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Curve card ‘pauses’ Amex functionality

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(EDIT:  Curve has changed a lot since this article was published.  Please do not rely on the information here.  Instead, please click here to read our detailed 2020 Curve review, which includes a link for a free £10 credit when you sign up.)

Let’s keep Curve discussion here, please, to stop other threads getting clogged up.

I will do an analysis on this tomorrow.  My gut feeling in the short term is that – assuming you can easily spend £1,000 on Curve in the next three months (and £600 of that can be free ATM withdrawals linked to a Mastercard or Visa, earning points) – you might as well do that.

You will get the £35 credit, which if you have the basic card means you are in the same financial position as taking a refund, and you still have the Curve card for overseas use (if you don’t have a 0% card) and ATM use and for places where it is treated as a debit card.

Curve prepaid MasterCard

And, of course, if you take a refund you would need to pay £35 again later if / when Amex functionality returns. If you have the premium version, the maths is different and you may find the full refund better than a £50 credit.

It is always fun and games working with start-ups ….

The email:

I’m Shachar, the CEO of Curve. Today we’ve got some disappointing news. American Express have asked us to pause their functionality with Curve – which means you will not be able to use your Curve card with your Amex for the time being. This begins at midday on May 31st UK time – you’ll shortly receive another email with practical details of what will happen when we pause the American Express functionality – your Curve will continue to work with Mastercard and Visa.

American Express want to ensure there is a seamless customer support process for their Members when using their Card with Curve. We’re continuing discussions with their management, and hope that American Express decide to come back to Curve soon.

We’re continuing to build something big at Curve. The first ever platform to connect you to your everything money – transforming the way you handle your finances, bringing value and saving you time and money. We’re already connecting up all your bank cards, tracking your expenses in real time and saving you money with zero FX fees when you travel. This is just the beginning – we’re working hard on future features such as the ability to move charges between funding cards after you’ve paid, bespoke loyalty rewards and cash-backs, peer-to peer payments and much more.

As a big thank you for being one of Curve’s early adopters we are giving Blue card members £35 and Black card members £50 worth of Curve Points if you spend a total of £1000 over the next three months. You’ll be able to spend your Curve Points at any merchant that accepts Mastercard using your Curve. Please see our FAQs for further details.

We hope you choose to stay with us to continue the exciting journey we’ve begun together. Please write to me directly – I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

I’ll keep you updated.

Yours,

Shachar Bialick

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Comments (435)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Mikeact says:
    24 May24 May 14:56

    I’m still using it out here in Greece, totally faultless this week, and hopefully next, but I guess back to Supercard come June 1st

  • Mikeact says:
    24 May24 May 14:58

    I meant to add, but what’s actually in it for Amex anyway?

    • harry says:
      24 May24 May 15:02

      extra commission

    • Rob says:
      24 May24 May 15:03

      All those transaction fees from companies who do not take Amex.

    • Jeff says:
      24 May24 May 15:20

      Presumably they get a small % of transactions that otherwise wouldn’t go through Amex at all as people are using it at places that don’t take Amex.

  • steveh says:
    24 May24 May 15:08

    Like most people, or virtually everybody in fact, I’m very disappointed with loss of the Amex link.

    But I don’t see the point in cancelling. I’m going to hold on and see if Curve can reset their relationship with Amex.

  • Rum says:
    24 May24 May 15:10

    Have to say I have been fortunate enough with it so far… Let’s hope things work out for the best. I had literally just cancelled my Lloyds Avios card (£24/annum card). Fortunately they were more than happy to re-instate my account just now and I’m waiting for new cards to be sent to me any day now. At least I will have some sort of fall-back for when I’m abraod in the summer. CS rep was more than happy to oblige.

  • Will S says:
    24 May24 May 15:16

    Is AMEX pulling the plug likely to be related to all the errors with double payments and payments being incorrectly processed? The Curve teething issues does somewhat put AMEX brand under fire and therefore undermine their reputation.
    I have a bigger issue in that a car rental deposit got charged to Curve and therefore AMEX and when the car rental company released the reserved deposit bank, it don’t not clear the charge. So I now have £1200 sat on my AMEX until curve sort it out. Sh£$%^$@ting myself!!!!

    • Yuff says:
      24 May24 May 15:35

      I think most of us know how good Amex is and therefore are aware it’s not Amex causing these problems.
      I’m also aware it was a good deal, even if it was only for a month currently, and have had very few issues.
      I will be even happier if Amex come back on board as I have no intention of asking for a refund as I can still make the card worthwhile for me.

  • Billy says:
    24 May24 May 15:46

    I think curve have seen this coming and decided to delay card shipments. I ordered my card 6 weeks ago and should have been dispatched last week. I’ve cancelled now and no payment was taken. If they have done that for everyone else who ordered within the last 6 weeks then there is no refunds as money was never taken.

    It’s the people who received their cards now asking to be refunded that Curve are probably worried about.

  • Gerard says:
    24 May24 May 15:47

    This is obviously a major blow to the value prop of Curve, and it is a gamble from our side as they are in “beta”, but I kind of ask myself two things:

    1) American Express have asked to “pause” AMEX functionality on the card for now. I know one may say this is just semantics, but it doesn’t sound like the door has firmly been closed – maybe there is still an option for this functionality to come back

    2) It sure as hell isn’t going to happen if everyone asks for a refund!! Why not try and support Curve as a start-up and see if they can make it through and bring back this functionality?

    I have had my Curve card (35 GBP) for 1 month and used it a lot – it has been great – I hope they iron out the issues and deliver on their promises.

    Let’s have a bit of solidarity and not try and jump ship for 35 or 25 pounds….I’m sure that we are not all that strapped for cash are we???

    • Alan says:
      24 May24 May 15:56

      The problem is many who have posted on here feel they have been conned in some way. The unlimited cash withdrawal offer was always going to be difficult to sustain. I, for one, am happy that they limited this to £200 monthly. This would have sifted out many who was just looking to make hay.

      For all those who are worried about losing money, as far as I can tell, they haven’t folded and the card can still be used. The sticking point is the reward programme. I think to try and pull back some goodwill they really need to make a move on launching this as there might still be some beneift in holding this card.

    • Will says:
      24 May24 May 16:00

      Well said!

    • roopa says:
      24 May24 May 16:30

      even if it is one pound, it is my money and why should i help a start-up company with no benefit in it for me?

  • Vol says:
    24 May24 May 16:05

    The ones that are making me laugh are those that say it’s Raffle’s fault.

    People simply not taking responsibility for decisions they’ve made.

    If you are sole traders (which you all should be, having applied for this card), if it all goes belly up, you just write this off as a business expense.

    Going to stick with it. If nothing else, I earned points I could not have otherwise earned had I just had BAPP.

    • Rob says:
      24 May24 May 16:19

      Let’s be clear – assuming the refunds are made (and there is no sign that they won’t), 95% of readers will come out AHEAD assuming they have made a transaction on the card.

      The 5% who have not yet activated it will come out quits.

      It’s not exactly PPI misselling is it?!

    • CV3V says:
      24 May24 May 19:19

      Its all Raffles fault! Its his fault i now fly long haul in First and Business Class. Its also his fault i am Hilton Diamond status and get free breakfast and free executive lounge access! But its also his fault for the HP inkjet cartridges which neatly filed on the bookshelf!

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