Visa Electron

--- Plus Points --- The Visa Electron card was my first bit of 'plastic' as they say and whilst it wasn't exactly a golden ticket, it did make spending money a little easier...though this isn't always a good thing! The positive thing about the Visa Electron card is that it doesn't let you go overdrawn, quite simply, if the money isn't in your bank account then you can't spend it (a god send for shopaholics). The card is also fairly widely accepted now within the UK (in my experience). A Visa Electron card is basically a key to the funds in your bank account at that time, no extra money you'll be borrowing from the bank and paying back with interest like with a ...  Read the complete review

I got a Visa Electron as my first useable debit card. At the time I was aroudn 15/16 something like that. It was great being able to pay for things without carrying cash and withdraw money etc. The fundamental downfall of the Visa Electron card though, is the fact that there is quite a lot of shops and certain internet retailers that do not accept it. It might not hit you at first but if this is the sole card you rely on you have no idea how frustrating it is when you come across somewhere it is not accepted. The Electron card does have a plus point in that it will not let you withdraw funds or spend funds that are not available in the account, you won't go ...  Read the complete review

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