Visa or MasterCard?

r32 · Post by **r32** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:02 pm

What would you choose, Visa or MasterCard?
I've read that MasterCard is also granted to students, is that right? * with a lower credit of course.

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Jazqas · Post by **Jazqas** » Mon May 11, 2009 9:16 pm

I'd choose the one with the lowest fees. Interest I can control myself. Brand of card doesn't mean much to me as most shops will take both types.
What would you choose?

umit · Post by **umit** » Mon May 11, 2009 11:03 pm

A brief info here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Visa-Vs-Maste ... &id=214836

I happen to use mastercard and so far I only got once a free upgrade from budget rent-a-car, just because it was mastercard...

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Tue May 12, 2009 12:38 am

I have always liked MasterCard and I look for that card that I can use and at the same time pay as much less as I can back to the issuer - meaning less interest, 0€ kk or vuosimaksu and at the same time, no extra or hidden fees associated with billing.

I am enjoying Finnair's MasterCard now, and when the first year ends, I am already on the card that I wont need to pay anything but what I use and I know that card already

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:02 am

The thing is Visa is run by Juottokunta and the MC by the banks themselves... oh sorry Luottokunta.. - to get on thair credit list so its not that "you choose" - more like you get what is given.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue May 12, 2009 10:11 am

Visa cards operated by Luottokunta are available for University and 'ammattikorkeakoulu' students with at least 90 study points (without the need fullfill the normal regular income requirement). Their annual fee is 2% of your monthly usage limit.

http://www.visa.fi/fi/haluatko_visan/kayttoehdot/

There are various MasterCard and VISA cards given out by banks themselves (some of them linked to some loyal customer program of a retail chain), you have to check them individually which of them are available for students.

A separate issue is then which Finnish credit cards are available for recent immigrants anyway. I happen to know that one can not get even a parallel family member card for the K-Plussa mastercard (operated by OP), while you can get one for the similar Stockmann card (operated by Nordea).

Within Finland I think, if credit cards are accepted at all, then both VISA and MasterCard are OK.

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Tue May 12, 2009 7:37 pm

Rip wrote: A separate issue is then which Finnish credit cards are available for recent immigrants anyway. I happen to know that one can not get even a parallel family member card for the K-Plussa mastercard (operated by OP),

It used to be possible... but the other problem is going to S-market or any other shop and immediately you show your payment card you hear, "Tämä on plussakortti eikä käy tässä kaupassa"

maxxfi · Post by **maxxfi** » Sat May 23, 2009 10:18 am

Rip wrote:A separate issue is then which Finnish credit cards are available for recent immigrants anyway.

I remember four or five years ago at least rumor was that some banks were tight on granting credit cards to those suspicious foreigners.
Anyway, when I asked my bank, Sampo, they happily offered me a MC.

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Sat May 23, 2009 4:58 pm

maxxfi wrote: I remember four or five years ago at least rumor was that some banks were tight on granting credit cards to those suspicious foreigners.

...well it wasn't rumour but indeed true. They wouldn't want to give anything but Pankkikortti or Electron (when it came out). They would say Electron is like Visa too so you shouldn't worry but then, immediately they notice that you have savings or huge amount of money in your account, they will willingly invite you to the club themselves and offer you whatever creditcard they think they can offer. Based on what you have on the account ofcourse

riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Sun May 24, 2009 8:54 pm

r32 wrote:What would you choose, Visa or MasterCard?
I've read that MasterCard is also granted to students, is that right? * with a lower credit of course.

It's very rare that any place will take one and not the other. But I found several places in Brazil had trouble authorizing mastercard but visa went through instead. I have about five of each to avoid troubles on this front.

Try to avoid the combined credit/debit cards. they work ok in finland but if you use them abroad then some ATMs/shops don't ask you whether you want to use the credit or debit feature and you have no control over which will be chosen. This makes ATM withdrawal charges somewhat of a lottery (depending on whether the machine decides to use the credit or debit side).

Luottokunta issued cards are to be avoided, they work in bizarre ways - like the parallel card has an identical card# to the main card so you cannot see who bought what, and if one card needs to be canceled then both are canceled at once!

Give it another 10 years and finnish banks will offer the 1% cash rebate on purchases that UK banks were giving 10 years ago.

buldozr · Post by **buldozr** » Mon May 25, 2009 2:13 am

dampa wrote:
Rip wrote:but the other problem is going to S-market or any other shop and immediately you show your payment card you hear, "Tämä on plussakortti eikä käy tässä kaupassa"

Hasn't happened to me with my Nordea Visa Electron/Plussa. Maybe some kassa workers needed to be educated about combined cards...

dampa · Post by **dampa** » Mon May 25, 2009 3:06 pm

buldozr wrote:
dampa wrote:
Rip wrote:but the other problem is going to S-market or any other shop and immediately you show your payment card you hear, "Tämä on plussakortti eikä käy tässä kaupassa"
Hasn't happened to me with my Nordea Visa Electron/Plussa. Maybe some kassa workers needed to be educated about combined cards...

Lucky you but, hey Nordea Electron Plussa looks like this:-

and K-Plussa MasterCard looks like this:

so it seriously looks like Kesko's käteiskortti

so the S-market girls quicky scream at you when you display your shinning new MasterCard from OP/Kesko instead of their own green lovely:-

They'll think you are kinda too high on spirit trying to get plussa points from S-group's s-market

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