Plastic money (Argos Card)

Name: wtwildcats

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Product:	Argos Card
Date:	04/02/03 (3594 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interest free option, Premier Points

Disadvantages: Expensive if interest bearing

Most large shopping chains have, over the years, introduced their own Store Card. Argos is no different.

For our friends that don't live in the UK, Argos is a national shopping chain that sells thousands of different products from their stores. It lists all the products that the stores will be stocking in catalogues which the consumer can take home with them. New main catalogues come out every six months, and smaller sales, or seasonal goods, catalogues are produced at various points throughout the year.

The Argos card can provide a simple and convienient method for paying for goods purchased from Argos.

There are two ways to apply for an Argos card. You may not be successful with your application for a card, because you will receive credit when using one, so every applicant will have a credit check made against them.

You can apply in store, or over the telephone by calling the dedicated Argos Card Services call centre on (0870) 010 2103. Obviously, you will have to answer the standard questions that you always have to answer when applying for credit.

If you apply for a card over the telephone, you will not be told there and then what your credit limit is - you will only find out when everything is sent to your home.

You have a choice of three designs on your Argos Card. One is a basic blue card with the words "Argos" and "Brighter Shopping" across it. This is quite boring. The 2nd card is again blue but it has a picture of 2 dolphins jumping out of the water on it. The 3rd choice, and it happens to be the card I chose, is yellow, and has a picture of a big rubber duck on it.

I know! Things like this aren't important, but its nice to have the choice.

This card has similar features to a credit card:

1. Up to 56 days interest free credit

2. If you spend ovver £195 in one purchase, you will automatically be given the option to spread the cost of purcha

se over 6 months, totally interest free !! This is a good idea.

3. You earn 5 Premier Points for every £1 spent on your card. (These points can be redeemed at any time as money off goods bought from Argos at a later date.)

4. If you are not eligable for interest free credit, or if you choose not to repay interest free purchases over 6 months, but take longer to do so, interest will be charged on your account at an APR of 25.9%.

This is quite steep, so if you can, it pays to pay off before interest is owed.

5. You receive a monthly statement - yellow border, with clear details on the front and back, detailing all money going into or leaving your account in the previous month. It will also detail how many Premier Points you have, and what they are worth; what your minimum payment is for the month and when you need to pay by.

From time to time, you will be sent money off vouchers which are only available to cardholders.

There are various options to pay your monthly bill. You could go to either your bank or Argos' clearing bank and pay over the counter, pay over the phone, by post, or by internet banking. I choose internet banking, and I've never had problems in arranging payment or having payments bounce back of whatever.

When I have had problems with my account, I have found the Customer Service staff available, and helpful.

I like this card. I tend to use it quite often - for my own purchases, and for those of some friends and family, because of the Premier Points that I collect :)

The only real downside is that if you want this card for interest bearing credit, then it is expensive - and probably more so than any credit card on the market. For interest free shopping and free Premier Points, this can't be beat.

Thanks for reading.

Andy

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