Debenhams card- the pros and cons (Debenhams Store Card)

Member Name: joannabelle88

Product:	Debenhams Store Card
Date:	30/06/09 (571 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good introductory offer, and offers throughout the year

Disadvantages: high apr

The Debenhams store card was quick and easy to open, a member of staff asked me at the till whether I would be interested, as I would receive 10% off of my shopping. Since I was doing a big shop, I decided that I had nothing to lose, and so agreed.

I was taken to a desk with a computer, and the sales assistant went through the form with me. They only asked basic information, such as name, date of birth, address, length of time at address and so on. I was then asked to provide a bank card or credit card confirming my identity, for which I used a debit card. Less than 30 seconds later I was told my application had been accepted, and given a credit limit. I was not at this point told the apr, but that wasn't a huge concern to myself as I was only using the card for the discount, and then going to pay it off, but it is worth bearing in mind.

I was given a temporary cardboard card, and told that I would receive 10% off any purchases I made in store for a week. If you are thinking of opening a Debenhams card, it is worth waiting until you plan to do a lot of shopping, as then the saving can really add up. I used my promotional discount to do the majority of my Christmas shopping- all stuff I was going to buy anyway.

My statement arrived about a week and a half after I had opened the account, and the due date for payment was a month after the account opening, so you do get a reasonable length of time after receiving your statement, incase there are any queries.

The bill can be paid online, via the telephone, by post or in store, so there are lots of options depending on your lifestyle. The quickest ways are online and on the phone, as these only require 2 working days to clear, cheques require 7.

The apr of this card is 19.9% typical, but it can range up to 29.9%, which is very high, and thus I wouldn't recommend this card as a form of borrowing. There are two types of basic card- the store card, and the master card, you can't choose which one you get, but the mastercard can be used in other shops besides Debenhams. There is also a cash withdrawal facility, but the interest charged is horrendous.

The benefits of having a card are 10% off in their cafe, 10% off purchases for the forst week, and special cardholder offers throughout the year. Their gold card, that you can be upgraded to, generally if you spend over £500 in 6 months, gives you 20% off in the cafe, free online delivery and free alterations, in addition to the card holder days/offers.

The disadvantages are that the apr is very high, and thus can be costly if you don't clear your balance before the payment due date, and like all credit facilities, can harm your credit rating if you miss payments.

I also had the problem with the card, that GE Money lost my file, and stopped the card without any warning after 3 months, this was easily sorted in store, and the sales assistant was very appologetic and gave a £20 voucher, even though it was not Debenhams' fault. Since then I have had no problems with the card, and keep it for the special offers, and have now had it for 8 months.

Overall, useful as a tool to get offers and discounts, not so good if you are looking for a credit facility to borrow on.

Summary: a good card if you are looking just to save money on purchases you'd have made anyway