Curve card ‘pauses’ Amex functionality

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(EDIT: Curve has changed a lot since this article was published. Please do not rely on the information here. Instead, please click here to read our detailed 2020 Curve review, which includes a link for a free £10 credit when you sign up.)

Let’s keep Curve discussion here, please, to stop other threads getting clogged up.

I will do an analysis on this tomorrow. My gut feeling in the short term is that – assuming you can easily spend £1,000 on Curve in the next three months (and £600 of that can be free ATM withdrawals linked to a Mastercard or Visa, earning points) – you might as well do that.

You will get the £35 credit, which if you have the basic card means you are in the same financial position as taking a refund, and you still have the Curve card for overseas use (if you don’t have a 0% card) and ATM use and for places where it is treated as a debit card.

Curve prepaid MasterCard

And, of course, if you take a refund you would need to pay £35 again later if / when Amex functionality returns. If you have the premium version, the maths is different and you may find the full refund better than a £50 credit.

It is always fun and games working with start-ups ….

The email:

I’m Shachar, the CEO of Curve. Today we’ve got some disappointing news. American Express have asked us to pause their functionality with Curve – which means you will not be able to use your Curve card with your Amex for the time being. This begins at midday on May 31st UK time – you’ll shortly receive another email with practical details of what will happen when we pause the American Express functionality – your Curve will continue to work with Mastercard and Visa.

American Express want to ensure there is a seamless customer support process for their Members when using their Card with Curve. We’re continuing discussions with their management, and hope that American Express decide to come back to Curve soon.

We’re continuing to build something big at Curve. The first ever platform to connect you to your everything money – transforming the way you handle your finances, bringing value and saving you time and money. We’re already connecting up all your bank cards, tracking your expenses in real time and saving you money with zero FX fees when you travel. This is just the beginning – we’re working hard on future features such as the ability to move charges between funding cards after you’ve paid, bespoke loyalty rewards and cash-backs, peer-to peer payments and much more.

As a big thank you for being one of Curve’s early adopters we are giving Blue card members £35 and Black card members £50 worth of Curve Points if you spend a total of £1000 over the next three months. You’ll be able to spend your Curve Points at any merchant that accepts Mastercard using your Curve. Please see our FAQs for further details.

We hope you choose to stay with us to continue the exciting journey we’ve begun together. Please write to me directly at shachar.bialick@imaginecurve.com – I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

I’ll keep you updated.

Yours,

Shachar Bialick

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Category

Curve Card

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

Ross Parker says:

24 May24 May 10:55

I just got a different, second email:

Curve and American Express – what does it mean for you?
American Express have asked us to pause their functionality with Curve. On May 31st at midday UK time your Amex card will be removed from the app and if you don’t have any other funding cards you’ll need to add and verify a new one to keep using your Curve. Don’t worry – you will still be able to view your transaction history with your American Express from your app.

We know it’s annoying to lose a popular feature but we really hope you’ll stay with us to experience all the other exciting benefits Curve has to offer. We’re really excited to be on a journey to transform and simplify the way you handle your finances – already connecting up all your bank cards, tracking your transactions in real time, helping you better manage your expenses, and saving you money when you travel with zero FX fees. This is just the beginning – we’re working hard on future features such as the ability to move charges between funding cards after you’ve paid, bespoke loyalty rewards and cash-backs, peer-to peer payments and much more.

As a big thank you for being one of Curve’s early adopters, we will give you £35 worth of Curve Points if you have a Blue card or £50 if you have a Black card when we launch Curve Rewards, as long as you spend a total of £1000 on your Curve card over the next 3 months – please see our FAQs for further details. We really hope you’ll stay with us to continue the journey we’re starting together but if you no longer want to be part of the Curve Beta you can cancel your account and get a refund here.

Let us know if you have any questions.
- BigDave says:
  
  24 May24 May 15:03
  
  I got that one too because although they promised shipping out on the 18th May – I hadn’t heard a peep from them yet – which now I understand why they were holding back sending any more out
  incase they were in it for the amex only and cancelling order is easier than refunding.
- harry says:
  
  24 May24 May 15:10
  
  Maybe David will finally acknowledge it was a Beta – since this is what Curve themselves are saying 🙂
- Mr Dee says:
  
  24 May24 May 18:37
  
  So people who opted for the black version are being charged £25 for the wallet, seeing as the black card was supposed to be ‘Double Points’ that should be £70!
  
