[Flyin'Dutch']

It is only UK issued VISA credit cards.

[Flyin'Dutch']

You are correct.

And the charges I suffer when an individual uses a Luxembourg registered corporate card are "eye-watering"!

There is no compulsion as a trader to accept credit cards.

I always do as it means the whole transaction is done there and then. The pilot has a receipt and all sorted. No cash or cheques to sort out.

Appreciate that does not work for everyone and everything.

Use Izettle - now taken over by PayPal but without any observable decline in service to this trader.

[StratoTramp]

It's true it's on the payment pages.

Very interesting....hmmmmm..

Getting letters for not using my Sainsbury's card so will have to switch to that

It's getting muddy these days. Private businesses can do what they want, but when you see the power FB, Twitter, Amazon have it gets a bit worrying. Especially the former as they can censor anything they want. But sure this has been discussed ad infinitum elsewhere.

The talk about values earlier - it's really hard to know what they are these days as everything seems to be slightly overdone. Like something might be a virtue but only to a point. Once it's overdone it has negative consequences.

[Rob P]

I'm not sure I would want to muddy my credit rating file for a one off £40.

Forgive me, I am a financial simpleton. How does applying for and receiving two credit cards from a major finance supplier "muddy" one's credit rating?

Rob P

[Miscellaneous]

Ah, did you read my posts as contradictory?

I did, yes, so apologies if I got that wrong.

But by applying for a card (and presumably using it, but again I could be wrong!), not only will Amazon have it on file, they will also be tracking your non-Amazon purchases.

I'm not sure I would want to muddy my credit rating file for a one off £40.

Having a credit card, using it and managing credit is how credit ratings are made.

That aside, I have no intentions of using it other than for Amazon. So even if Amazon does have data other than their own (I doubt they will have), there won't be anything for them to see.

The other point of note is that I have never troubled myself with some arbitrary and unrealistic score some 3rd party creates from lack of info. I guess I'm lucky never to have had a problem. Maybe I should be checking my score for the first time given my poor limit.

Edit
@Rob P applying for credit cards triggers a credit search, numerous credit searches are not good for one's rating. Managing credit responsibility is good for one's credit rating.

[Fellsteruk]

An an Amex user I don’t have much to say other than like mentioned I’m shocked they didn’t bin Amex given their fees are much higher and frankly already accepted by almost no one.

[Rob P]

@Rob P applying for credit cards triggers a credit search, numerous credit searches are not good for one's rating. Managing credit responsibility is good for one's credit rating.

I really wasn't aware that applying for a couple of credit cards and being accepted was bad for your credit rating. Every day is a school day as we often say. And anyway, without a hint of smugness, I am long past the stage of needing credit from anyone

Rob P

[Colonel Panic]

Many online retailers won't accept Amex, but they do accept PayPal. In those circumstances I just pay using PayPal, and set Amex as the a/c to be debited (like wot RobP said earlier?). It would be interesting to see how the various fees break down in this scenario.

Looking back at the past 12 months, 36.9% of my credit card spending was on Amex, the rest Mastercard. I get better cash back rates via Amex, hence always trying to use it.

[Fellsteruk]

Yea I do the same with PayPal however some retailers even via PayPal have refused Amex. Not sure how they manage that but it’s happened to me.

Thankfully my current school who I hire from accept Amex so all my flying goes on Amex which is good for points.

Sadly the new place doesn’t

[Miscellaneous]

@Rob P a credit search for a credit card issue in itself is not overly damaging. I was acknowledging multiple credit checks can be viewed negatively. I've had a couple recently, both unrelated to finance. Could be 3 consecutive checks marked me down, equally not having a mortgage or loans may result in a lower score than, IMO, I warrant.

[Propwash]

Having spent much of the last 2 decades since retirement happily globe-trotting, and using various credit cards whilst doing so, my credit rating seems to have encouraged the issuing companies to keep upping my limit. The two cards that I still have would between them allow me to buy a luxurious new car without a problem. Given that I always paid them in full on my return to the UK, the biggest cost was the foreign transaction fees. I have recently ( last 5 years) wised up enough to only use pre-paid cards whilst abroad which don’t carry that charge. My current one allows me to swap between 17 currencies and even top up as needed all on my ‘phone. It has been a revelation and is brilliant.

The two UK issued credit cards are now hardly used, even at home, so although I do use them both from time to time to keep them active, I am always wondering when they will start to reduce my limits, or if they will bother. Doesn’t keep me awake at night either way.

PW

[riverrock]

The Amazon CC looks great. You get a £10 gift voucher for every £667 you spend in Amazon or £4000 you spend (using the card) outside of Amazon (all assuming you are a Prime member, .

Getting new credit cards very occasionally can help your credit rating. Getting new cards often will make it worse. You get a better rating if you have a card than if you don't.

I suggest that once you have got your £40 gift voucher, there may be more beneficial cards elsewhere....

[riverrock]

I have recently ( last 5 years) wised up enough to only use pre-paid cards whilst abroad which don’t carry that charge.

There are UK issued credit cards that are commission free abroad ( eg https://www.nationwide.co.uk/credit-car ... edit-card/ )

[Propwash]

I know, but I will take a lot of convincing before I move from the current set up.

PW

[Sooty25]

You are correct.

And the charges I suffer when an individual uses a Luxembourg registered corporate card are "eye-watering"!

There is no compulsion as a trader to accept credit cards.

There is if you sell on line! The main point I was making was the cross border bit, and that is probably what Amazon have an issue with.