The Lemon Fool

Due to HSBC changing my Mastercard credit card into a Visa one some years ago, I've only got Visa cards, a matter that has been on the never-got-round-to-it to-do-list to do something about for many years. Amazon deciding to stop taking Visa credit cards has made me think I should finally get round to it, so...

Anyone got any recommendations for straightforward and simple, no frills, twists or gotchas, Mastercard credit cards?

I always pay off my credit cards in full by direct debit every month, so interest rates aren't really a factor. Not looking to transfer a balance onto it.

Just a simple Mastercard credit card I can pay off in full by DD each month, with simple setup, online access to the account, and won't be fussed if I only use it infrequently. Oh, and preferably with the option to have it non-contactless, if possible.

I no longer have them but pretty sure Natwest, Santander and Sainsbury's credit cards are/were MasterCard.
Like you I see all of my wallet are Visa now, pretty sure some other have recently changed like HSBC - perhaps Virgin.

I use the Tesco Mastercard - Works well for me particularly as most of our shopping ends up at Tesco.
Using the card earns Tesco Clubcard points on all purchases (not just Tesco) which in turn lets you get a variety of goodies and services for either free or at reduced price. In my case using the card earns sufficient points to pay for my annual RAC membership.

https://www.tescobank.com/credit-cards/

You could get the Amazon Mastercard itself. You get a £30 gift card on signing up, and Amazon points on spending. It's actually run by NewDay, whoever they are. It has an app and online access, and you can set up a DD to pay the full balance.

Scott.

My wallet is looking rather bereft of Mastercards over the past year or so
the only one I have now because I use Amazon quite a lot
is their one
I get rewards to spend at Amazon

This (as with all my credit cards) takes the full amount every month
I seem to recall getting a free tenner when I set it up which now seems to have tripled

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/cobrandcard/marketing.html/

The john lewis credit card is mastercard and you get 1.25% back in the form of points towards JL/Waitrose gift vouchers.

Seems Halifax and Bank of Scotland do MasterCard too.

Visa versus Mastercard has traditionally been one of those things like BP versus Shell - it really doesn't matter which card I use nor which petrol I buy. I guess the Amazon thing changes that. Rummaging through my wallet I see:

NatWest - Mastercard
HSBC - Mastercard
Lloyds - Mastercard
M&S - Mastercard
Halifax - Mastercard
Caxton FX - Mastercard
Amex - Amex

So you made me look and now I realise I don't have a Visa card!

PS: Why did HSBC make you take a Visa card instead? They never did that with me.

Thanks for the replies, esp. the personal recommendation ones. I haven't had the chance to check them and it all out yet, but for anyone also looking these Which articles look useful, their topics being hopefully self explanatory from their addresses...

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/11/amazons-visa-credit-card-ban-should-you-switch-to-mastercard/
https://www.which.co.uk/money/credit-cards-and-loans/credit-cards/credit-card-companies/best-and-worst-credit-card-providers-ay3jl6h7z4lt
https://www.which.co.uk/money/credit-cards-and-loans/credit-cards/credit-card-companies/amazon-credit-card-review-alfu91x25bcy

There's also https://www.moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/mastercard/.

On the HSBC Visa card, this goes back quite a way. Around 35ish years ago I opened a "twin card" current a/c with HSBC, the main feature being that it came with both a Gold Visa and a Mastercard (or maybe v.v.). It was pitched at frequent travellers (I was at the time) as back then it wasn't uncommon for places, indeed, sometimes whole countries, to take one card but not the other.

All fine but then around 15ish years ago they sent me a letter saying they weren't issuing replacement Mastercards anymore and replaced my Mastercard with a (another) Visa. So, it turned into a twin-Visas a/c! Of course, in the interim and since, just about everywhere that takes one also takes the other, so it's not been a problem and so has just sat on my never-got-round-to-it to-do-list ever since.

The financial press were reporting recently that Visa have raised their fees quite substantially. The result is that many providers are changing over to Mastercard.

