Visa Electron

I have a Barclays Visa Electron card and i had to request it and this was only for one reason! With some online flight providers (which i regularly use) you pay a hefty credit card charge if you use anything other than Electron card to pay. This includes all credit cards and any other debit cards and they will fine you around £15 per ticket if you want to pay with these. But for some reason (unbeknown to me!) if you use an Electron card to pay there are no added charges. So i went into Barlcays and set up a basic account with an Electron card and if i'm paying for flights online i simply ensure i have enough cleared funds in the account. That ...  Read the complete review

Unfortunately not all online shops accept visa electron card. I found this website which shows which ones accept:

http://www.shopspree.co.uk/shops-accept-visa-electron.htm

Visa Electron is a debit card introduced by Visa in the 1980s. Unlike the Visa Debit card, Visa Electron claims to only allow payments if the funds are available at the time. Visa Electron is also linked to the PLUS interbank network which means you can withdraw funds from your bank account using any ATM that displays the PLUS logo. I first had a Visa Electron card with my Barclays bank account about 15 years ago. The thought of being able to sign for my purchases was all very grown-up and bohemian. In reality, I struggled to find anywhere that accepted Visa Electron. A friend who also had a Visa Electron would often tip me off if she saw a sign in a ...  Read the complete review

For UK customers this is not an attractive option. I was sold the card with the assurance that I could get ´cash back´ in shops abroad. This was not the case. When I complained to the agent who sold me the card (Going Places), they did not even deign to reply. I also have a Nationwide BS flex account, which allows withdrawals on the continent with no charges and a very competitive exchange rate (if you choose an appropriate institution in Europe (and here I can speak only of Spain), again there is no charge. I have found the card useful for on-line purchases in euros, otherwise it appears to be a distinctly inferior product, with non-existent ...  Read the complete review

I have used a visa electron for the past 5 years, and I find it easier to manage than a normal visa. The great news is that the Visa Electron looks like a normal Visa with a chip and PIN. But let’s get to the point: with a visa electron you are not untitled to any overdraft. The money you spend or withdraw is automatically deducted from your account straight away, so there are no bad surprises at the end of the month. If you want to purchase something make sure you have enough in your account otherwise the transaction will not be accepted. It taught me to manage my account and to not overspend and yes it was hard at the beginning with all the bills to ...  Read the complete review