Smiling all the way to the cyberbank (Smile)

Member Name: barginz

Product:	Smile
Date:	22/04/03 (236 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cashback, Award-winning security, Ethical bank

Disadvantages: Only available online

I've had a Smile Credit Card for over a year now and haven't regretted changing it from my Alliance & Leicester Cashback Card. I've used the card abroad with no problems and on the two occasions I've had to contact customer services, my problems were sorted out promptly and with no fuss.

I always look for 'cashback' cards and pay the balance at the end of the month, so was drawn to Smile because of the Cooperative Bank's ethical stance. You can find out more about that online, but basically, The Co-op Bank are not involved with governments or businesses that don't uphold basic Human Rights, or are involved in the Arms Trade, genetic modification or cause negative ecological impact, amongst others. Also, Guardian readers voted the Smile card as the best cashback credit card in their 2002 awards.

You can view your transactions online at any time and you'll get an email once a month telling you when your online statement is ready. You can set up a monthly Direct Debit from any current account to either make the minimum payment or pay the balance in full, or if you have a Smile current account, you can set up a transfer online yourself.

The Smile APR is very good, too - 10.5% or 9.9% if you also have a Smile current account - so if you have an outstanding balance, switching to Smile is definitely worth considering. You also get up to 46 days interest free if you settle the balance in full. There's no annual fee, and you get 0.5% (half a per cent) cashback, which is credited to your account every month, thus reducing your balance. This compares well to my old A&L card, where they give you your cashback yearly.

Additional charges compare very favourably to my old Alliance & Leicester card - Smile mostly charge £10 for things like exceeding your credit limit or 'bouncing' direct debit payments, whereas A&L charge £20!

The website is very user friendly and you can apply for any a
ccounts online, even on the same application form, so no having to put in your personal details more than once. There's even an option to 'compare credit cards' and you can find out how much you can save by switching to Smile. The application form does take a little while to download, but you could always go and make a cup of tea while you're waiting. After applying, you get a 'personal enrolment number' and you can track the progress of your application online. I can't remember how long it took to process my application (sorry), but as I'd got another card already, it wasn't critical. It only took a few days, anyway, and I've used the card here and abroad with no problems.

Smile have won an award for their security measures, so there should be no worries on this score. Should you wish to take out card protection, Smile are currently offering a 90-day free trial of their plan, offered by Sentinel (normally £16 per year, £39 for 3 years, covering all the cards in your household).

All these and other details about the Smile Visa Card can be found online at:

www.smile.co.uk

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