So they're getting into the same boat as Amex

Well, I've ended up applying and being accepted for both a Santander Mastercard, which if applied for via MSE gets a £40 Amazon gift card, and also for an Amazon Platinum one which, as already noted, comes with a £30 Amazon gift card.

Curious thing is Santander has given me a credit limit of almost 4 times what Amazon gave me (and I was happy enough with the latter).

swill453 wrote:You could get the Amazon Mastercard itself. You get a £30 gift card on signing up, and Amazon points on spending. It's actually run by NewDay, whoever they are. It has an app and online access, and you can set up a DD to pay the full balance.

Scott.

It's actually run by NewDay, whoever they are.

Absolutely no criticism of any NewDay clients intended, but I get a bit p*ssed off when I read the instructions for potential clients, to see no explanation whatsoever about the company concerned. Who are they? Who is the CEO? How long have they been at their address? Are they all resident in the UK? What is their phone number...etc..etc.

Forget AML and KYC! Spend a bit of time searching the financial institutions and you soon realise that the correct procedure is AMLBB and KYBB. i.e. 'Anti money laundering by banks' and 'Know your bloody Bank'!!

Steve

PS Five years ago, I complained about having a contactless card that I didn't want, and my cc changed from Visa to Mastercard. Both problems were put right in a few weeks. I doubt that would happen these days.

mc2fool wrote:Due to HSBC changing my Mastercard credit card into a Visa one some years ago, I've only got Visa cards, a matter that has been on the never-got-round-to-it to-do-list to do something about for many years. Amazon deciding to stop taking Visa credit cards has made me think I should finally get round to it, so...

Anyone got any recommendations for straightforward and simple, no frills, twists or gotchas, Mastercard credit cards?

I always pay off my credit cards in full by direct debit every month, so interest rates aren't really a factor. Not looking to transfer a balance onto it.

Just a simple Mastercard credit card I can pay off in full by DD each month, with simple setup, online access to the account, and won't be fussed if I only use it infrequently. Oh, and preferably with the option to have it non-contactless, if possible.

That is very strange. Some years ago HSBC voluntarily changed my Visa credit card to Mastercard. I still have an HSBC Visa debit card. It is a so called premier account but that should not make any difference I would have thought.

Dod

stevensfo wrote:
It's actually run by NewDay, whoever they are.

Absolutely no criticism of any NewDay clients intended, but I get a bit p*ssed off when I read the instructions for potential clients, to see no explanation whatsoever about the company concerned. Who are they? Who is the CEO? How long have they been at their address? Are they all resident in the UK? What is their phone number...etc..etc.

https://portal.newdaycards.com/amazon/help/faqs includes a link to https://www.newday.co.uk/

And there we find out about CEO (https://www.newday.co.uk/who-we-are/lea ... -hourican/)

And this gives regulatory details - https://www.newday.co.uk/site-services/ ... n-details/

stevensfo wrote:Absolutely no criticism of any NewDay clients intended, but I get a bit p*ssed off when I read the instructions for potential clients, to see no explanation whatsoever about the company concerned. Who are they? Who is the CEO? How long have they been at their address? Are they all resident in the UK? What is their phone number...etc..etc.

I'd be less concerned with who's running a credit card than I would be with a bank account. It's them that's lending me money.

Scott.

swill453 wrote:

stevensfo wrote:Absolutely no criticism of any NewDay clients intended, but I get a bit p*ssed off when I read the instructions for potential clients, to see no explanation whatsoever about the company concerned. Who are they? Who is the CEO? How long have they been at their address? Are they all resident in the UK? What is their phone number...etc..etc.

I'd be less concerned with who's running a credit card than I would be with a bank account. It's them that's lending me money.

That is my rule as well. Although you want a card issuer who will be efficient and responsive in the event of fraudulent charges on your card.

Another criterion I have is I look for a longer period between statement date and payment due date. I find they can vary a bit.

chas49 wrote:

stevensfo wrote:
It's actually run by NewDay, whoever they are.

