Barclays Bank have been involved in a lot of controversy over the years, discrimination especially around race for a lot of years has tarnished my view of the brand. Barclays Bank was heavily involved in South Africa during the apartheid era, serving as a primary target for anti-apartheid boycotts from 1969 to 1986. The reputation stuck for many. The bank was criticized for financing the white-minority regime, providing significant loans to state-controlled corporations, and maintaining large operations, which prompted a major student-led campaign forcing its divestment in 1986.

Banks are not angels for sure but the whispers in the walls at Barclays have stopped me from ever having a chequing or savings account with them.

We had the libor scandal, the manipulation of bank lending rates that caused the then CEO Bob Diamond (along with other senior colleagues at the top) being forced to resign. The bank was fined £290 million for fixing the Libor and Euribor interbank lending rates between 2005 and 2009.

Barclays are not alone in their dodgy behaviour. Since the FCA started monitoring and looking into questionable practise within banking in 2014, the FCA has never had a year where the total fines are anything less than £1m. Its first full year of regulation in 2014 saw a record £1.47bn in fines issued.

But Barclays does seem to hit the headlines more times than other establishments.

Barclays has been criticised for its lending practises post financial crisis particularly for its aggressive approach to pulling in loans that have crippled small business. I remember listening to one radio show where customers were left with no where to go except getting it out on national radio. Interviews so powerful they stayed with me. The banks policies have been scrutinised for being overly stringent, leading to a significant number of complaints from small business owners and the Financial Ombudsman has reported a very high number of complaints about unexpected account closures from small business owners highlighting the devastating impact this has and the power the bank wields. This has happened to me with another bank which I did manage to get reopened thankfully and was able to continue trading so important to mention here it’s not just Barclays.

That said I am a very loyal Barclaycard user and choose my Barclaycard over any other credit card now because of the way I have been protected by Barclaycard when as a consumer I have been hurt. They have come to my aid and rescue like a protective, well muscled and scary older sibling wielding a big stick when I have felt small and bullied into backing down, taking the hit, helpless against online fraud and just bad business. Even borderline criminal behaviour the police deem a civil matter which would take a lengthy and expensive small claim to contest, Barclaycard have stepped in and got action.

The process to challenge any purchase made with your Barclaycard is long, lengthy online forms requiring lots of information, and time consuming for sure. I guess they have to be careful the consumer, their customers are not using Barclaycard safeguarding policies unethically or for their own financial gain.

That said if you are a valued customer with a legitimate issue Barclaycard have got your back.

I’ve been a Barclaycard customer for about 10 years, despite my aversion to Barclays Bank and my negative association with the name. For about 8 years of the time, I have had no need of the protection Barclaycard offer against any purchase made however in the last two years I have had three incidents, two small under £100 but annoying both resolved in my favour and one very large purchase where the action on the part of Barclaycard and their intervention caused the business in question to act and sort out the problem, a problem they were choosing to ignore when it was just me trying to get resolution on my own.

I have other credit cards in my wallet, with other major high street banks. And I am excited to get a Revolut credit card when they are available in the UK as I really like their whole different, more ethical customer led approach to banking. I have been extremely disappointed with the credit card services offered by the Nationwide whose service does not match it’s clever and widely recognised advertising campaigns making light of the marginally ethical borderline criminal behaviour of other banks. I’d say pot calling the kettle black based on my own experience.

I wrote this because I am sure Barclays have left a sour taste in many people’s mouths over the years but if you are looking for a credit card provider that doesn’t “bait and switch”, do honour 0% rates when offered and will be there for you should something go wrong I can wholeheartedly recommend Barclaycard. They have been amazing.