Consumer group Which? is concerned about surcharges imposed on to consumers who pay by debit or credit cards. It has therefore asked the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to investigate the matter – which sees retailers, local authorities, estate agents and cinemas all impose the charges. However, the “worst offenders” are said to be budget [...]
The UK Payments Council, the body which oversees the strategy on payments systems, has said debit card usage has surged in the last year. For the first time ever, consumers are opting to use their debit cards more than coins and notes, figures revealed today. According to the Payments Council, spending on debit cards totalled [...]
Spending on credit and debit cards increased 9.2% in March compared to March 2009, new figures from Barclaycard show. This continues a trend highlighted in February, when spending on plastic increased 7.1% on year. Compared to February, credit and debit card spending increased 18% in March for high street and online purchases. This is a [...]
Brits are snubbing cheques in favour of faster payment methods, new figures show. Credit cards, debit cards and cash increased their market share yet again in the second quarter, with cheque payments dropping 21% on year. Statistics from the UK Payments Association show payments on plastic cards rose 3% in the three month period to [...]
Brits taking their summer holiday abroad this year will spend £73 million on debit and credit card fees, it emerged this week. Research by Abbey Credit Cards found that British holidaymakers pay an average of 3% in conversion fees every time they use an overseas ATM or spend money on their card in a foreign [...]
UK consumers are spending more on debit cards and less on credit cards since the onset of the recession, payments association Apacs revealed this month. Brits spent 4% more on their debit cards in the first three months of this year compared to the year ago period, whilst credit card spending dropped 3% despite an [...]
Lloyds TSB is giving children, as young as 11, debit cards without their parents consent. The news raises fears that the cards could being used to buy cigarettes, alcohol and pornography over the internet. In the past, children aged 11 to 15 who hold current accounts were limited to debit cards that could only be [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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