Great offers and easy application (Barclaycard)

Member Name: severus_snape

Product:	Barclaycard
Date:	04/03/08 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Swift application and decision in minutes

Disadvantages: Poor online access

I've been a HSBC Customer since I was a young teenager, and used their credit card for a few years when I opened my Student Account back in 2002. I had no complaints about HSBC, but their APR was running at 19.9% recently, and given that my balance was quite high, I was paying more interest than I could afford. That's when I started shopping around for a new card, hoping to get a good deal on balance transfers.

I'd heard a lot of advertisements about Barclaycard, and even though I'm not a fan of Barclays Bank, I felt that the credit card side of things was probably more reliable and trustworthy. I took a look at some finance sites for low APRs and Balance Transfers, and Barclaycard came out top. I took a look at their website, and was pleasantly surprised...

There were twelve different cards to choose from, all Visa, offering a range of different deals, depending on what you were looking for. The "simplicity card" seemed very attractive, with an APR of only 6.9% for purchases, for life; there were offers that combined balance transfers with low APR, and some cards for Charity and Football benefits as well. I felt impressed with the layout of the site and the amount of information available on the products, and I settled for the Platinum Card, which offered 0% on balance transfers for 14 months, and 0% on purchases for 3 months.

The application was very simple, taking about five minutes to complete. I was expecting to have to wait for a few days for an answer, but they approved my application online, and I received account information about three days later, with the card itself arriving a few days after that.

I've used the card a little for purchases, taking advantage of the 0% for three months; but the main purpose for me was the balance transfer, which had to be done over the telephone. The call centre was clearly somewhere abroad, but the customer representative I spoke to was very helpful and unlike some places, didn't get too familiar with me, addressing me as "sir" throughout. It took about five minutes to sort out, and there weren't many "press one, press two" options to have to go through at the beginning.

Statements are sent through the post every month, and I've received my first: it was well laid out and easy to understand. The minimum payment was clear and contact details were available on the reverse.

My only complaint is the ability to access my account online. To register, I had to fill out a form online; but because I'd missed out my middle initial I had to complete it over the phone, which was a little annoying. This didn't take long, though. The website access is via a long ID number, which I've got no chance of remembering (risking security by having to write it down). I was not able to arrange a balance transfer online (which I can do with HSBC) and the layout of the account screen wasn't very easy to navigate.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this card, and the service I've had from Barclaycard. I couldn't wish for an easier way to sort out my finances.

Summary: A great card with only minor snags