Could you live without your credit card?

smash

Douglas Scary Billiards wrote: »

And if your card is scammed and your current account emptied you are fecked as it takes weeks to get money back. Using a debit card on like is very foolish imo.

That's rubbish. I had my card skimmed before at an ATM and had the money back in 48 hours. As for getting scammed online... Don't by from dodgy people or use PayPal/Stripe!

my3cents

I don't need a CC as I could use a Debit Card for online transactions.

However I use a CC for all large and PayPal online transactions. It just gives me another 30 - 60 days to pay. I haven't paid interest on my CC in 30 years.

Mint Sauce

Have used it quite a bit the last 18 months buying stuff for new house, paying off big chunks when I could, above the required monthly repayment. Used it again most recently for car hire on holiday. Longest it was in debt was for about 6 months.

Currently in credit on it. Had I not had one, would have had to wait a lot longer to get things I needed. Instead of saving longer for items, I could save in stages to pay it off. Also avoid the minimum repayment option, and set it to a higer level. 20-25% monthly repayment is less interest and a shorter time compared to say 5%.

Yes, did end up paying a little more in the end, but didn't go stupid, and kept it manageable.

Have also been told having a credit card, and keeping a check on it, makes you look more favourable to lenders.

smash

smash wrote: »

That's rubbish. I had my card skimmed before at an ATM and had the money back in 48 hours. As for getting scammed online... Don't by from dodgy people or use PayPal/Stripe!

Took me 3 weeks to get money back from a scammed debit card. My account was emptied and my full over draft used up. I was just lucky that it happened after all big expenses (rent etc) had all been paid for that month and it was only a few days to pay day. Had it happened just after pay day it would be an awful mess. That thing is it was the one time in a very long time that I used the debit card online as my cc at the time had a low limit and was maxed with something work related.

Also even very legitimate websites are not immune to hacks etc.

thierry14

Use it all the time

Great for cash flow.

If you have direct debit setup you avoid the interest and just pay the 30 euro a year, don't see why they have a bad rep if used right they are very useful.

Well worth the 30 euro to have a few k of credit on tap for 30 days.

Very hard to rent a car without one too.

Olishi4

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Have also been told having a credit card, and keeping a check on it, makes you look more favourable to lenders.

Ye, I went once to get a laptop on finance or something where you had to pay within 6 months from Argos. I'd never had a loan or credit card and thought that would go in my favour but they refused on the grounds that I didn't have a credit history. Not even just for a mortgage but the majority of lenders will check your history.

I couldn't get a credit history because if I went for a loan, they wanted to see my credit history but I didn't have one so my main option would be to get a credit card and use it correctly.

Stojkovic

Havent had one for over ten years.
Visa Debit.

The_Pretender

Same as a lot of people here. Use it for most card purchases, gives the security that the most someone can scam from me is the low credit limit I have; which is paid off by the banks anyway so I'm never really out of pocket when this happens.

Lucyfur

deathtocaptcha wrote: »

RIP your chances of ever owning a house...

Nah that's not true. If you've no history of debt you'll still be approved for a mortgage if you have a record of saving.

hardCopy

Had my own since I left school. Got married last year and cancelled my personal one. Haven't had a chance yet to go to a branch and get a joint one. Can't say I've missed it. Visa Debit does a fine job so far. We don't have an overdraft either so it's forced us to budget better. Previously I would have used it for all sorts of stuff if I was short at the end of a month.

Eugene Norman

A credit card paid off every month isn't all that different from a debit card. I use both.

Doylers

Doylers wrote: »

Who is that with? I can't seem to find any irish banks that give decent rewards or incentives like a % back.

Ulster bank had great ones, then they sent us a letter saying they couldn't do rewards anymore because of some european directive
I don't know how that would square with the UK rewards systems though

Personally it's not a necessity for me. It never was. When I had one it was for buying luxuries.
Now that I'm without one I just make sure to have money set aside for things like car tax and insurance. Of course stuff does come up. I was driving around for a while in my sick car before I had the cash to get it fixed so being able to put it on a credit card would have been handy.

Yet I'm glad I don't have one but that's because of me not the card.

MilesMorales1

I've never owned or used a credit card, so yes.

PowerToWait

Use it a lot. Pay it off every month. Don't get why people are so scared of them.

Drexel

Never had one so yeah I could!

Was goina get one a few years ago for buying online but visa debit came out and no need now.

Nearly got a new one a year ago. The limit would've been 4/5 of a term deposit. Didn't get it in the end because of the paperwork but would be handy.

