New VS Credit Card Details

Originally posted by phantomtwin

Originally posted by catsilversword
Discovered an anomaly today.... Waitrose accepts Amex, but not John Lewis. Odd, aren't they one and the same company????

Solution - by Gift Vouchers with the Amex at Waitrose, and redeem them in John Lewis, or even online at johnlewis.com!

A

Wondering what it must be like to be clever..[:I]

Just got my new card

Quick question that's probably been answered before, but a lot of pages to go through.......

Are miles earned using the Mastercard (after phoning to switch across) still awarded after you receieve (and maybe activate) the Amex card?

Originally posted by David_Doyle

Originally posted by sailor99
Well at least you got your card!

Still waiting here too [:#] and actually feeling annoyed that it hasn't arrived yet - I've got a big bill to pay and don't want to miss out on the extra 1400 miles that the new card would give me over the old one

That sounds rather sad in itself doesn't it?!

David

Argh! Just phoned the company that I need to make the payment to, and you'll never guess what......

Asked if there's any credit card they don't take - you can guess the rest.

Hmmmmm, methinks the earning opportunities on the new card could be rather tempered by the 'anything but Amex' issue. It's just a good job I've still got the VS MasterCard ( for now )

David.

Asked if there's any credit card they don't take - you can guess the rest.

Hmmmmm, methinks the earning opportunities on the new card could be rather tempered by the 'anything but Amex' issue. It's just a good job I've still got the VS MasterCard ( for now )

Join the club:D

Tried to use my new card 3 times on Friday and got a refusal each time.
Did a little better on Saturday, tried to use the card at 4 places and only got refused twice. So out of nearly £500 spent over the weekend only £50 was on new AMEX card.

[Neil]

Originally posted by Tim

Asked if there's any credit card they don't take - you can guess the rest.

Hmmmmm, methinks the earning opportunities on the new card could be rather tempered by the 'anything but Amex' issue. It's just a good job I've still got the VS MasterCard ( for now )

Join the club:D

Tried to use my new card 3 times on Friday and got a refusal each time.
Did a little better on Saturday, tried to use the card at 4 places and only got refused twice. So out of nearly £500 spent over the weekend only £50 was on new AMEX card.

I have had an AMEX card for 4 years now and only twice have I had a problem using it, I must admit i find it strange that so many people having problems, i must just shop at the right places

Neil:)

I have had an AMEX card for 4 years now and only twice have I had a problem using it, I must admit i find it strange that so many people having problems, i must just shop at the right places

Neil, I thought it might have been a north/south divide thing, but as you are a Hull lad this theory has gone out of the window.

I can understand some small retailers not taking AMEX, but some of my purchases have been at big companies, i.e. Zurich Insurance, one of the biggest multinational insurance companies and National Tyres which has in excess of 200 branches in UK.

[Neil]

Originally posted by Tim

I have had an AMEX card for 4 years now and only twice have I had a problem using it, I must admit i find it strange that so many people having problems, i must just shop at the right places

Neil, I thought it might have been a north/south divide thing, but as you are a Hull lad this theory has gone out of the window.

I can understand some small retailers not taking AMEX, but some of my purchases have been at big companies, i.e. Zurich Insurance, one of the biggest multinational insurance companies and National Tyres which has in excess of 200 branches in UK.

I do find it strange you are having a lot of problems, and whilst I don't doubt what you say about Zurich etc, I can honestly say my AMEX gets accepted everywhere, even my local Thai, which only holds abt 30 people at best[^] I think I must of been the only happy person on here when VS announced its new card was AMEX!

Neil:)

ps Hull Rules....kind of...sometimes...if you squint and tilt your head to the right! lol - only kidding, even I don't believe me[:I]

cannot see now where it says extra miles until July 2007

if anybody is interested - well I'm not anymore...[:(!]

still waiting for my card to arrive [|)][|)][|)] ---

i nearly blamed postman pat this morning and asked him if there was a problem at the local sorting office!! [}:)][}:)]

Same here, PIN arrived over a week ago, and no card. I don't want to phone in case they just cancel it and I have to wait another 2 weeks for it to arrive.

I cannot find any deatils of the extra miles until July 2007 - can anyone help

[Neil]

Originally posted by flyingdr
I cannot find any deatils of the extra miles until July 2007 - can anyone help

Please don't keep bumping the thread with the same question, espec as you only originally asked it late on last night. I'm sure if somebody is able to help they will do so in their own time

Neil:)

[HighFlyer]

Originally posted by flyingdr
I cannot find any deatils of the extra miles until July 2007 - can anyone help

Check the opening post of this thread (back on page one here)

Basically, until July 07, the cards have increased mileage earning rates up till £10k or £20k of expenditure for White and Black cards accordingly.

