Curve experiences – Is there any pattern?

[FF101]

I am considering switching to a Metal Curve in order to max out on the Avios earning using Curve Fronted on HMRC or NS&I, but am wary having seen references to account closures after using Curve.

It would be helpful to get a picture of what has / hasn’t triggered a closure, so any reports – positive or negative – appreciated, particularly what the response has been to high volume Fronted payments.

[TerryTierPoints]

I used Curve standard on holiday in May to avoid Barclaycard FX fees and have had no issue.

[Rui N.]

“Account closure” of what accounts exactly? Curve? Credit cards? HMRC?
You can’t really do high volumes of Fronted payments anymore in any case (without paying the 1.5% fee).

• This reply was modified 54 years, 3 months ago by .

[can]

Rui N. wrote:

“Account closure” of what accounts exactly? Curve? Credit cards? HMRC?
You can’t really do high volumes of Fronted payments anymore in any case (without paying the 1.5% fee).

what is a high volume?

[FF101]

Rui N. wrote:

“Account closure” of what accounts exactly? Curve? Credit cards? HMRC?
You can’t really do high volumes of Fronted payments anymore in any case (without paying the 1.5% fee).

Oh that HMRC would close my a/c !! There is an earlier thread in which people report their Barclaycard being closed after using Curve linkage.

With Curve Metal there is a fee free £10k per month Fronted allowance.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 3 months ago by .

[Rui N.]

can wrote:

what is a high volume?

More than you can do for “free”.

• This reply was modified 54 years, 3 months ago by .

[FF101]

I am not sure Barc closures have happened at any specific level of Curve activity, so I would like to get a picture of what has been happening, as there are no advance warnings – just a closure letter.

[chelynnah]

Linked to Curve. Don’t use it for high transactions. Mostly for international online spend, and for ApplePay before we could link the card directly to ApplePay.

Any of the reports I’ve seen about the closures haven’t had any reason given. So it’s currently just assumptions. But if you don’t want to risk losing it (like if you’ve now made it your main Avios card) then I’d probably just use it for normal activity rather than high volume.

[masaccio]

In any of the recent “what’s the risk” threads I have seen nothing concrete so I have concluded it’s all BS. I am about to make significant use of the travel and car rental insurance (well I rather hope I make NO use of either!) and will use plenty of forex withdrawals. I expect no issues but will post details if I do.

[Rui N.]

Some of these Barclays’ cards closures reported here were closed a couple of weeks after opening, so Barclays simply hadn’t had the time to assess if the amounts were a lot or not. Clearly they are not closing all cards linked with Curve like Creation did.
To be 100% sure don’t link it to Curve. If you link, regardless of what you do there’s always a risk.

[FF101]

Thanks for the replies. The object of the thread was to try and find out what people have been managing by way of regular large ‘fronted’ Curve transactions and what people have done that has resulted in their Barc cards being closed down.

Curve Metal is worth £150 pa if I can get (say) 60,000+ Avios in return, but not worth it (to me, as I already have a lot) if I can’t.

[Ibblybibbly]

I have metal linked to Avios B’card and spend £10k pcm to HMRC plus maybe £2k foreign spend pcm. Got card when it first came out and have never had any issues.

Hope that helps.

[zio]

I don’t think there was a pattern, at least not one those reporting closure owned up to.
However, after the initial shambolic BC product launch we actually haven’t been getting further reports of closures. Instead we now have a tedious but sensible “there were closures, be careful” mantra.
Personally I think there is an element of paranoia involved because the Creation fiasco is still rumbling on, but anybody like the OP looking to “max out on the … earning using curve fronted” needs to understand they are thinking about doing something their cc issuer didn’t intend as a use for their product. Truth be told, despite elements of the marketing, this wasn’t Curve’s intention either: there will be plenty here who remember the “show normal usage if you want us to raise your Curve spending limits” charade.
Anyway, my own experience, which is limited help to the OP, is that I have been using BC behind metal for non-GBP spend (FX and other fee-free), and in the UK mainly for things like TfL and Sainsbury’s spend (1% Curve cash), but not for NS&I or HMRC.

