Wanting to swap banks. What new bank should I choose?

[justaguy]

In the past I have had Osuuspankki for the last few years. But recently I got fed up with having a Visa Electron card.. and instead asked for either a regular Visa or a Mastercard. I was told that they don't offer them and that if I wanted a different card I would have to apply for a Credit Card. After being shown the options I didn't find anything that suited me. So I came to the decision that I wanted to change banks.

A friend of mine has also swapped from Osuuspankki, and another friend is going to do the same thing next week. My first friend switched to Tapiola and she simply asked for a Mastercard and they gave her one. I am not quite sure what kind of Mastercard it is. But she can use it on Trains and Planes and Busses etc. Which is basically exactly what I need. Something that that I can use that doesn't need to be connected to a land-line or base-station to work. Because I feel quite wounded by the fact that my Visa Electron doesn't work in those places.

I have been thinking of swapping to Nordea for a long time as I have been made aware that they offer Netbanking in English. Whilst I've learned how to use the Finnish Osuuspankki system pretty well. I still think that it would be nicer to have the service in English. Though it's definitely not a deal breaker. I am just worried that they would say the same thing as Osuuspankki "We only do Visa cards".

I'm not too good with this system in Finland but I've been through 4 banks in my home country. 2 were useless and I ended up settling on 2 more for Savings/Every-day use. Though it was tiring and I would rather have 1 bank account here in Finland. My friend said she has just stopped using her Osuuspankki account and that she hasn't closed it.

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So the TL;DR of this thread:

I would like to join a bank that would give me use of a Bank card to which I can use in Trains, Busses, Planes etc. Obviously for that reason it cannot be a 'Visa Electron'. I would prefer a Mastercard because I have used them for years in my home country. But I don't care as long as I can theoretically use it anywhere. I wouldn't mind having a credit card as long as the header was only like €200 or something.

Does anyone have a bank to recommend, and if so do I have to ask for a separate card that I can use anywhere? I honestly thought that after living here for a few years that it would be a pretty simple request to ask for a card that works 'anywhere'. Where I am from if I just have a personal problem with the 'brand' of card that I have/am given I can ask for a card from a different brand.

[Jussi]

Go to osuuspankki and ask for a Visa debit. I have one, it does what you are after. Alternately, S-pankki isn't bad either and also has visa Debit. The person who you talked to obviously doesnt know !"#¤%, go somewhere else.

Links: https://www.op.fi/op/henkiloasiakkaat/k ... 03&srcpl=8
https://www.op.fi/op/private-customers/ ... likoodi=en

http://www.s-pankki.fi/henkiloasiakkaat ... isa_debit/

Hope this helps.

[Jussi]

ALso, having read the not TL:DR part of your post, you said you would like nordea, so here is that link:

http://www.nordea.fi/Personal+customers ... visa-debit

[justaguy]

Thanks a lot. Visa debit was never even mentioned to me. So I suppose when I go and ask I can discuss either getting a Visa Credit or Debit card. Either way I just want to lose this Electron feature. If I can speak to someone next to knows what they are actually doing, it would save me the hassle of swapping banks because I don't really have any complaints about OP-Pohjola.

Either way cheers, and thanks for the link in English too. It's a bit late to go in now, so I'll pop in tomorrow and see what they say.

[Adrian42]

I have been thinking of swapping to Nordea for a long time as I have been made aware that they offer Netbanking in English. Whilst I've learned how to use the Finnish Osuuspankki system pretty well. I still think that it would be nicer to have the service in English.

OP also has an English language netbanking.

I am just worried that they would say the same thing as Osuuspankki "We only do Visa cards".

What is the problem with a regular Visa card (not Visa Electron) OP is also offering?
In practice most places that accept debit/credit cards accept both Visa and Mastercard.

I wouldn't mind having a credit card as long as the header was only like €200 or something.

The lowest possible limit for a credit card is usually in the € 500-1000 range.

[justaguy]

OP also has an English language netbanking.

In 2 years I have never been able to find an option to Log in to my Netbank in English. If I click 'In English' I am just taken to a tiny frontend page that briefly displays their services in English. That's it.
Am I missing something? I don't know any of my friends who use Osuus who have ever 'Netbanked' in English.

What is the problem with the regular Visa card (not Visa Electron) OP is offering?
In practice most places that accept credit cards accept both Visa and Mastercard.

Nothing, I am just used to using Mastercards and not having any issues with them ever. Also the cards last longer physically in my opinion.
But the thing is OP didn't offer me anything. They told me they simply didn't have what I wanted. Maybe I asked the wrong questions, maybe they didn't show me a full list of what they had to offer. Who knows. I can only try again.

I wouldn't mind having a credit card as long as the header was only like €200 or something.

That might be a problem.
The lowest possible limit for a credit card is usually in the € 500-1000 range.