Thanks,
Sarah

Originally posted by HighFlyer

Originally posted by flyingdr
I cannot find any deatils of the extra miles until July 2007 - can anyone help

Check the opening post of this thread (back on page one here)

Basically, until July 07, the cards have increased mileage earning rates up till £10k or £20k of expenditure for White and Black cards accordingly.

Thanks,
Sarah

Only if you have been 'selected' apparently. MBNA refuse to upgrade my fee VS MC to amex ( see my previous posts )until you are invited.

If it wasn't for v-flyer I would have no idea my mastercard was going to change[B)]

DD

I was told 2 weeks ago by an MBNA agent that they had swapped my non fee m/c to a black Amex. Today, the white one appeared. They are just completely useless. [V]

Originally posted by locutus
I was told 2 weeks ago by an MBNA agent that they had swapped my non fee m/c to a black Amex. Today, the white one appeared. They are just completely useless. [V]

Exactly the same happened to my parents, so they applied for the Black Amex. My father was accepted, my mother declined [B)]

Then this morning she phones me to tell me MBNA have sent her a letter pre apporving her for a £10,000 unsecured loan !! WTF !!

[RichardMannion]

I think we need to take things into contect here:


- Yes, AmEx acceptance is not quite the same level as MasterCard. I think we all know why this is so, that AmEx has a higher merchant commission fee (i.e the merchant has to pay more to AmEx). Now you need to take this into mind. By a larger commission being charged, you are able to earn more as an end consumer. It simply would not be possible for you to get the points earning ratio on the MasterCard platform. So you have to balance things out to be fair:

MasterCard platform, wider acceptance, less miles earned
AmEx platform, less acceptance, more miles earned.

Now the earnign ratio on the AmEx is double of the MasterCard (once the normal rates apply post July 2007 or you've hit the £20k threshold), so as long as the acceptance rate of AmEx is above half of MasterCard, you are better off.

Now yes, your smaller independent stores might not take AmEx, but your big chains on the whole do. My primary card is an AmEx and its rare that I had to use another card.

MBNA - let me sum it up. Pay peanuts, get monkeys. They make AmEx Corporate Travel look useful, and that says an awful lot. To give them a little slack (or shall I say cord to hang themselves with), its a new product and they aren't quite used to it yet, they need to learn some customer service skills, learn that making answers up and trying to fob off customers is unacceptable. You may have seen from the other thread, the upgrade route to Black for those of us offered White is not yet working or defined, nor will we earn the enhanced rates for the first year.

DD, call VS and see if they can help with the card invite. You should have had one.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion

DD, call VS and see if they can help with the card invite. You should have had one.

Thanks,
Richard

Thanks Richard - Do you have any idea which number I should ring ( I am only VS red ). I have tried the 0800 056 7686 which ended up with me being transfered around departments for over two hours. I don't think I can face that again[:#]

Do you know if the above number is VS, Virgin money or MBNA ?

Thanks Again

DD

EDIT : Couldn't resist trying again. I was again told that the upgrade offer was a marketing decision and was only offered to selected customers[n].

When asked if the 'rumour'(sorry Richard;)) that my Mastercard would stop earning points at the end of the year was true the operator said no decision had been made and I could continue to use my mastercard and obtain points for the forseeable future[:0].

When asked if the 'rumor'(sorry Richard;)) that my Mastercard would stop earning points at the end of the year was true the operator said no decision had been made and I could continue to use my mastercard and obtain points for the forseeable future[:0].

Perhaps that was the 'policy answer' DD. ISTBC but so far as I am aware, MC stops earning air miles in Dec.

Anyone know different[?]

[RichardMannion]

I think my earlier quote of 'they need to learn some customer service skills, learn that making answers up and trying to fob off customers is unacceptable.' sums it up.

MC wills top earning miles at the end of the year - as hard as you may think this is to beleive, you as people that read the forum here will probably know more about the product than the people at MBNA.

DD - again refer to my quote. It was not a targetted promo - anyone that had an existing card was offered the new one:

Fee-Free were offered White
Fee cards were offered Black

Nothing more, nothing less. Send me an e-mail and I will forward it on for you to the right people at VS - please feel free to express your dismay with MBNA and their 'service'.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by Treelo
[br
Perhaps that was the 'policy answer' DD. ISTBC but so far as I am aware, MC stops earning air miles in Dec.

Anyone know different[?]

