What's the best way to reduce losses due to cashpoint crime?

I'm looking for advice on good ways to reduce my exposure if e.g. someone nicks my wallet or forces me to take money from my normal account, or uses a skimmer and hidden camera, etc.

I normally carry a credit card with a fairly low limit, a debit card with a low overdraft, and a couple of cash-only cards for savings accounts, and that's it. The low limits reduce the potential losses if someone gets hold of the card details, but it's still pretty large if they do it just after pay-day - salary is just under four times the overdraft limit.

I'm looking for something that's easy to top up on-line from my main account, and can be used credit-card or debit-card style (debit style preferred) to buy stuff like railway tickets, groceries, etc. I want to have no overdraft at all on the new card. Bricks-and-mortar bank branches are optional.

I'd rather not have it obviously connected with the same bank that issued all the cards I have.

What does anyone suggest?

Reply to
SteveR
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Open up a standard current account with debit card. Use the online facilities of your existing bank and transfer money into the new account when you need it.

AMO

Reply to
AMO

if you could get a solo card it would be even more secure as I believe they specifically won't let you go over drawn. Though I don't think they're accepted everywhere.

Reply to
John Smith

Would it be better to get a credit card with a small limit, say £500 or so? I can set up a "recipient" in my Internet banking stuff to make payments to it. As I understand these things (which isn't necessarily all that well), credit cards generally offer more protection than debit cards - is this correct? If so, can anyone recommend a good card which will respect my wish to keep the credit limit low?

Reply to
SteveR

I'd say a Solo card would be the best option, and just transfer money as you need it using online banking. It will be accepted at all cash machines, plus if it gets stolen you won't have to worry about it being used at shops without real time tills.

Reply to
halfanorange

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