Bits: Virgin Azuma trains named, 0% balance transfers and no fee with the Post Office credit card

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News in brief:

Virgin names its new trains Azuma

Virgin has announced the name of its new train fleet for the East Coast line – Azuma.

And here is a pretty picture of one:

Azuma

Currently being assembled by Hitachi in County Durham, they are due to come into service from 2018. The trains will have the same 1-2 seating layout in First Class, pictured below, as the existing fleet.

The top speed will remain at 120 mph until line upgrades are completed, albeit that improved acceleration is expected to reduce London to Edinburgh journey times by 20 minutes.

A variant of these trains will debut first, in 2017, on the Great Western line.

Azuma First Class

0% fee and 0% interest for 18 months on Post Office Money Platinum MasterCard

There are a handful of credit cards which are both FREE and have no foreign exchange fees on purchases abroad – Nationwide, Halifax Clarity etc – plus the Post Office Money Platinum Mastercard.

Whilst the Halifax Clarity card is marginally better than the Post Office one – because Clarity also has no FX fees on overseas cash withdrawals – there is a new reason to take a look at the Post Office card at the moment.

For a limited period, it is offering:

0% interest for 18 months on balance transfers, and

0% fee on your balance transfer

This means that you can move an existing balance from any other credit card, fee free, to the Post Office card and pay no interest until Autumn 2017. You should definitely clear your balance at that point, however, as the representative APR is 17.8% variable. This is NOT a card where you want to be paying interest.

More details of the Post Office Platinum card and this offer can be found here.

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Category

General

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

John says:

19 Mar19 March 04:01

Since when have you (Rob) become interested in 0% offers?

One of the very first questions I asked on HFP 3 years ago was regarding this very thing, and you said you thought carrying large balances would hurt your credit rating or something like that.
Peaceful Waters says:

19 Mar19 March 04:46

If you carry a balance transfer across from another card and then make a purchase overseas you’ll pay interest on that purchase element of the overall balance.
- Matt says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 04:52
  
  This is true and often overlooked. If you don’t pay your balance off in full, regardless of whether it is 0% balance transfer offer, you lose the 56-day interest fee grace period that normally applies to purchases.
- Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 06:41
  
  Correct. This undermines the value in the 0% FX after the first three months.
  
  Halifax have a 23m BT offer with no fee (although nb that Halifax offer a shorter BT length about half of accepted applicants).
Tilly71 says:

19 Mar19 March 06:58

Robs breaking into the Credit Card market, Rob Lewis in the making.
- Oyster says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 09:33
  
  I think it’s ok here as the Post Office card is used by travellers.
  - Raffles says:
    
    19 Mar19 March 10:40
    
    I only mentioned it because I happened to be looking at the PO site yesterday (due my legal obligation to make sure all the APR stuff is up to date) and this popped up. I would hope that HFP readers on high-interest rewards cards are not carrying balances on them but I know from the occasional email I receive that this is not the case.
Liz says:

19 Mar19 March 08:27

OT: I completed my IHG Accelerate tasks on 11/3 – task list updated 17/3 to show completed and points all posted into my account today including the Achievement Bonus ! Wasn’t expecting them to post for a few weeks! Although the bonus of 1000 pts for purchasing points back in Jan has not yet posted. There was a problem with the IT and it now shows completed but have raised a claim for the missing bonus. 97k easy points!!
- Gavin says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 09:03
  
  Nice one Liz. Currently at the Crowne Plaza Gatwick finishing my target.
  
  Not a bad spot for a stopover although it’s in Crawley rather than attached to the airport. I was picking up the Mrs at midnight rather than flying out early though so less of an issue. Most of staff very new it seems, shocking service at the bar but front desk pretty good with status welcoming etc.
Gavin says:

19 Mar19 March 09:05

Hitachi Rail are one of my customers, off to visit one of their Depots in 2 weeks!
- Jordan D says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 14:26
  
  One of my client’s previously. Can proudly say that I’ve played a (small) part in these trains coming to fruition. Even been to Newton Aycliffe when it was a field.
Nick Burch says:

19 Mar19 March 09:15

Top speed remains 125mph not 120!

Apparently, they’re being designed for 140pm (what the electric hauled trains currently running were also designed for), but it needs signalling upgrades (planned for the next 5-10 years anyway) and upgrades to the overhead electric system first.
Andy says:

19 Mar19 March 10:49

Azumas are similar to the southeastern high speed trains which is a very nice train to travel on.

ICE 3 is still my favourite train to travel on.
Barry says:

19 Mar19 March 11:47

I have the PO credit card (for the zero foreign currency fees) and not a great experience. It’s actually a bank of Ireland run card and customer service is not great – I had a problem with an overseas disputed charge and they were of no use/support at all. Would obviously not recommend.
- Alan says:
  
  19 Mar19 March 14:16
  
  Worth submitting a formal complaint. I had issues with the card being blocked and then not properly unblocked whilst abroad (incurring lots of international calls) and they provided appropriate recompense.