Curve

Description

The Curve card is slightly different to the regular prepaid debit cards we talk about here. The main difference is that it isn’t really a prepaid card. The main idea behind the Curve card is that it allows you to spend from any of your cards (as long as they have been verified in the Curve app) using just one card. This saves you from carrying around a huge wallet full of cards – Now you just have one card, controlled by one app.

You could also make it a virtual card so that takes that away too! It works with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Huawei.

To use Curve, you add a payment card to the app. They support Visa, Mastercard®, Diners Club,  Discover Debit and credit cards. Currently not American Express nor Maestro though. The Curve card is a Mastercard® debit card so it can be used anywhere where Mastercard® operates.

You can select the account that you would like to pay with using Curve by simply opening the Curve app and tapping a bank card – that account will instantly become “active”, ready for you to spend with.

Whenever you spend with Curve in-store, online, or ATMs, we’ll charge the account that you have selected in the app (this is done in seconds while you’re at the till!) – you can check your spend history and your currently active card in the app anytime.

Worth noting, Curve isn’t a bank and your Curve account doesn’t hold money on it, so the account doesn’t have a sort code, account number, SWIFT number or IBAN.

Features

• Go Back in Time – If you paid for something with the wrong card it is possible with the app to change the payment to another card. Switch payments upto 90 days old that is under £1,000. There is no cost to this feature.
• Cashback – You can add all your loyalty cards onto Curve too.

Hacks

One thing about the Curve card is that it has a number of cool hacks

• If using any of the virtual payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Huawei and they are not yet available on your bank card, say for example, Permanent TSB in Ireland doesn’t support Google Pay yet, but by adding the TSB card to Curve it does work with Google Pay
• Using the Go Back in Time feature you can move payments that have been made less than 90 days ago from debit card to a credit to spread the cost of any payment – Improving your cashflow position.  Of course, all for responsible purposes.

One thing to be in mind with this card is around credit check. It doesn’t run a hard credit check but does do a soft check which they call a ‘Know Your Customer’ check. With a soft credit check it will show up as a line on your credit history but it won’t affect your credit score.

There are three types of Personal card you can choose from:

Curve Blue aka The Classic which is free and provides the core service.

Curve Black aka The Premium which runs at £9.99 per month which provides better FX and cashback levels.

Curve Metal aka The Ultimate which runs at £14.99 per month which provides all of the above plus more insurances mainly for international travellers built-in.