Absolutely no criticism of any NewDay clients intended, but I get a bit p*ssed off when I read the instructions for potential clients, to see no explanation whatsoever about the company concerned. Who are they? Who is the CEO? How long have they been at their address? Are they all resident in the UK? What is their phone number...etc..etc.

https://portal.newdaycards.com/amazon/help/faqs includes a link to https://www.newday.co.uk/

And there we find out about CEO (https://www.newday.co.uk/who-we-are/lea ... -hourican/)

And this gives regulatory details - https://www.newday.co.uk/site-services/ ... n-details/

Is this information sent to you when you agree to lending them your money?

Are they using your money to fund terrorism, launder it, transfer it to Rees-Mogg's investment company in Singapore, or Dyson who lives next door?

Okay, tongue in cheek, I admit, but I think that we all know deep down that the HMRC know exactly who the money launderers are, and all these new rules are merely to control an increasing population, problems with the economy, and stop anyone from having 'independent thoughts' ....c.f. Pink Floyd the Wall.

Steve

I actually prefer the Beach Boys!

stevensfo wrote:...

Is this information sent to you when you agree to lending them your money?

Are they using your money to fund terrorism, launder it, transfer it to Rees-Mogg's investment company in Singapore, or Dyson who lives next door?

Okay, tongue in cheek, I admit, but I think that we all know deep down that the HMRC know exactly who the money launderers are, and all these new rules are merely to control an increasing population, problems with the economy, and stop anyone from having 'independent thoughts' ....c.f. Pink Floyd the Wall.

Steve

I actually prefer the Beach Boys!

I'm not lending them my money. They're lending me theirs.

This is at the bottom of the first page you arrive at when you follow the link from the Amazon home page to the Platinum card page:

Subject to status and provided by NewDay Ltd. Terms apply. NewDay Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with registered number 7297722, registered office: 7 Handyside Street, London, N1C 4DA. NewDay Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with number 690292 and is also authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (Ref no: 555318) for the provision of payment services. The retailer, Amazon EU S.a.r.l., acts solely as a credit broker and introduces customers to credit products from NewDay Ltd on a non-exclusive basis and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with number 746485. UK Office Address: 1 Principal Place, Worship St, London EC2A 2FA. UK Establishment Number: BR017427. Amazon EU S.a.r.l. is a credit broker and not the lender.

I can't see what information is provided during the application process as I already have the card.

chas49 wrote:

stevensfo wrote:...

Is this information sent to you when you agree to lending them your money?

Are they using your money to fund terrorism, launder it, transfer it to Rees-Mogg's investment company in Singapore, or Dyson who lives next door?

Okay, tongue in cheek, I admit, but I think that we all know deep down that the HMRC know exactly who the money launderers are, and all these new rules are merely to control an increasing population, problems with the economy, and stop anyone from having 'independent thoughts' ....c.f. Pink Floyd the Wall.

Steve

I actually prefer the Beach Boys!

I'm not lending them my money. They're lending me theirs.

This is at the bottom of the first page you arrive at when you follow the link from the Amazon home page to the Platinum card page:

Subject to status and provided by NewDay Ltd. Terms apply. NewDay Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with registered number 7297722, registered office: 7 Handyside Street, London, N1C 4DA. NewDay Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with number 690292 and is also authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (Ref no: 555318) for the provision of payment services. The retailer, Amazon EU S.a.r.l., acts solely as a credit broker and introduces customers to credit products from NewDay Ltd on a non-exclusive basis and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with number 746485. UK Office Address: 1 Principal Place, Worship St, London EC2A 2FA. UK Establishment Number: BR017427. Amazon EU S.a.r.l. is a credit broker and not the lender.

I can't see what information is provided during the application process as I already have the card.

I'm not lending them my money. They're lending me theirs.

So they are paying for your purchase?

PS This company 'New Day' knows all about you. Do you have the CEO's address? Have you done the AML and KYB checks?


Steve