The Virgin Money credit card, now renamed “mine”, was given a makeover in May 2012 and customers can choose from a snappy black, sizzling red, or sassy pink card – or, they can get one of each to allow other members of the family to have their own. As well as the redesign, the cards are now secured with a chip and PIN – customers have to enter their PIN number at point of sale – for extra security.
You work hard for your money, right, so it’s a bit of a slap in the face to have to pay just to spend it. But not with the Virgin Money credit card, the first – and still the only – credit card in South Africa where you don’t pay a monthly or annual fee just for the privilege of having the card in your wallet.
Rated by consumer website Thinkmoney (www.thinkmoney.co.za) as the most affordable credit card in South Africa since 2006, the Virgin Money credit card does not charge for internet banking nor to join its rewards programme. The costs that do get charged (and there are only five of them) are at a flat rate to keep things simple and understandable for customers – for example, an ATM withdrawal cost of R12 locally and anywhere in the world. Thinkmoney estimates Virgin Money customers will only spend on average around R55 in charges a month.
Customers pay a competitive interest rate on any money borrowed, but can also currently earn 2.5% per annum on a positive balance. The free rewards programme, is built on an instant gratification basis: no collecting points to redeem for purchases here, instead customers can immediately benefit from the rewards, such as 10% off Virgin Atlantic flights and other promotions around lifestyle type products and services. Exciting new rewards partners include Camelot Spa, Celestial Gift Experiences, Pick ‘n Pay Pharmacy as well as existing partners which include Virgin Active, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Mobile as well as Kauai, Altech Netstar, Netflorist and Netgifts.
“We wanted to give our customers a straightforward credit card that was simple and offered value,” says Vinay Padayachee, Managing Director of Virgin Money South Africa. “We’ve tried our best to keep the fees on this credit card to a minimum and only charge customers where it makes sense. So there’s no annual card fee, no fee to access Virgin Money online and of course no charge to swipe.”
“The Virgin Money ‘mine’ credit card is perfect for people who don’t want to go into a bricks and mortar bank and prefer the convenience of an online application and the card delivered by courier, then to be supported by a call centre or online banking services,” says Padayachee. Customers can apply online at www.virginmoneycard.co.za, or call 0861 822 273 and need to earn R 5 000 per month to qualify.
