I'm not alone (Solo Card Services)

Member Name: NikkiH

Product:	Solo Card Services
Date:	09/11/02 (2169 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easier to budget

Disadvantages: Looked down on and not accepted everywhere

I have a Solo card. I have no choice in the matter, as many of you will know, I was the victim of fraud, and have yet to clear my name with the credit reference agencies, so on paper, I am a bad risk for credit. Not being able to get credit does not bother me too much, as I just save hard. I have a mortgage with the Abbey National who saw me as more than a blemished credit record. Anyway, I have got off the subject for a moment then.

I bank with Natwest, and the only account they could offer me was a Step Account, which comes with a Solo card. Initially, I was disappointed as I was used to having a cheque card, but as the fraud had happened again with LloydsTSB, I had no choice but to close that account. In a way, I felt like a second class citizen, as I only had a Solo card, but as I did some research, I have found that it is not as bad as it first seemed.

In today's society, you are frowned upon if you do not have some form of plastic, but now there is a class system of cards!! Solo is lower class and is just above the Electron card.

Solo is the sister card of Switch, and it has a purple symbol with an 'S' in it. Like Switch, it can be used as a cashcard, and also a debit card at selected outlets. With Solo, every transaction is authorised by Solo, so there is no way you can spend money that you do not have, which is fine by me. The authorisation process at the checkout is no different from when you use a standard credit card, as it is all done remotely through the computers. The payment is then debited from your account within 2 days, although the amount debited will immediately be unavailable to you.

The only problem with Solo, is that is not accepted everywhere, so I make sure that I either check beforehand, or take enough money to cover my purchase.

The card is accepted at (to name a few) ASDA, Safeway, Tesco, Ikea,ToysRUS, Next, Argos, HMV, Iceland and M&S. If they offer a cashback facility, you can a
lso take advantage of that up to a fifty pound limit

It is not accepted at Boots, Etam, Aldi, WH Smith,Pizza Hut, Woolworths and Allsports. (Plus many more).

I have adapted to using this now, and it means that you can only buy what you can afford, which is the best idea all round I think.

Summary: