Every day UK residents pull a gold card out of their wallet to make a purchase, ignoring the other credit cards and debit cards that may be in the wallet. It doesn’t matter if they are buying a new clock at the local department store, or booking an airline flight online, a gold credit card is the card of choice because it’s safer to use. It’s not that the other credit cards are unsafe in any way, a regular credit card or debit card just can’t match the protection a consumer receives when they make their purchase with a gold card.

Suppose you and your friend both book a flight together. He uses his debit card and you use your gold card. You get to the airport an hour before the flight is supposed to leave, just like you are supposed to, but the flight is delayed. The flight is now five hours late.

You’ve been at the airport for six hours already, and it feels like two days. Everyone’s irritable but you. You were smart and you used your gold card to pay for the flight. This means you can get up to £200 for meals or hotels because you’re covered by the card’s Travel Inconvenience Benefit. The question is, will you buy your friend a meal, or lecture him on the benefits of using a gold card?