Since I've explained Curve several times in the comments, I'll make a post that I can link to in the future.
𝐭𝐥;𝐝𝐫 Number of credit cards > 1 You need Curve. Number of credit cards ≤ 1 You do not need Curve.
𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲?
In short, a meta-credit card. But Curve is not a credit card in the ordinary sense. Curve bundles all credit cards, from Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and Discover. American Express, Maestro, JCB or UnionPay are not supported.
𝗪𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗸𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘀?
You will receive a physical card. The card from Curve, looks like a regular credit card and works the same way when paying. However, the card automatically routes your payments through to one of your other credit cards.
𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗻?
With Curve, it is possible to carry a portfolio of credit cards without actually having to carry the respective physical cards. Purchases are always applied to the card currently selected in the app, switching the selected card is done with a swipe and a tap. Gone are the days of wallets with 2 - 4 different cards. Curve also supports Google and Apple Pay. So cards that do not support Google / Apple Pay can still be used via these services. An example would be the Amazon Visa, this can not be used with Apple Pay, via Curve no problem. If you deposit the Curve in one of these services, you can leave the house without a physical card and still have everything with you. Another function is rebooking, more about that in a moment.
𝗚𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗸𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Curve offers the option to transfer transactions between deposited cards once within 30 days. Concrete example (see video) you are in stress and buy paper for the printer, pay with the wrong card, marriage crisis, divorce, slip into crime. No problem with Curve, rebook in the app, problem solved.
Now seriously, some cards offer different bonuses with different providers and depending on the number of cards, it can be hard to keep track. Likewise, for accounting reasons, it can be handy to separate purchases on different cards. Commercial / Private Spending.
𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁-𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲
Who doesn't know it, you want to pay but for some reason your card doesn't work. You try again, again nothing. So you dig out your next card. Card not used for a while, what was the pin again .... Crap wrong. Can I just pay cash?
Doesn't have to be all that. You have the option to specify 2 backup cards. If the payment fails with the currently selected card, then the next card is automatically used for the payment. So up to 3 cards would have to fail for the payment to still fail.
𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗸𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘀?
The basic card costs nothing and there are no charges for payments with the set currency. Foreign currency payments are free up to 500€ per month and withdrawals up to 200€ per month. There are paid subscriptions, with permanent cashback and higher allowances for foreign currency and withdrawals, and with a "prettier" card. In my view, it is only worth it for a few people or if you really want a fancy metal card.
𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸
The cashback is really just a side topic, but it should be mentioned anyway. Curve gives 30 days 1% cashback on 3 providers you can choose when you sign up. Subsequently, you can not change them. Therefore, select with caution. Permanent cashback is only available in the paid card models.
𝗘𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗴 / 𝘄𝗶𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝘇𝗲 𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲?
Curve has been my everyday card for over 2 years and the only payment card I carry. Every purchase I make offline with card, I pay with Curve and redirect it from there to my other cards.
I think the rebooking feature is great. From 2020 to 2021, it even allowed 90 days instead of 30. The anti-embarrassment mode is still relatively new and I have not yet had "the pleasure" to test this. But it is a nice feature. The question is of course how reliable is Curve itself? I had three times the problem that the card did not go. One case was the insolvency of Wirecard Card Solutions, there was a situation extremely short-term mail sent, this I had not read in time. The second failure was also related to Wirecard, but I am no longer sure. In the third case, Curve wanted proof of identification, but it was only displayed in the app, which I actually found a bit stupid. The identification was quick and automatic via the app.
Otherwise, there is the usual procedure that you have to enter a pin for high contactless transactions or that a pin transaction is required after an accumulated sum. This is called Strong Customer Authentication and is a requirement of the PSD2 directive. So it is not completely at Curve's discretion. Curve has as limit for single transactions 50€ and as accumulated limit is 150€. [1] If you don't want to do this, you can "work around" it with Google or Apple Pay, where unlocking the device is considered authentication.
I only had contact with the support once by mail, when I had questions about a booking. The response was quick, friendly and not a standard text.
I usually always carry a small amount of cash with me in case the card fails or no card payment is possible. Once that was not enough, so I quickly pulled 10€ at an ATM. It was unproblematic and I had no costs. Of course, this only works with the physical card.
Abroad, I have not used the card and I would also advise only conditionally. First, I would always carry the real cards and not just the Curve, especially on longer trips. Secondly, the free limits are rather low. If you have several cards anyway, then there is usually one that is suitable for use abroad. Third, travel insurance or other foreign insurance is only valid if bookings are made directly with the card. Fourth, special cases such as trains, planes, ferries, unmanned gas stations.
Online, I rarely use the card. At Amazon, Prime points are only available if you pay directly with the Amazon Visa. On ebay or other platforms yes and if necessary later transfer ...
... eg on the Vivid bspw. with purchases, if later for the purchase cashback is available. Because when rebooking, the transaction date on the new card is entered as the day of the rebooking. Thus, you can pull old purchases "in the Caschback".
Info about Vivid: https://app.getquin.com/activity/KCFQxkBfCY
In general, the rebooking function is mainly there to optimize the cashback of the credit cards.
Otherwise, I see the advantage of the Curve as an everyday card that a potential loss due to theft or other causes less trouble. I lock the Curve in the app and continue to have the cards underneath available and thus no real failure of my cards.
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸
https://www.curve.com/join#NMZXO43E
30 days cashback for you and me.
[1] https://community.curve.com/t/revised-changes-to-sca/38651
