Why does BBK Bank want me to have 2 credit cards?

[Somnambulist]

I recently went to my local branch of Bangkok Bank and asked for a credit card and they gave me two, a visa and a mastercard. I chose the minimum amount possible to be kept in the mandatory fixed account, 20,000 baht. When I use the card that account automatically draws money from my normal account and tops up the fixed account. I've already used one card to order something from the U.S. Great, really glad that works. But why do they want me to have two cards? I suppose I should also ask why I would want two cards? Is it supposed to make me feel special? Or is there something convenient about it that I am unaware of?

[loppylugs1]

spend more

[Somnambulist]

spend more

But both cards draw from the same 20,000 baht pool, so one card or two, the amount I can spend is the same. I did notice that one of the cards is called an Air Asia card so maybe the airline pushed for this.

[Pib]

Maybe two annual fees. Maybe they just offered you two cards with the right sales pitch (making you think it mandatory to have two cards) to see if you would bite. And did you open two mandatory Bt20K accounts, as in one for each card? If so, there is another reason to give you two cards....more business/profit for the bank with the opening of two accounts.

[Somnambulist]

Maybe two annual fees. Maybe they just offered you two cards with the right sales pitch (making you think it mandatory to have two cards) to see if you would bite. And did you open two mandatory Bt20K accounts, as in one for each card? If so, there is another reason to give you two cards....more business/profit for the bank with the opening of two accounts.

Ah, perhaps there are two annual fees. Could be. But there is just one mandatory account. gotta get around to reading all the small print one of these days.

[Pib]

I chose the minimum amount possible to be kept in the mandatory fixed account, 20,000 baht. When I use the card that account automatically draws money from my normal account and tops up the fixed account.

Usually from my understanding of how "secured" Thai credit cards work the account you have to open (the collateral/locked account so to speak) secures the credit card and your line of credit is based on that locked account. So if you have a 20K collateral account your line of credit would be 20K (or less)...but the amount in that locked account would not be varying as you used the card unless maybe you have some automatic payment plan setup which automatically pays your bill via the musical chairs payment scheme you described.

If you didn't make your monthly payments or just skip country, then no sweat as that locked account is the collateral that will cover the credit card balance. And you can't access/close the funds in the collateral account until you pay off the credit card balance and cancel the card. But hey, almost every day of hear of a new banking/card scheme.

One thing for sure the bank/card company is not going to lose a stang in any credit card balance/buys you make with a secured card.

[noodle]

It's a promo, get the staff to explain the minor difference in benefits between each card.

If you don't use either you can have the annual fee waived.

If you spend a total of Baht 5000 in the year, the annual fee will be waived.

[B1TcoinLife]

It's a promo, get the staff to explain the minor difference in benefits between each card.

If you don't use either you can have the annual fee waived.

If you spend a total of Baht 5000 in the year, the annual fee will be waived.

AFAIK the fees waiver is a promotion that only lasts for the first year.... After that you are paying yearly whether you spend 5000thb+ or not.... But I could be wrong....

I haven't gotten noticed anything in the fees schedule about the waiver continuing beyond year 1 but I also haven't read all the small print either...

[merijn]

I believe that BB gives both (master and visa) cc cards as a default.

I also received both cards with combined limit.

BTW the collateral or locked deposit account is not always required to get a BB credit card.

I received the BB credit card without the deposit or any other collateral.

Same happened with Kasikorn credit card. (Visa The Premier)

It depends i believe on your relation ship with the bank.

I'm on a 1 year extension without WP but have multiple accounts (high turnover) at both banks for many years.

[dageurreotype]

To the OP. So you managed to actually use their credit card to purchase online from overseas? I have their debit card verified by Bualung iPay but still haven't used it despite the best efforts of a kindly fellow poster, it's just too much hassle. I'd use paypal but my main use for a card would be from Amazon, who don't accept it. What was required for the 'credit card' and the annual fee? Thanks