General Chat

Dear All

Hello


In 1963, American Express, one of the world's largest banking houses
opened a credit card service in Britain.

It was a novelty to use them in hotels, restaurants and shops.

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In the 1980's Switch and Visa debit cards were introduced and customers used the cards for payment of goods.

By 2001, it was estimated that 62 million credit cards in circulation in the UK.

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Do you think it is too easy to obtain credit cards?

Do you prefer writing a cheque?

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Take gentle care
With best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

Hi Elizabeth


I prefer cash :-)


I use credit cards, I write cheques, and I use cash


I will NOT use debit cards, either in the bank machine or in stores.

I believe that debit cards are the most unsafe cards to use.


nor do I pay bills over the internet.

Debit cards are no more unsafe than credit cards.

Cards are safer than cheques.

Cash is the least safe.

99% of all our payments are by card these days. The last time I issued a cheque was 15 months ago. Cash is only used for small amounts, say less than £5.

first used a credit card in 1984 to buy a watch for my OH on our Silver Wedding Anniversary

Debit cards are a lot more unsafe than credit cards. First and foremost when buying using a credit card you can get refunded quickly by the issuer if anything goes wrong. With a debit card yr bank won't help much if at all. 2nd debit card details give open access into yr bank ac.

There is a little reported scam mainly operated against debit cards where only a small sum under £15
is grabbed but again and again. Some of these scammers all based outside UK are making lots a dosh with near zero risk.

IGP .................


you obviously do not have the debit card machine scam over in the UK :-)

When debit cards were intoduced in the 80s I refused to have one....preffering the cheque and I was working for a High street bank at that time.

Now I am unable to write a cheque the pin number is ideal for me.

Have had credit cards since the 70s and although not got into trouble with them personally (ex husband did) paid them off 5 years ago and now if I use one pay it back when the bill comes in so no interest added

I use credit cards for large purchases or anything online, debit cards mainly for food shopping, cash for sundries. I pay some things by cheque and also use bank transfers, e.g, builder, architect.

we use credit cards for lots of things, including online buying, the dentist, most restaurant meals, travel, buying petrol, etc ................. but only if we have the money in the bank, or will have it by the time the statement arrives.

Every card is paid off in full by the due date.

I won't even tell you how many credit cards we have ............ including the department store cards, gas credit cards, as well as the 4 major cc companies, etc etc


There have been too many scams over here involving false fronts being put on debit card machines in stores AND on ATM machines in non-bank situations for me to even consider going that route.


OH does use an ATM machine at a branch of our bank if necessary to obtain cash ............. we do our best to avoid other ATMS, because of the premium charged for that privilege

Cash is our preferred means of paying for groceries, meat, veggies, afternoon coffee, etc ........ and when we have dinner at the local Japanese restaurant!

We use Credit Cards for most things and pay off when the bill comes in. Some retailers will only accept cash for a small amount, say less than £10.

The 2 bookings we've made via travel agents for package holidays in the last 15 years, would only accept a debit card payment, cash or a cheque!

As long as the money is in the bank, I prefer paying by CC because of the added level of security - its one step further away from our cash deposits.

To go back to the OP - are credit cards too easy to apply for. The way that salesmen try to ambush passers by in some of the large shopping chains, they must at least consider anyone with an income.

Does anyone remember the cards you could use to draw cash from an ATM at a branch of your bank? They had holes punched in them which was 'read' by the machine. This must have been 1975-1979 and were a boon if you couldn't visit the Counter before the branch closed at 3.30pm.....or was it 3.00pm?

I worked in the City and the branches closed at 3pm everywhere else was 3.30 pm I believe.... Most cashpoints were inside the building back then.... Well the three I worked in were and they dished out pound notes :-D

my experience with British banks basically dates back to 1967 which is when we left the country ..................


we used to joke about working bankers' hours :-)


I think back then banks were open from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday to Friday. No Saturdays



and NO bank machines

The ATM machine I remember was in an outside wall of HSBCs Berkeley Square branch. At least I think it was HSBC - it's a long time ago!

I'd forgotten the 10 am opening.

We opened before 10.... It may have been 9.30... Long time ago now can't remember, but of course we had to be there at least half an hour before so we could go down to the safe and get everything out before opening the doors