personal debit card, and our joint account shared credit and debit cards. Needless to say, as soon as the bag was snatched, we went through the rigmarole of phoning up to cancel the cards. Cancelling the joint account cards also had the effect of cancelling the cards I was carrying, which could have left us in a very difficult position.

Fortunately, I have a second credit card - another joint account, but I know that I have the only card on the account, and I had a copy of the QR code for both of our train tickets. Could have been a difficult situation.

In case you were wondering, the low-life who stole the handbag tried to use the cards to make small purchases within half an hour of the bag being stolen. Fortunately we were quicker than that. The low-life tried unsuccessfully to use three different cards, then did a runner.

One other thing. Do you know what cards you carry with you? For months after this event, my wife would find she didn't have her XYZ card. It must have been in the stolen handbag.

[rcrumble]

I normally use a stored CC on my phone to pay for most things unless I need to enter a PIN (see above...), the wallet is turning into more of a place to keep my driving licence and other non-bank cards.

Surely you still need to carry the card with you, in case the phone doesn't work? That would be particularly embarrassing if you had no other way to pay.

Sure, and in case I need to enter the PIN. But it doesn't need to be as "at hand" if I don't actually expect to use it.

And if you have the card with you anyway then isn't pulling it out and using it at least as easy as fiddling around with your phone? It's not unusual for me to be stuck in a supermarket checkout queue waiting for the person in front of me to get their phone to work.

Funnily I'm not that often stuck behind people with that issue but I rarely use staffed checkouts where it's probably more of a problem. I do see how this gets annoying if you do, though.

[feder1]

Having read this topic with much interest I eventually decided to apply online for a TSB CC as I had a current a/c. with them.

Don,t bother with that bank for a CC! After many, many attempts navigating the appalling forms and being told there was an error I gave up. I tried the app and PC to no avail. I don,t believe anyone could get a CC in view of the Mickey Mouse online antics.

I have since discovered that Halifax will allow me to have a second CC for which I will apply.

Mrs F successfully clicked a few times to get a new Tesco CC.

[bungeejumper]

I have an Amex card account which I never applied for and have never used. I think I got it ten or fifteen years ago, when some other card company was bought up by Amex, but I'm not completely sure. Amex used to be refused in many places, and it was never my style anyway.

Anyway, the card itself got lost a long time ago, which is really not a problem because it's ten years past its expiry date. But it has a positive balance of £1.09 (because I'd overpaid the previous card at some point). So, every few months for many years, I've been getting letters pleading with me to close out the account and claim my 109 pence, and TBH I couldn't be [expletive deleted]. I have always had better things to do with my time.

But, the other week, I finally decided to get the job off my to-do list. Amex had given me a phone number, but when I rang to close the account they said I'd have to cancel it through the online route instead. Because that was the only ruddy way it could be done....

Fighting off the urge to go and do something more interesting with my afternoon, I yawned and started to set up a new login so that I could tell them to close it down again. It was all going quite well until the login procedure asked me to enter the three digit code from the back of the long-expired card that I don't own any more.

At which point I phoned Amex and was told a second time that I'd have to log in online, which I can't do (see above). In the end, I wrote a letter asking them to shut down the effing account, and to donate my £1.09 to a charity of their choice. I've had no reply. I expect they're still waiting for me to log in so that they can tell me I can't log in because (continued on page 94).

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza.....

BJ

[jaizan]

I have 2 current accounts and 3 credit cards. I probably need just 2 of each.

Despite a healthy balance, my Starling debit card was rejected several times for parking payments locally, but the Halifax Credit Card was always accepted.

My Halifax Card has just had fraudulent transactions on it, so a backup is good.

I also had a friend who went on holiday abroad with just one ATM card and lost it. Another reason for backups.

I have one more credit card than I really need. I had a Halifax Clarity plus a Goldfish (now Barclaycard). I think the Goldfish charges the usual 3% on foreign currency, so I got a Santander card as a replacement. Santander security checks annoy me, so I still have the Goldfish.

I also didn't apply for the Santander card until I "retired". When it came to the Income box, I didn't quite know what to put in, since my income is rather variable dividends. I made the mistake of putting a low figure in and was given a low credit limit. They don't ask about assets.

[Alaric]

When it came to the Income box, I didn't quite know what to put in, since my income is rather variable dividends. I made the mistake of putting a low figure in and was given a low credit limit. They don't ask about assets.

I think it would be reasonable to put in the taxable income figure from the most recent tax return. But should dividends from ISAs be added in as well?

[Lootman]

When it came to the Income box, I didn't quite know what to put in, since my income is rather variable dividends. I made the mistake of putting a low figure in and was given a low credit limit. They don't ask about assets.

