Summary of what cards offer what?

[MagicMoose]

About 4 years ago I dumped Ulster Bank and got a Tesco Visa card, partly because it was one of the few cards at the time to offer anything for your custom. All you got from Ulster Bank was a statement. Is this still the case and if not, is there a chart or table somewhere that shows the benefits of various options?

While Tesco is fine for vouchers, but I'd like to review my options. For example I have an "emergency" UK card which gives me cash back and it would be great if there were something like that here or had other fringe benefits like airmiles or lounge access.

Anything like that here?

 

[daveirl]

MBNA have some cards that give you benefits, e.g. Ryanair flights or the AXA one gives .5% of your purchases off your Insurance.

I have AMEX Blue myself which gives you 1% cash back.

 

[Janet]

There are a few threads on this topic however I think most points raised on those threads are covered in one of the key posts on credit cards.

 

[CCOVICH]

This thread in the Best Buys forum may be of some use.

For what it's worth, Tesco is probably the 'best' if you shop there regularly enough to make use of the Clubcard points. Just to reassure-despite the fact that I regularly 'recommend' Tesco financial services products, I have no interest in promoting them, and have never used them.

I hesitate to recommend Amex due to the fact that it is not as widely accpeted as Visa or MC, and hence you may need to have one of those cards as well (and hence incur a double charge to stamp duty). But if you do your sums carefully, you will see whether it makes sense or not. Others on this site sing the praises of Amex Blue, so it's worth doing a search to get other opinions.

 

[daveirl]

http://www.askaboutmoney.com//showthread.php?t=20898I hesitate to recommend Amex due to the fact that it is not as widely accpeted as Visa or MC, and hence you may need to have one of those cards as well (and hence incur a double charge to stamp duty). But if you do your sums carefully, you will see whether it makes sense or not. Others on this site sing the praises of Amex Blue, so it's worth doing a search to get other opinions.

That is the caveat with the Amex card but what I find is that if it's not accepted I use my Laser card and online where Laser isn't always accepted, Amex will nearly always be accepted.

 

[MagicMoose]

I would have liked Amex myself but for the total unwillingness of many stores to take it. Strangely enough I experience the same problem with Visa in Rotterdam recently. Fortunately I took a good pile of money with me, since few shops or restaurants would take it. Couldn't even pay for groceries in Albert Hjein (sp?) with it and thats the Dutch equivalent of Tesco.

 

[MagicMoose]

This thread in the Best Buys forum may be of some use.

Cheers, that's just what I need.

For what it's worth, Tesco is probably the 'best' if you shop there regularly enough to make use of the Clubcard points. Just to reassure-despite the fact that I regularly 'recommend' Tesco financial services products, I have no interest in promoting them, and have never used them.

Tesco is okay. I was "lucky" enough to crash my car a few months ago and pay €5000 for the repairs on the card. It was some small consolation to get some €35 of grocery vouchers from it

I was hoping that a card that rewards use might have shook the market up a bit. I'm very jealous of the US where there are a zillion cards to choose from.

 

[CCOVICH]

I was hoping that a card that rewards use might have shook the market up a bit. I'm very jealous of the US where there are a zillion cards to choose from.

Yes, there are few truely interesting/worthwhile cards on offer here in Ireland, but in my own opinion, I am wary of such cards as they could very well be worse value in other ways (e.g. late payment charges, fx fees, and interest-all which can be avoided by the financially savvy of course).