  The wallet is useless and wish I had never got it
C Tingle says:

24 May24 May 10:55

Urgh! This was the only reason I signed up. To use my MBNA Amex anywhere and get double points in places that only took Visa. I’ve cancelled my card and told them not to bother sending me one.

It’s all very well giving you some curve points, but the scheme hasn’t even been launched yet so no one knows what those points can be redeemed for, will it be Amazon vouchers? Plain and simple cash or what? Without knowing I’m no longer interested in the card. I already pay £140 a year for the account as it is.

I think Amex are being unreasonable as when I call customer services I deal with MBNA as will the people who have the Lloyds bank version. Unfortunately though, right now curve is no good to me.
- john says:
  
  24 May24 May 11:04
  
  They have said curve points will be usable like statement credit, and raffles repeats this in the article above!
DaveTMG says:

24 May24 May 10:59

I wonder how may refunds they can process before going bust?

That’s the real gamble here, hang on and get the not yet existent points with the risk they will never exist or grab your refund whilst you can.
- Isha says:
  
  24 May24 May 12:07
  
  You will automatically be entered into a loyalty promotion whereby if you spend
  £1000 on your Curve card between 25th May 2016 and 31st August 2016 you will
  receive £35 if you purchased a blue card and £50 if you purchased a black card
  credited via Curve Reward Points and redeemable everywhere the Curve card is
  accepted.
  1.2. Curve accounts will be credited with Curve Reward Points when the Curve
  Rewards programme launches if the £1000 spend threshold has been reached.
  - DaveTMG says:
    
    24 May24 May 13:21
    
    not sure what your point is?
RTS says:

24 May24 May 11:01

Tell you what… I’d hate to see Curve’s bank account right now…. must be a constant stream of -£35s and -£50s !
- Talay says:
  
  24 May24 May 11:07
  
  Yes, I think their business model is kaput and never thought it was fully developed before launch.
  
  They will be charging the full “world” credit card rates (like the Marriot Mastercard) which are circa 1.8/2.0% but pretending to be debit cards.
  
  My guess retailers and the like have thrown a wobbly over this when they thought they were taking in a real Mastercard debit for small beer and have been hit with huge (relative) fees for it.
  
  Likewise there might be not a lot left for Amex to play with hence the suspension.
  - Ross Parker says:
    
    24 May24 May 11:11
    
    I am inclined to take the CEO email at face value as to AmEx’s motive: they want seamlessness, and Curve has had a number of systems failures.
  - Will says:
    
    24 May24 May 11:43
    
    I never really understood the model and it was too good to be true. No one has any faith the AmEx issue will be resolved though! I agree with those saying we’d have to have a lot of faith to “buy” in to the rewards. I feel this shambles will be the end of Curve. Will await OP’s article tomorrow though.
PlaneSimple says:

24 May24 May 11:09

Couple of questions I hope someone can answer as I’m a little confused (easily) reading some of these comments!

1) is the forex change 1% or 0%?

2) does the ‘offer’ of rewards rebate for £1000 spend begin after 31 May or does existing spend contribute to the £1000

3) (probably the one I want clarity on the most) if I withdraw more than £200 a month from ATMs for this month, will (or can) I be charged a fee given I didn’t receive 2 months notice to th change in fee? I’m not going to go daft but if I withdraw £1000 over the next week will I have a case to get a rebate on any fees charged if they are?

Overall I will keep the card, may as well given the nominal (if any) charge for doing so. Interested to see how it all plays out though.

Thanks.
- RTS says:
  
  24 May24 May 11:15
  
  1) forex fee is 0% but there is 1% charge for using it abroad.
  2) new spend only, as far as i read it.
  3) No you won’t be charged the fee as the 2 months notice period isn’t up yet (you have until 19th June I believe). Anyone’s guess if you abuse, as I suspect that’s what a lot of people will do and it did cross my mind too, but likely scenario would be a) Curve will simply stop your card for abusing it under their T&Cs, b) Curve goes bust due to cashflow issues. Both cases could cause you to lose out on your refund.
- Rob says:
  
  24 May24 May 11:16
  
  1. Technically it is 1% since, whilst there is no fee, the exchange rate used is flexed by 1%
  
  2. Genuinely no idea, my gut feeling is it starts from 31 May
  
  3. The Curve position is that the T&C’s in place on the day you activated the card are the ones that apply. This is hugely debatable, especially as the contract was made on the day your card was charged. However, if you received it after the date it changed then in theory you are limited at £200.
- ComeFlyWithMe123 says:
  
  24 May24 May 12:01
  
  Additional promotions
  1.1. You will automatically be entered into a loyalty promotion whereby if you spend
  £1000 on your Curve card between 25th May 2016 and 31st August 2016 you will
  receive £35 if you purchased a blue card and £50 if you purchased a black card
  credited via Curve Reward Points and redeemable everywhere the Curve card is
  accepted.
  1.2. Curve accounts will be credited with Curve Reward Points when the Curve
  Rewards programme launches if the £1000 spend threshold has been reached
Sideysid says:

24 May24 May 11:13

Loopholes never last long once the masses jump onboard. Was always a risky strategy to base your whole business on.

