Barclaycard is closing its call centre in Manchester, with the loss of more than 600 jobs, and outsourcing some of the work to India, the company has announced.

After people compare credit cards, many choose Barclaycard and it is one of the best-known card brands in the country. As such, the union Amicus said that the closure was “totally inappropriate” for such a high-profile and profitable firm.

The firm’s base at Peterloo House will be closed from the end of July, with the work moved to Mumbai and Teesside. Staff at the centre were told of the plan on Tuesday morning.

Antony Jenkins, chief executive of Barclaycard, said: “Decisions like these are never easy and we will be doing everything we can to support those who are affected.

Barclaycard’s business is becoming more global and to stay successful we must change how we operate to reflect this. Unfortunately, closing our Peterloo House site is part of this process.”

But Amicus official Steve Pantak said that his union had strenuously opposed the closure. “At a time of increasing pressure on staff in Barclaycard, we believe it to be totally inappropriate for this large and highly profitable employer to be announcing closures and job losses.”

Some consumers have said that they will take this decision into account when they come to compare credit cards and may not take a Barclaycard as a result.