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Original poster

help me find a non sexist credit card!

35 replies

MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 06/12/2011 21:13

I am fuming tonight.
DH and I have a joint credit card.. or it WAS. I am the family banker, and so all the finances, pay card etc. Generally I pay online but Tescos only update their site once a month which irritates me as often I pay it off mid month.
So tonight I rang them to pay it off and after an interminable length of time trying to get thro to an actual human, I checked the balance and asked to pay.

At which point they asked if my husband was there.. I asked why. Well, said the woman, we need the permission of the primary card holder before I could pay! Hmm since when I asked, as we had a joint account (had specifically stated this when we opened the account a few years ago) and were joint card holders.

On no, sorry he is the primary card holder. Since when? Since we made a few changes to our system. Why have you made HIM primary card holder, given that ALL account payments, issues etc have always been done by myself, paid from MY account etc... never had an issue before!

pause.. silence.. then 'sorry but HE is the primary account holder' ' new policy..'

I am fucking fuming. I had to hand the phone to my bemused husband who confirmed bla bla and gave it back for me so I could pay. Which I did and curtly informed them that we were now closing the account.

SO.. I m looking for a new account. We prefer a joint account for ease but under NO circumstances am I ever using anyone who automatically makes my husband primary holder over myself! Surely there must be somewhere out there that isn't so ridiculous?

(failing that any recommendations for a card for myself....)
Ta!

OP posts:
Original poster
MedusaIsHavingABadHairDay · 06/12/2011 22:04

Grrrr... Ok I guess they must have put him first by default.. but they never told us and it was never queried when I sorted everything until today.

I guess I will opening the next one with myself as named primary holder then.

My Tesco finance online does NOT update daily... it is still requesting last month's balance paid on 5th november.. hence my irritation. They told me tonight it won't be updated until the new statement is prepared in a a few days. Very annoying !

However I shall find a nice new credit card and put myself firmly FIRST:)

OP posts:
HappyCamel · 06/12/2011 21:53

Yep, no such thing as a joint credit card. It will be two cardholders but he is responsible for all the spending. It must be the order of your names on the application form. In our house im theprimary cardholder.

Tesco Finance online updates daily and you can pay the balance online too, that's what I do.

nickelbabe · 06/12/2011 21:44

very strange (and Angry on your behalf)

With our joint bank account, DH's name is first, even though it's based on my account with the bank, so I can only assume it's because man's name bigger and more important. Hmm

however, with my credit card, it's with the same bank, Lloyds TSB, and the primary card holder is the person that opens the account ,and whose credit is checked.
DH is a secondary card holder on that account, and bills come to me in my name. He's only allowed to use the card, any non-payments or breaking of the rules come under my name, and it's my responsibility.

MissTinaTeaspoon · 06/12/2011 21:39

It's just whose name came first on the application...mine came first on ours so I'm the account holder...it's an MBNA card in my name with dh as a secondary cardholder. It's not sexist at all Confused

BiscuitNibbler · 06/12/2011 21:35

Cross posts.

BiscuitNibbler · 06/12/2011 21:32

I don't think it is possible to have a joint credit card, they are all one cardholder and then additional cardholders.

Amex wouldn't even let me change my name with a marriage cert without a letter from my husband agreeing to it, hence my card is still in my maiden name as we just can't be bothered.

nocake · 06/12/2011 21:30

There's no such thing as a joint credit card. Legally one party has to be responsible, hence the primary card holder. As hocuspontas says, the application form will have had a section for the primary card holder details then a section for the additional card holder details. That's the way you filled in the form so that's the way they legally had to set up the credit card account.

AlwaysWild · 06/12/2011 21:29

There have been numerous instances on here of banks swopping people round so the man is first.

FWIW I recently changed to Coop and they asked me which way round we would like our names, so everything arrives Mrs and Mr AlwaysWild.

hocuspontas · 06/12/2011 21:20

I don't think it's anything to do with gender I think it's whose name appears first on the application form. We are in exactly the same position - I deal with all the finances but I 'need' dp for certain security phonecalls. We set this account up over 15 years ago - since then I am aways careful to put my name first!

lostinindia · 06/12/2011 21:16

Bloody hell I'm fuming for you.