Hi,
First post but been around a while,
I’m trying to find the unicorn of credit cards that gives me
I have an Aqua rewards card and a Barclays Rewards card but neither offer Instant Notifications like Starling and Monzo
I have an AMEX cards that provide Notifications but not the free spending abroad.
Is that card that does it all cause if there is I can’t find it 
Si
I think you mean “fee-free” 
He did say “the unicorn of credit cards”, to be fair.
I don’t think there is a card like this. If there was I would likely already have it 
As for the free spending, the spending is free, the items you buy are not
I don’t have first hand experience with Aqua or Barclaycard but I had thought others on here have said these credit cards do provide instant notifications (on other threads).
There are a couple of credit cards I’m aware of with fee free spending abroad and instant notifications (Zopa and Jaja) but I’m not aware of any that also has cashback.
Aqua can provide transaction alerts via text message.
It’s not quite as nice as proper native notifications, but it is close.
As far as I know, there is no card currently on sale that offers 0.5% cashback and fee-free spending abroad - again, the now-closed-to-new-applicants Aqua Reward is the only card I am aware of that ever did!
So if I were you I would use your Amex card in the U.K. only, the Aqua card where Amex isn’t accepted and abroad, and switch on text message alerts for the Aqua card.
In a way, text messages may actually be better for being abroad than native notifications, as they don’t use any data. My network allows me to receive texts for free anywhere in the world, and only charges to send them, so this is pretty good as I can keep receiving my text alerts for free as long as I have phone signal.
Edit: Yes, I did post on this before - just checked!
Is this the same with Barclaycard?
(directed at anyone who uses Barclaycard)
I don’t know about Barclaycard.
Native notifications are in testing for Barclays current accounts, so at a guess they are probably on the way soon for credit cards too.
Maybe I’m mixing up comments about Barclays current account and Barclaycard
Maybe, but I don’t have one of their credit cards so can’t be sure about the situation myself.
If somebody has experience with them, they might be able to confirm?
Don’t credit card companies have to make a profit somewhere along the line? I mean, without the intention of coming across as patronising or sarcastic, they’re not charities, they have to make money from somewhere. Ok, I accept, there are customers who don’t pay back what they borrow on time and end up paying ridiculous amounts of interest, but that aside…
AA card by Jaja does but it’s not open, it’s legacy 
moved because they own the whole portfolio
That’s their profit lol
Aqua Rewards Apple/Google Pay should provide instant notifications, it does for me
Yes, if you tend to use Apple Pay or Google Pay, then turning on text alerts for other transaction types may be OK with Aqua - most spending would still be via a proper notification, and all spending would come with some kind of notification, although some would be through text.
Tandem did offer all that but ceased being a credit card at the start of last year.
Aqua Reward is the closest I’ve come to.
Thanks for all the reply’s ( I’m not get notifications if replies which ironic given the topic lol )
Obvs free spending abroad was an oversight but we can all dream
The cash back tbf isn’t the biggest loss and I can live with out it.
Looks like at this moment I have the best options
Thanks
Si
Strangely I too haven’t been receiving my usual email notifications when someone replies to me/mentions me. I haven’t been having this issue on the other Discourse forums I visit so it seems specific to FT. @Liam is this a known issue?
I’m not sure you’ll find many credit cards with 0.5% cashback at all anymore, let alone with the other requirements. I would simply separate out the requirements and carry a couple of cards instead.
Two potential other options spring to mind:
Why do you need instant notifications (if Apple/Google pay can’t help)? Many of the traditional banks are getting close with immediate recognition of any pending transactions within the app (which allows you to check the amount is correct before leaving the store)
Perhaps it’s not worth mentioning but Aqua/NewDay cards do have this as well, which is very useful.
It sounds like the OP’s current setup is as good as you can get in the current credit card market.
For clarification, the reason for the credit card ,its only function, is abroad spending/vacations.
For example car rentals, hotels, restaurants etc where I’d like to keep track of what my card is doing.
My starling account of course is fine here but I prefer to spend on a credit card and repay when I’m home, also some places hold a pre-approval which via my debit card would take my cash balance down.
So Amex for pretty much all spending in Sterling (directly or PayPal or Apple Pay ) then Aqua or Barclaycard Rewards for vacations ( which other than instant push notifications I’m getting what I want )
I also have curve & revolut but don’t use them anymore
Thanks everyone