[zio]

masaccio wrote:

In any of the recent “what’s the risk” threads I have seen nothing concrete so I have concluded it’s all BS. I am about to make significant use of the travel and car rental insurance (well I rather hope I make NO use of either!) and will use plenty of forex withdrawals. I expect no issues but will post details if I do.

Please do make sure you have read the policy docs. We are all insuring our own risks, but as I commented in a thread 3 or 4 months ago I am happily travelling with the Curve travel insurance but am taking out a separate policy for hire cars.

[John]

I’ve been using curve on hilton regularly, normal as well as “dodgy” transactions and so far so good. Normal exceeding dodgy though.

[masaccio]

zio wrote:

masaccio wrote:

In any of the recent “what’s the risk” threads I have seen nothing concrete so I have concluded it’s all BS. I am about to make significant use of the travel and car rental insurance (well I rather hope I make NO use of either!) and will use plenty of forex withdrawals. I expect no issues but will post details if I do.

Please do make sure you have read the policy docs. We are all insuring our own risks, but as I commented in a thread 3 or 4 months ago I am happily travelling with the Curve travel insurance but am taking out a separate policy for hire cars.

I am a single driver renting a car of low value, paying with Curve. What am I missing?

[zio]

As I said, we are all insuring our own risks. Turns out the car I’m driving this week probably wouldn’t raise €3,500, never mind 35,000.

[BuildBackBetter]

zio wrote:

As I said, we are all insuring our own risks. Turns out the car I’m driving this week probably wouldn’t raise €3,500, never mind 35,000.

35k refers to the cost of the car when it was sold first time by the dealer.

[Bobri]

Could someone share some positive or negative experience in bending to brokers like HL?

[masaccio]

BuildBackBetter wrote:

zio wrote:

As I said, we are all insuring our own risks. Turns out the car I’m driving this week probably wouldn’t raise €3,500, never mind 35,000.

35k refers to the cost of the car when it was sold first time by the dealer.

I think I’m good with a Guatemalan compact

[duggie1982]

This is probs breaking rules but i have a few cards and the only ms spend i have is on my own purchases being paid back by credit card.

Been searching for months now but everything ms wise has died of death and only see the curve fronted 1.5% but not worth it.

I have BC avios, amex gold and curve (along with other fintech ones) can someone even email me some breadcrumbs please, its my user name followed by hotmail then dot com

Go on give a guy a break, need this side hustle and wish i was all over it before

[duke]

Didn’t you say recently that you like to share with others what you know? So it can be abused on mass(rather than a few) and shut down quickly? Like virgin and IHG. Not sure it’s a good idea to share with you if we wish to continue….

[Harrier25]

duggie1982 wrote:

This is probs breaking rules but i have a few cards and the only ms spend i have is on my own purchases being paid back by credit card.

Been searching for months now but everything ms wise has died of death and only see the curve fronted 1.5% but not worth it.

I have BC avios, amex gold and curve (along with other fintech ones) can someone even email me some breadcrumbs please, its my user name followed by hotmail then dot com

Go on give a guy a break, need this side hustle and wish i was all over it before

So sorry you missed the party, @duggie1982. It was great, mate!

[Carlos]

duke wrote:

Didn’t you say recently that you like to share with others what you know? So it can be abused on mass(rather than a few) and shut down quickly? Like virgin and IHG. Not sure it’s a good idea to share with you if we wish to continue….

Thankfully those posts by Paul have been removed

[NorthernLass]

I’ve hardly been using Curve for the past 3/4 years, but now Che has stopped inviting my BC to his weekly soirees may need to revert for US spend (Virgin can take care of euro spend as long as that lasts). I am right in thinking that Mon – Fri I can use curve backed by HH visa with no FX fees?