Where can a UK resident get a Maestro card?
Looking for an issuer of Maestro cards in the UK, as I will be travelling to and from and The Netherlands frequently, and do not wish to carry cash and will not be becoming a resident.
Mastercard and Visa are not widely accepted there and I have been caught out because of it before.
Even though Mastercard own Maestro, they do not issue Maestro cards in the UK - does anyone know where I could get a Maestro card, preferably for a low fee? Bunq bank offer a Maestro for a monthly fee but I'd rather find a more mainstream bank if possible.
Best Answer
None of the banks above issue a Maestro Card. The only banks active in the UK who DO issue Maestro cards are a company called Quidity, a company called Splash, and Revolut. And Revolut will only issue you with a Maestro Card if you live in Germany, Austria or the Netherlands! The Quidity card is expensive. £5 for the card, £5 "membership fee" for a year, a 3% transaction fee for every payment, 3% top Up Fee using Paypoint, or for a Credit/Debit Card 2% (subject to £1.00 minimum fee). Oh, and £1.50 ATM withdrawal (+ additional 2% for charges over £50). Still want one ?
http://www.quiditycard.com/help02.html
Or there's Splash.
http://www.splashplastic.com/about.html
Same membership and card issuing fees, a mere 2.5% transaction fees, 3% top up Fee using Paypoint, or for a Credit/Debit Card 2.5% (subject to £1.00 minimum fee), and £1.50 per ATM withdrawal.
Maestro cards are widely accepted in the Netherlands, Visa and Mastercard less so. Indeed, there are branches of Albert Heijn that will ONLY accept Maestro - no cash, no other cards.
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How can I get a Maestro card?
Maestro is a brand of debit card issued by Mastercard. Maestro cards can be used for in-store payments and for withdrawing cash at ATMs....How to get an N26 Maestro debit cardWhich banks issue Maestro cards?
New cards, renewals, and replacements of all Maestro-branded cards will be replaced by Mastercard products. Banks and other card issuers will no longer issue Maestro cards. Instead they will need to issue Debit Mastercards.Does the UK accept Maestro?
You probably won't be able to make purchases with a maestro card, but you should be able to withdraw cash from ATMs. If, however, you want to use your card to make purchases, then as others suggest you would need a Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card.Is Maestro still available?
Maestro has been replaced by the banks that issued it with Debit Mastercard.How to get a FREE VISA / Master Card - Top 10 International Cards For All Countries #2 | Pt. 2
More answers regarding where can a UK resident get a Maestro card?
Answer 2
Not strictly an answer to your question, but good to know: next to Maestro all shops in the Netherlands also accept VPAY cards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_Pay). So if you cannot find a bank in the UK that offers Maestro, maybe you can find one that offers VPAY.
Answer 3
Bunq's free account does not come with a card, but you can still use their app to make mobile contactless payments.
You might be able to open an account with a mainstream Dutch bank as a non-resident, but it seems from bank websites that they'll all require you to have some sort of connection to the Netherlands, or otherwise have a BSN (citizen service number). You could consider registering in the Netherlands as a non-resident to obtain one of these - there don't seem to be any requirements for who can do so!
Answer 4
Get a prepaid card
You should be able to find a prepaid MasterCard card in shops in Netherlands. You can probably top them up using a Visa. Pre paid Maestro cards seem impossible to find.
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