Credit & Charge Card Reviews (21): TSB Avios American Express & Mastercard

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• Julia says:

  9 Nov9 November 09:18

  Under the right circumstances the 1,500 avios for balance transfers may have some use. We’re remortgageing next year and have large balances on interest only cards which are coming to an end which need clearing down. May be better than nothing….

  • Genghis says:

    9 Nov9 November 10:12

    If you’ve got large balances on cards and paying interest, surely getting a card with a lower than 3% BT initial fee and a 0% interest rate should be your main priority. E.g. Virgin do an effective 0.59% initial rate with 0% interest for 30 months and I’m sure there are better ones. Going with TSB over this Virgin card would mean avios at 1.6p and I’m not a buyer at that price.

    • Alan says:

      9 Nov9 November 10:24

      There’s also cards with 0% fee and 0% interest for 12+ months that would be even better.

      • Genghis says:

        9 Nov9 November 10:31

        Thanks Alan. So this makes the avios 2p each if going with TSB. Wowsers.

• Julia says:

  9 Nov9 November 10:37

  Hi Genghis. The balances are on cards which are all in interest free periods; I’m not paying interest or any associated costs with these cards. However the interest free period on some cards is drawing to an end and It’s time to pay them off in readiness for remortgageing next year. You raised a good point though – thankyou.

• Mikeact says:

  9 Nov9 November 17:31

  Some maybe interested in my experience I had with TSB and this dual package.
  I applied, on line , through the Avios.com site. I was initially attracted to the Double Miles for overseas expenditure, but more of that later.
  Having applied, I received an Email some 2/3 weeks later, ‘Approved ‘, but to take proof of ID into my local branch which I did.
  Another 2/3 weeks went by, with another Email ‘Approved ‘, but to take my proof of ID into my local branch, again.
  The local manager was a little embarrassed but after phone calls admitted they had been ‘lost’ within the organisation.
  No real problem, we were on our way, I thought. Another 2/3 weeks and another Email, this time, telling me that my application for a Current Account had been ‘approved’ !
  Back to the local Branch, more phone calls, more apologies. After a couple of days, received phone call from the Manager that my cards would be with me within ‘7/10’ days, and by way of compensation, 2500 Avios would be credited to my account. Both the Manager and one of his staff were more than helpful at a local level but were badly let down by ‘Head Office. ‘
  Sure enough, the cards did arrive as promised. So, around 2 months from start to finish.
  Now the card/s themselves.
  Stupidly, I initially thought that double Avios for overseas expenditure was quite good, NOT that I was going to use them direct. My thought was to backup the M’card version to Supercard, but doing a small online € purchase, it was of course treated as a UK purchase, not foreign, when I checked. So, they are now both relegated to the bottom drawer…my fault.
  Not quite all bad news though. I have now built up quite a good rapport with the local staff, in fact, we’re all on Christian name terms.
  It’s a pleasure of go in once a month……walk over to the ATM, withdraw £200, courtesy of Curve , then across to the lady on the cash desk, “Good Morning Mike, and how are you today……another 40 Avios?” (!)
  Ps. I guess you all received the Amex flyer, regarding the small retailer promotion in December. Take a look at the T’s and C’s…..the only Amex card not taking part ? TSB Amex !

  • Genghis says:

    9 Nov9 November 17:42

    Awful experience. You should look at linking your curve to a better earning card.

• Mikeact says:

  9 Nov9 November 18:41

  I do realise I could earn a few more Avios each month, but they are a pretty good bunch of people in my local branch and it wasn’t their fault….only too happy to support them in a small way.

• Paul says:

  18 Nov18 November 22:41

  How do you apply for this? I cannot find it anywhere?

  • Rob says:

    18 Nov18 November 22:54

    It has literally just been scrapped by TSB. Full story tomorrow!

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