L
louis lane 6
Guest
I know that they are in circulation but does anyone know if BOI are still issuing them?
The Blue Card does not need to be paid in full....it is similar to a 'standard' credit card....the main benefit of the blue card is that the user gets 1% back on most purchases.AmEx is ok but the difference with a regular credit card is that you pay it in full. I know they have a lot of corporate business here.
Time to dump the card I'd say. Without the cash-back it offers no benefits over Visa/Mastercard.Just got a letter this morning telling us our AMEX card will not be renewed after november, and no cash back after 31 Aug.
Is this now the only cashback card available in Ireland?AIB Visa Platinum Card
Reward: 0.50% cash back on all annual spends from 5,000 EUR to 50,000 EUR per year.
That and the fact that many retailers won't accept Amex cards because of the higher charge to the merchant. Which meant that I also had to have a BoI MasterCard.
I'll be closing both now, unless BoI agree to reimburse 7/12ths of the Government duty paid in April.
From the Best buys (thanks, fungus):
Is this now the only cashback card available in Ireland?
I think you have to pay the stamp duty on this, so that would negate the first €6k that you spend on the card.
AmEx is ok but the difference with a regular credit card is that you pay it in full. I know they have a lot of corporate business here.
The standard AmEx (Green) card is not a credit card, it's a charge card.
The card the OP refers to is the American Express Blue, which is a regular credit card.
I too got a letter from Bank of Ireland stating that they are discontinuing the card, blaming low customer take-up as the reason. No wonder, the don't even try to advertise it. I got mine two years ago and it took a lot of effort. It was well worth it though for the money back offer.
(Unfortunately, by the time I got an AmEx I missed out on that cashcow of gambling websites, prize sweeps sites, etc).
I didn't realise how many places accepted AmEx 'til I actually got the card. Many places that display MasterCard and Visa signs don't display Amex signs but do accept it. No harm in asking, and all that.
The card seemed to be a nightmare for merchants though. A retailer in Donnybrook had a decent knockdown sale on some of their products last year and I went in to make a killing. When I produced my AmEx he asked if I could use a different card, if I had one. Said that with his sale his margins were very thin, and that will AmEx's high charges and slow payment (3+ weeks) that he'd make a loss on the sale!
The stamp duty issue could be thorny... Maybe out of the goodness of their hearts, Bank of Ireland will give AmEx Blue customers €30 to cover it, but I doubt it. As far as the tax man is concerned, even if you had a credit card active for 1 day in the period, you'll need to pay €30. However, if you switch from your AmEx blue to another card you'll only need to pay the stamp duty once (though you'll probably pay it twice, then get a refund at a later date).
I note there's a lot of complaining about the two weeks. I haven't reread the terms and conditions, but don't forget the 2.5 weeks notice is with regard to the cash back (I got mine back this month) and they've give 2.5 months notice regarding the card.
Overall I got a good deal from my AmEx Blue.
Finding a replacement could be a dose. I hate Tesco so I probably won't go for that. RyanAir is a possiblility. I fly with them most... but I don't fly that much. Must check out Consumer Choice magazine, they'd a credit card feature recenlty.