I think it would be reasonable to put in the taxable income figure from the most recent tax return. But should dividends from ISAs be added in as well?

I always use household annual income rather than just mine. That is a considerably higher number since my wife still works.

Have had no problem doing that and one of my credit cards has a 50K credit limit, which is more than I could ever spend in a month anyway.

[jaizan]

A Santander Zero Mastercard for use abroad because of zero charges, usually fine everywhere but was refused once by a parking ticket machine in Germany.

Do Santander operate this card competently ?

I tried to make an online purchase in Thailand about 3 years ago. They sent me a text message asking me to phone them to approve the transaction.
Considering international call charges and convenience, that must be the worst way of handling security and is totally unacceptable to me.

I haven't used the Santander card since.

I have 2 debit cards and 3 credit cards. Only one credit card gets regular use, but a backup is good.

[Urbandreamer]

A Santander Zero Mastercard for use abroad because of zero charges, usually fine everywhere but was refused once by a parking ticket machine in Germany.

Do Santander operate this card competently ?

I tried to make an online purchase in Thailand about 3 years ago. They sent me a text message asking me to phone them to approve the transaction.
Considering international call charges and convenience, that must be the worst way of handling security and is totally unacceptable to me.

I haven't used the Santander card since.

I have 2 debit cards and 3 credit cards. Only one credit card gets regular use, but a backup is good.

I take it that you checked Santander's policy's on a regular basis?

If you’re planning on travelling within the EU, you don’t need to let us know that you’ll be going abroad. If you’re planning on travelling outside the EU, you’ll need to let us know.

https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/su ... travelling

To be blunt, you/we all need to regularly check the policy that our banks apply. I have recently moved certain transactions from Santander to Nationwide because of Santanders changing policy. They have closed peoples accounts because of failure to comply. Unfortunately the same subject is under review at Nationwide.

More specific to the subject of Credit/debit cards and overseas travel. It is worth knowing that overseas travel is not to part of the UK. The acceptance of any given credit/debit card can not be assumed, the way that it is possible in the UK. In particular many places in Germany reject Mastercard.

[XFool]

This question arises because of CC rejections such as Halifax Clarity being rejected by the local buses and Nationwide refusing to pay Aviva for car insurance. I have had other rejections as well.

Have you found out why these cards were rejected? To me, that seems the real point - assuming they are both ordinary Visa or Mastercard cards.

I have two Visa credit cards, though only one is actually in use. In the past I have had a couple of dual card accounts - Visa CC + American Express CC. Amec wasn't accepted by everybody, so conveniently you used the other card on the same account. The only time I ever had a CC refused was when, for a time, my mobile phone company (Tesco) refused the payments on my new Visa card. I couldn't find out exactly why this was - Tesco said it was the CC company, the CC company said they had no problem, so it was Tesco. Then suddenly Tesco started to accept it. My theory at the time being it was connected with a new type number on the Visa card, reflecting its use on a dual card type account.

It seems that I cannot leave the house unless I have at least two CCs plus cash.

Ideally one should be enough, with a bog standard card type. Apart from the temporary 'funny' with Tesco Mobile I have never had one refused, even bought a car on one once. In practice two, with one Visa and one Mastercard. (Though my two are both Visa)

[kempiejon]

I generally Amex, I get points. I have a Mastercard debit card and an occasional use visa credit card as a backup in my wallet. SO does it all on the app with a card as back up. I stooze with another couple of cards but they don't leave the house.

[jaizan]

I take it that you checked Santander's policy's on a regular basis?

Thank you.
I hadn't checked that. As my other service providers are moving away from overseas travel notification, I didn't check, which obviously was a mistake I've now notified Santander of my travel, via their website.

I'm all in favour of having such notifications, providing they use the information to not block my card.

[XFool]

I have one more credit card than I really need. I had a Halifax Clarity plus a Goldfish (now Barclaycard). I think the Goldfish charges the usual 3% on foreign currency, so I got a Santander card as a replacement. Santander security checks annoy me, so I still have the Goldfish.

You certainly don't have a working Goldfish credit card!

"This article is more that 16 years old"
Barclays buys troubled Goldfish as US firm says the UK is too tough

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/feb/08/barclaysbusiness.creditcards

Goldfish Card CC (originally by British Gas) --> Morgan Stanley CC --> Barclaycard

[Urbandreamer]

FWIW I've just checked my wallet
3 debit cards and a credit card. Two are VISA and two are Mastercard.

Almost all transactions are done on the credit card. It's just habit. All are contactless.

Why do I carry more than two? Well we were once burgled and they got the cards that I wasn't using. I regard them as more secure on my person.