500€ - 1000€ would be fine too. But I only really need a header for €200.

Either way, I just want something that works everywhere, at the cost of having fees for everything. Balance checking, withdrawals etc. I don't mind that. Would be nice if OP didn't have monthly fees for persons under 28 too though.

[Adrian42]

OP also has an English language netbanking.

In 2 years I have never been able to find an option to Log in to my Netbank in English. If I click 'In English' I am just taken to a tiny frontend page that briefly displays their services in English. That's it.

When you are there, click on "Text Version". That's it.

I wouldn't mind having a credit card as long as the header was only like €200 or something.

That might be a problem.
The lowest possible limit for a credit card is usually in the € 500-1000 range.

500€ - 1000€ would be fine too. But I only really need a header for €200.

Either way, I just want something that works everywhere, at the cost of having fees for everything. Balance checking, withdrawals etc. I don't mind that. Would be nice if OP didn't have monthly fees for persons under 28 too though.

You could also get e.g. a Nordea Stockmann MasterCard (no matter whether you have a bank account at Nordea or not).

[justaguy]

I was thinking of something like that. Perhaps an S-Etukortti or something. Seeing as I often go to many places that accept that card for bonuses and etc. Though I am just not so sure that it would be very 'functional' as I don't know how they work, for example how funds get on and off the card etc. and there's a lot of fine print text to read when it comes to those cards. Though I have been looking at them too as I see that many people have them. Though I haven't seen many people who look like they don't own a house with them.

[Adrian42]

Though I am just not so sure that it would be very 'functional' as I don't know how they work, for example how funds get on and off the card etc.

The Nordea Stockmann MasterCard is a normal credit card that is accepted worldwide (you can simply ignore the whole Stockmann thing if you want to), and you get a monthly invoice for the expenses you have incurred with the card.

[justaguy]

The Nordea Stockmann card looks perfect actually. I could take a credit limit of just €500. There's a 30 day period of no interest, no fees to withdraw cash from an Otto. No fee to replace the card if it becomes too worn from use. No monthly or annual fees and the rest of the fees seem pretty low. Though it looks like I would have to pay to check my balance. But I guess that is okay, and if I don't pay the entire owed amount at the end of the no interest monthly period they hit me with an additional €3.50. Plus there is the ability to also make it a debit card and use my own cash for purchases.

I can live with all of that, but it all comes down to if they allow me the card or not. I'll go and ask Nordea tomorrow.

[Rip]

The Nordea Stockmann card looks perfect actually. I could take a credit limit of just €500

no fees to withdraw cash from an Otto

I'm pretty sure it is not free to withdraw using CREDIT. If you have a debit functionality you can withdraw from your Nordea account for free, but you'll probably pay them monthly fee for being a customer (but not for the card alone), unless you're young enough or have enough investments or loans)

Just note that the limit is for the total amount you owe. I am billed at the end of each month (I think you can choose that), as an example this month's bill is roughly for the period 6th of July - 6th of August, but the limit should be sufficient also for all the later purchase, so for about two months.

Free (no monthly fee if you pay always in full) credit cards include in addition to that Stockmann card, K-Plussa mastercard (again possible but not mandatory to tie it to a OP bank account for debit functionality) and S-pankki Visa (free bank account as well (not counting the onetime, refundable, income generating membership fee), but without English language net banking). Each decide based on their own terms if they'll give you a credit card or not.

[betelgeuse]

I was thinking of something like that. Perhaps an S-Etukortti or something. Seeing as I often go to many places that accept that card for bonuses and etc. Though I am just not so sure that it would be very 'functional' as I don't know how they work, for example how funds get on and off the card etc. and there's a lot of fine print text to read when it comes to those cards. Though I have been looking at them too as I see that many people have them. Though I haven't seen many people who look like they don't own a house with them.

If you join S-bank you can get a regular Visa Debit (+Credit if you want) that doubles as the membership card. Basically if their shops it does double duty and elsewhere it's a regular payment card. Since it's a co-operative you need to become an owner. HOK-Elanto capital payment is 35 euros and you currently get 10% interest on it.

[Upphew]

The Nordea Stockmann card looks perfect actually. I could take a credit limit of just €500. There's a 30 day period of no interest, no fees to withdraw cash from an Otto. No fee to replace the card if it becomes too worn from use. No monthly or annual fees and the rest of the fees seem pretty low. Though it looks like I would have to pay to check my balance. But I guess that is okay, and if I don't pay the entire owed amount at the end of the no interest monthly period they hit me with an additional €3.50. Plus there is the ability to also make it a debit card and use my own cash for purchases.

I can live with all of that, but it all comes down to if they allow me the card or not. I'll go and ask Nordea tomorrow.

Cash withdrawals from card credit in Finland at ATMs per withdrawal 2,00 € + 2,5 %
http://www.nordea.fi/Personal+customers ... mastercard