I had a terrible time back home with debt and would never have a credit card without paying it off straight away. Debt's pure shte.

entropi

I refuse to have one. Would much rather save the cash the regular way and see what I have.

LizT

Have 2, one irish and one for where I live now. It's probably not such a neccessity to have one in Ireland but I've needed it here on a few occasions - renting a car, booking hotels and flights. I pay it off in full every month.

As long as you're sensible with it, there's no issue. It's easy to loose the run of yourself though, when I applied for mine here, they offered me a limit of twice my monthly salary.

Speedwell

PowerToWait wrote: »

Use it a lot. Pay it off every month. Don't get why people are so scared of them.

Not scared; it just doesn't make sense for me. Why be charged for the use of money you don't have yet, when a little time and prudent saving gives you the use of it anyway? The credit card people are not operating a charity, ffs.

Eugene Norman

Speedwell wrote: »

Not scared; it just doesn't make sense for me. Why be charged for the use of money you don't have yet, when a little time and prudent saving gives you the use of it anyway? The credit card people are not operating a charity, ffs.

Paying it off every month doesn't accrue interest. It's just like a delayed visa debit. It also doesn't preclude saving. I used to use the visa debit solely, then the debit and visa credit card interchangeably but it's easier to track my non cash spending (most of it) by doing it in one place.

There are other advantages. Book into a hotel with a visa debit and you pay upfront and you don't get extras. Some places don't take them. Fraud reimbursement must be easier with the credit card, if found in time you just don't ever pay the fraudulent purchase rather than hope they reimburse it.

Malari

I'm really surprised by the number of people who don't have them. I assumed they were as ubiquitous as mobile phones!

Del2005

Penny Tration wrote: »

what kind of hassle do you experience booking hotels with a debit?

I've booked the Gresham, a Hilton, a Raddisson (all in Ireland), some 4 stars in London, all with a debit card and no issues.

My dad booked and paid for an 18 day trip to the Seychelles (flights, hotels, transfers, no travel agent bollocks) all with his debit card too, with no issues.

If any of these companies go belly up after paying with your debit card you are an unsecured creditor at the end of a very long line, pay with a credit card and you are reimbursed immediately.

Credit has its uses and when used correctly is an excellent service.

I could easily afford to pay cash for everything I use my credit card for but the protection of using the credit card is much better than paying cash or using a debit card.

Mister Vain

Could I live without it? Yes.

I mainly use it for booking holidays and buying the odd item on Amazon.

Shenshen

Don't have one and never wanted one, either.
I have a debit card, which works perfectly fine for everything I need.

Truth be told, I never saw the point in paying the extra admin fees associated with credit cards. The debit card is free with my (also free) bank account.

monkeysnapper

Keep the dam things away from me , I have way to many hobbies and not near enough money to fund them .........

.. ........all

smash

Del2005 wrote: »

If any of these companies go belly up after paying with your debit card you are an unsecured creditor at the end of a very long line, pay with a credit card and you are reimbursed immediately.

Or you know, travel insurance.

Shenshen

Douglas Scary Billiards wrote: »

And if your card is scammed and your current account emptied you are fecked as it takes weeks to get money back. Using a debit card on like is very foolish imo.

Happened to me once - I had a call from the bank about half an hour after it happened, and my money back in my account within 24h.

Also if something bigger comes up like new tyres for the car ass an example I would put them on the credit card and pay for them over two months say as it would be too much of a hit pay all from one months wages and it means not touching your savings or having to reduce how much you are putting into savings. I often use the card like this also.

That's what I have my two savings accounts for. One for long-term and investment, the other for upcoming major expenses like insurance, house maintenance, etc. Why bother with a credit card?

iguana

I used to have one but got rid of it once Visa Debit became available. Now I use either Visa Debit or a foreign exchange service like the Revolut virtual card when buying items sold in a different currency. When I had a CC I only used it on occasions that I knew I had the cash already available to pay it off but using a CC was necessary (for shopping online/making bookings) or easier making a large purchase when I didn't want to carry cash. I never used it as a short term loan or even an advance on future wages thinking I'd pay it off before interest accrued as I'd hate to start a month from 'behind.'

Speedwell

Shenshen wrote: »

Happened to me once - I had a call from the bank about half an hour after it happened, and my money back in my account within 24h.

Happened to me, too, and that's why I have accounts in three banks (I maintain a credit union savings and current account in the US, another US current account linked to my retirement savings account, and an account in Ireland for household stuff). All three have debit cards.

That's what I have my two savings accounts for. One for long-term and investment, the other for upcoming major expenses like insurance, house maintenance, etc. Why bother with a credit card?

Funny you should mention.