The last refusal was entirely due to the account being new and security checks being in progress.

Ps, I'm old school and desire multiple ways to pay. Mastercard, Visa, Credit, debit, cash and newer methods like bitcoin. I'm tempted to add the paypal app to my phone as one market stall I visited at the weekend offered it as an option. Another accepted only cash or direct bank transfer.

[Charlottesquare]

One current account Debit VISA-I know the pin
One joint current account Debit VISA - I do not know pin
One Mastercard on my wife' account (second card)- I know pin

Did have a Swedbank Debit card on a joint account in Sweden- sold house, virtually cleared out account, asked Swedbank to close account and keep the 50SEK in it, they told me we had to turn up in person (both of us) to so do, I gave up.

All deposit accounts always in wife's name as I am higher rate taxpayer and she never was.

That is it, I have never had a credit card solely in my name and am now age 63.

[jaizan]

FWIW I've just checked my wallet
I'm old school and desire multiple ways to pay. Mastercard, Visa, Credit, debit, cash and newer methods like bitcoin. I'm tempted to add the paypal app to my phone as one market stall I visited at the weekend offered it as an option.

Having multiple methods to pay is always a good idea. Far better than someone I know who went to Thailand with one card and lost it in an ATM.

However, I prefer to avoid Paypal, as I dislike the way they do business. I once sent a donation to someone overseas after a hurricane. There was a % charge and a fixed fee for sending. The Paypal page told me he would get xxx. In practice, they added another charge for receiving it in his Paypal account.
Nowhers do they explain the total cost on one page and they lied about how much he would receive.

If a vendor forces me to use Paypal, their default option is to bill in my home currency, with a forex charge of over 4%. I can select local currency, but the default is price gouging.

[stevensfo]

FWIW I've just checked my wallet
I'm old school and desire multiple ways to pay. Mastercard, Visa, Credit, debit, cash and newer methods like bitcoin. I'm tempted to add the paypal app to my phone as one market stall I visited at the weekend offered it as an option.

Having multiple methods to pay is always a good idea. Far better than someone I know who went to Thailand with one card and lost it in an ATM.

However, I prefer to avoid Paypal, as I dislike the way they do business. I once sent a donation to someone overseas after a hurricane. There was a % charge and a fixed fee for sending. The Paypal page told me he would get xxx. In practice, they added another charge for receiving it in his Paypal account.
Nowhers do they explain the total cost on one page and they lied about how much he would receive.

If a vendor forces me to use Paypal, their default option is to bill in my home currency, with a forex charge of over 4%. I can select local currency, but the default is price gouging.

Agree. Diversification of current accounts, 'ways to pay' is almost as important to me as diversification when investing. Yes, Paypal can be very useful, but bloody expensive! Far better are cards like Revolut, Wise, Monese etc. Though always have more than one and never carry them all together.

Far better than someone I know who went to Thailand with one card and lost it in an ATM.

Happened to me in Krakow, about 20 years ago. The bank with the ATM wasn't the ATM bank, so I had to go the next morning to find it. Fortunately they were great, very kind, happy to practise their English and found the card within 5 minutes.

Steve

[Lootman]

FWIW I've just checked my wallet
I'm old school and desire multiple ways to pay. Mastercard, Visa, Credit, debit, cash and newer methods like bitcoin. I'm tempted to add the paypal app to my phone as one market stall I visited at the weekend offered it as an option.

Having multiple methods to pay is always a good idea. Far better than someone I know who went to Thailand with one card and lost it in an ATM.

I had a debit card swallowed by a cash machine in Dublin. Luckily it was at a bank branch that was open at the time and I got the staff to open up the ATM and retrieve my card. But it could have been much worse.

I had a credit card stolen once, and on another time there was fraudulent use of my card details. So you need a few cards, ideally kept in more than one location. Another card I have works fine with a PIN or contactless but not always for online purchases - no idea why.

Also different cards have different advantages. So I have one that gives me cashback, one that gives me points/miles, one that has no FX fees and one that gives me status at a global hotel chain.

[Niksen]

Why do I carry more than two? Well we were once burgled and they got the cards that I wasn't using. I regard them as more secure on my person.

Some banks will allow you to 'freeze the card through their app when the card isn't being used, and others will allow you to freeze specific aspects of use, so for example freezing the physical use but allowing online.

[Urbandreamer]

Why do I carry more than two? Well we were once burgled and they got the cards that I wasn't using. I regard them as more secure on my person.

Some banks will allow you to 'freeze the card through their app when the card isn't being used, and others will allow you to freeze specific aspects of use, so for example freezing the physical use but allowing online.

While I know that to be true, the event predated apps connected to cards and I haven't got a brain update yet.