I shall be applying for refund after May 31st for myself and my partners card (that she is yet to still receive).

In the event that they go under before they refund my fees, it will be slightly ironic that I will be contacting Amex to use their purchase protection for a situation that has been their doing!
- RTS says:
  
  24 May24 May 11:21
  
  Uhh but does AMEX purchase protection cover your Curve card though? As it isn’t unused and under the exclusion point it does state “Cash and it’s equivalent (including travellers cheque).
  - Mr Dee says:
    
    24 May24 May 18:48
    
    Its a physical card in a box nevermind this wallet thing so can’t see it being an issue.
Ross Parker says:

24 May24 May 11:16

Just cancelled. I got the card for the Amex potential. It cost me £35, which should now be refunded (unless Curve go bust before the BACS run), so I am not out of pocket. The incentive to stay on and earn £35 in a non-existent reward scheme would clearly not be useful for me, even if the initial £10 sign-up mystery credit also materialised. I cannot see the point of Curve now (especially as I have the Supercard Beta until June, which *is* 0% overseas). What’s the use case for Curve now? Taking £200 out of an ATM and re-billing to a rewards MC/Visa? Not sure it’s worth the hassle.
- Vinz says:
  
  24 May24 May 13:04
  
  You can’t do that (withdrawing money then paying it in), it’s against their Terms. It’s considered as fraud and money laundering.
  - headformiles says:
    
    24 May24 May 13:30
    
    Why is it considered fraud and money laundering?
  - Singing Dwarf says:
    
    24 May24 May 13:34
    
    I can understand how it may be construed as being money laundering, but how is it fraud exactly?
    - John says:
      
      24 May24 May 14:29
      
      Depends if they asked you to click “I Agree” to a statement along the lines of that you won’t use the card to purchase cash. There is a line in Amex’s T&Cs which says this.
  - Ross Parker says:
    
    24 May24 May 13:42
    
    I think you misunderstand my phrase “re-billing”. I mean the charge from the ATM goes to Curve which “passes it on” or “routes it” to another card. I didn’t mean to withdraw cash and use that to pay off the underlying card (although given that cash is fungible, they would have a hard time proving it was exactly the same tenner that you did this with).
  - Mr Dee says:
    
    24 May24 May 18:50
    
    Yes would be interested in hearing news on someone in court over withdrawing cash from their curve card and just because its against their terms does not mean it is illegal.
Norman says:

24 May24 May 11:18

I’m holding out for things to get better. I’ve read reports of transactions appearing twice via Amex and hopefully this pause is to fix that. I really hope so because I’ve only just got the card set up and have yet to use it.
- Paul says:
  
  24 May24 May 12:11
  
  The double billing issue was around the 9th May and quickly communicated and then resolved.
  Have been impressed with their comms generally but losing amex is a serious blow and the penny pinching on refunds if you dont send the wallet back is very poor.
  - john says:
    
    24 May24 May 12:27
    
    I had a declined online transaction double billed to amex today.
    - Talay says:
      
      24 May24 May 13:07
      
      Me too, for around £800 each time !
  - Duncan Stevenson says:
    
    24 May24 May 13:08
    
    Especially bad as the card cost £75 and the wallet was a FREE gift. Supposedly!
    - Mr Dee says:
      
      24 May24 May 18:52
      
      They want to charge you £25 indirectly for it now, through this refund/loyalty scheme!
      
      I can’t remember if it even came in a box or wrapped up, was it just 2 inserts?
  - Mr Dee says:
    
    24 May24 May 18:54
    
    I don’t blame amex for dumping Curve, they have been billing preauthorisations as full transaction then refunding them 5 days later as well as charging the full amount a day later.
    
    This is completely absurd, I made a purchase for £200 and it was charged twice due to the preauthorisation issue and had to wait days for it to be refunded