I don't for one minute doubt my card will stop earning miles in Dec. I have far more faith in V-flyer and some of its contributors than I do in MBNA[8D]

DD

EDIT : Richard, Just saw your post. Thanks for the offer. I will compose a letter tommorrow.

Regards

DD

Originally posted by Treelo

Perhaps that was the 'policy answer' DD. ISTBC but so far as I am aware, MC stops earning air miles in Dec.

Anyone know different[?]

I would love to see a change of heart and the Virgin Mastercard to continue to earn miles.

Originally posted by RichardMannion


- Yes, AmEx acceptance is not quite the same level as MasterCard. I think we all know why this is so, that AmEx has a higher merchant commission fee (i.e the merchant has to pay more to AmEx). Now you need to take this into mind. By a larger commission being charged, you are able to earn more as an end consumer. It simply would not be possible for you to get the points earning ratio on the MasterCard platform. So you have to balance things out to be fair:

MasterCard platform, wider acceptance, less miles earned
AmEx platform, less acceptance, more miles earned.

Now the earnign ratio on the AmEx is double of the MasterCard (once the normal rates apply post July 2007 or you've hit the £20k threshold), so as long as the acceptance rate of AmEx is above half of MasterCard, you are better off.

Post July 2007 the earning rates for the fee paying cards will be the same on general spending i.e. 2 miles per £1 spent. The fee is higher at £115 per annum and the spending opportunities on the Amex card will be reduced quite a bit (many on here have already experienced it).

There is also the convenience factor - with Mastercard you never had to consider if it would be accepted.

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by wood07

Originally posted by RichardMannion


- Yes, AmEx acceptance is not quite the same level as MasterCard. I think we all know why this is so, that AmEx has a higher merchant commission fee (i.e the merchant has to pay more to AmEx). Now you need to take this into mind. By a larger commission being charged, you are able to earn more as an end consumer. It simply would not be possible for you to get the points earning ratio on the MasterCard platform. So you have to balance things out to be fair:

MasterCard platform, wider acceptance, less miles earned
AmEx platform, less acceptance, more miles earned.

Now the earnign ratio on the AmEx is double of the MasterCard (once the normal rates apply post July 2007 or you've hit the £20k threshold), so as long as the acceptance rate of AmEx is above half of MasterCard, you are better off.

Post July 2007 the earning rates for the fee paying cards will be the same on general spending i.e. 2 miles per £1 spent. The fee is higher at £115 per annum and the spending opportunities on the Amex card will be reduced quite a bit (many on here have already experienced it).

There is also the convenience factor - with Mastercard you never had to consider if it would be accepted.

True - but then there is the lowered threshold for companion, and the new 'upgrade' awards. Whilst they may not be of use to everyone, they are for some customers.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion

Originally posted by wood07

Originally posted by RichardMannion


- Yes, AmEx acceptance is not quite the same level as MasterCard. I think we all know why this is so, that AmEx has a higher merchant commission fee (i.e the merchant has to pay more to AmEx). Now you need to take this into mind. By a larger commission being charged, you are able to earn more as an end consumer. It simply would not be possible for you to get the points earning ratio on the MasterCard platform. So you have to balance things out to be fair:

MasterCard platform, wider acceptance, less miles earned
AmEx platform, less acceptance, more miles earned.

Now the earnign ratio on the AmEx is double of the MasterCard (once the normal rates apply post July 2007 or you've hit the £20k threshold), so as long as the acceptance rate of AmEx is above half of MasterCard, you are better off.

Post July 2007 the earning rates for the fee paying cards will be the same on general spending i.e. 2 miles per £1 spent. The fee is higher at £115 per annum and the spending opportunities on the Amex card will be reduced quite a bit (many on here have already experienced it).

There is also the convenience factor - with Mastercard you never had to consider if it would be accepted.

True - but then there is the lowered threshold for companion, and the new 'upgrade' awards. Whilst they may not be of use to everyone, they are for some customers.

Thanks,
Richard

These could be useful, however the MBNA VS link for getting these rewards on your FC account is best described as 'flakey', and I think I'm being generous - I have to chase it up every single year. I don't hold out much hope that the lower thresholds for companion awards and the new upgrade awards will mean these will be processed any more efficiently than at present.

From July next year these will be the main benefits of the new card - miles earning will be the same ( excepting VH/VS ), acceptance of the card will be lower than Mastercard, and the price has been hiked to £115 against £30 for a similar earning BA Amex card ( 1.5 miles / £, 3 miles per £ with BA )

I hope that MBNA / VS are able to efficiently deliver the companion / upgrade benefits seamlessly as I don't expect to pay £115 a year for me having to continually chase the 2 companies up to deliver the advertised service.

David.