Getting a bank account with a SOLO or MAESTRO card

[nutcackle]

Right I am getting mightly pee'd off with having a crappy Electron card because you can hardley use it anywhere, very few shops or websites take them.

I have noticed that most shops/sites take SOLO/MAESTRO and apparently these are given out with basic accounts at some banks.

Question is, which banks give them out with a account AND am I likely to be able to open an account with bad credit history ??

I got a solo card when I opened a basic bank account with HSBC. Don't know about the credit rating though so a nice big bouncy bump for someone who does know!!

and can you use it pretty much everywhere ???

Most places will take it because it is the same as other debit cards. Electron (as the name suggests) is electronic only which means extra software or equipment is needed.
The only difference is that your account will be checked through the terminal to see if the money is there. Other cards are not automatically checked.

You should be able to have a solo card if your credit history is bad as the basic bank account doesn't generally allow for any borrowing facilities. Having a Maestro card is the same as the old Switch card, and normally acts as a chq guarantee card too. Solo is for basic bank accounts, maestro for standard bank accounts. HSBC should give you a solo card with a basic bank account.

Right, have applied for HSBC account. TBH I don't think i'll get it, they seem to want to know a hell of alot.

Natwest also do a solo card with their account so if HSBC turn me down I will try them.

I have applied too Nutcackle and tbh I think I will get a big fat f* off!!! I am so used to that response though

Thanks for starting this - I've been meaning to do it for ages! I've just applied for nationwide but they said I'll get the basic cashcard - I don't think that's got a debit thing on it though I did have one with Halifax ages ago but messed it up! Might have to try HSBC and Natwest - did you apply online?

ROFL, snap Crazydazy me too.

Yep I applied online for hsbc Zeph. You can with natwest too. Wish i'd done theirs first actually cos they do an account that doesn't allow overdrafts or loans but you still get a solo card. Think I have more chance with that one.

HSBC do Solo card with BANK account but only a cash card with BASIC account.

Basic acount does not have cheque book, but bills can be paid online or by phone etc.

Solo card is offered if do not qualify for Maestro but score sufficient to open account.

Can't apply to Natwest as owe them some money from years ago!!!

no no no nooooo not HSBC - they're a pile of bollocks - honestly that's who DH banks with and they've been nothing short of cr*p in the last year or so.

Halifax don't do solo anymore - they changed to visa Electron.

Oh no don't say that.

Really wish i'd applied for the natwest one now instead.

It looks bad if you apply to more than one in one go though doesn't it ??

We just desparately need a Solo card as like Nutcackle says so many things require switch nowadays. We love Ebay but half the things we can't bid for cos its switch or visa and we don't have none. So if HSBC offer me a bank account with Solo I will be a very happy lady

You can pay through paypal with Electron though you know crazydazy. I still buy from ebay with my Electron card.

Whats Electron, I don't think my bank card even has that!!!!

Which bank are you with ???

Yorkshire Bank - DP says the account we have as its joint is for school leavers its that basic, it has an overdraft but only because I begged and pleaded with the manager. He then said I could come back in 3 months to apply for switch so I did and he had left, I was gutted!! The next manager was not so soft and just stopped short of waving two fingers in my face when i asked for a Switch card.

Ahhh right I see.

I am with Barclays and did have a Visa debit card (oh how i miss that), but got in a mess and have had to have a resolve loan with them, and one of the conditions of the loan is that you have a basic card, so I have Electron.

Can use it in some shops, erm Next, Asda (but not online) and a few others, but with the visa debit I could use it anywhere I liked it was so much easier.

The convenience of Switch though, I had one many moons ago before kids etc and just being able to pay for things if you had forgotten to go to the bank was fab and cash back too - what a dream, no more long queues at the cashpoint.

Oh well fingers crossed, will let you know if I get one but I think I have more chance of tossing the pope off tbh

Just to go back to HSBC......you talk about your resolve loan (HSBC call it a managed Loan) well HSBC wouldn't let us have one.....as apprently we're

"not having financial difficulties, we've just been overspending"..........

After much talking, begging, and attempts at persausion they still refused to give us the managed loan - and would rather make money from the £100 a month charge they've been whacking on for the unofficial overdraft, the £30 a time for each failed payment........

PMSL Crazydazy, same here

QoQ that is bad, what a pain in the ass. Barclays have been quite good with me considering.

QofQ, have you tried applying for a straight Personal Loan, making it clear it is ONLY to repay the OD. If you do not qualify they will then normally offer you a managed loan, but make it clear all the strings attached (no OD for next 12 months or until loan paid off, no Switch card etc, but usually solves the situation)

Milliways - we've already got a flexi-loan and another loan with them - and they've point blank refused to give us any more.

Was this face to face in a branch? They also have a Debt consolidation unit at the call centre that deal with Managed loans all the time with forms sent out in post. I would try whichever one didn't help last time. It's dafty because if you defaulted on a loan & went in to plead poverty, as long as you can pay a certain percentage of debt each month they normally put ALL their debt onto Managed loan (won't just refinance OD & leave another loan etc).

Hope you get something sorted soon.