Barclays Cash card Account help

Extant

book12 wrote: »

Ask them to open the account on the 'old system' instead.

There's absolutely no point. This "old and new system" stuff is erroneous, as the back end - the Automated Decision Engine - is exactly the same. There is no benefit to asking them to do this at all.

Liese38

Barclays Manager,

I have been a Barclays customer for a number of years, including those spent at university. During that time I gained a lot of debt that I have since paid in full and have certificates of satisfaction against.

For the last 5 years I have been an outstanding customer, having my salary paid into my cash card account every month. I have never in that time missed a direct debit or been overdrawn- I even have a monthly saver which is very healthy and yet I am stuck with a cash card account suitable for a teenager (which I no longer am nor have been for some time!). I have been into my local branch of Canary Wharf only to be told even after appealing the rejection I still can not be upgraded.

You mentioned earlier that the decision is normally 50/50 on internal and external checks. I understand I do not have the greatest credit rating but my account activity has been impeccable....As I work for an investment bank I appreciate risk, which this is really all based on. Looking at the activity within my account I can not fathom the reason for the rejection, based on the last 5 years surely I can not still be deemed a risk. No one I speak either in branch or over the phone seems to have any idea, I am hoping as a "branch manager" you may be able to shed some light on this for me

Extant

Liese38 wrote: »

Barclays Manager,

I have been a Barclays customer for a number of years, including those spent at university. During that time I gained a lot of debt that I have since paid in full and have certificates of satisfaction against.

For the last 5 years I have been an outstanding customer, having my salary paid into my cash card account every month. I have never in that time missed a direct debit or been overdrawn- I even have a monthly saver which is very healthy and yet I am stuck with a cash card account suitable for a teenager (which I no longer am nor have been for some time!). I have been into my local branch of Canary Wharf only to be told even after appealing the rejection I still can not be upgraded.

You mentioned earlier that the decision is normally 50/50 on internal and external checks. I understand I do not have the greatest credit rating but my account activity has been impeccable....As I work for an investment bank I appreciate risk, which this is really all based on. Looking at the activity within my account I can not fathom the reason for the rejection, based on the last 5 years surely I can not still be deemed a risk. No one I speak either in branch or over the phone seems to have any idea, I am hoping as a "branch manager" you may be able to shed some light on this for me

You can't directly upgrade a cash card account - it would be an entirely new account, with a new sort code and account number. As such, it's the same as applying for a new account for a brand new customer - your credit score is still going to be the over-riding factor.

Without being able to see your accounts, I don't want to tell you why you were declined, but it likely would be your credit score, since you mention some CCJ sounding debt arrangements.

Our CCA customers don't generate automatic risk scores (i.e. no pre-approved) so the system would have fallen back on credit scoring alone. However, dependent on the customer, we do make exceptions to this - I would suggest asking to appeal the decision, and giving your reasons why.

stickman

BarclaysManager wrote: »

Yes. We issue certain types of cards under certain debit card ranges. For instance, cards starting 4659 are all Premier customers, 4539 are standard Visa Debit cards, etc.

The reason the name is absent is for a couple of reasons - first, it's not exactly the same card. It has embossed numbering, for example, which is oddly not a feature of standard Electron cards. Second, "Visa Electron" has negative connotations.

It does, however, still function in the same way: i.e. there's no floor limit, so it always requires authorization when making a purchase.



We have two product holdings that cover all of our debit cards, basically. The first is "Connect (Electronic)" which is essentially Visa Electron, as covered before. The other is "Connect Card" which is a Visa Debit card of some sort. It covers all cheque guarantee limits (£50, £100, £250) and features a floor limit.

We do not currently issue a Visa Debit card without a cheque guarantee. So, if your card does not have the guarantee hologram on it (bottom right, reverse) then it is a Visa Electron card.

As for upgrading your account, you can apply to upgrade your account at any point. You will be credit scored, though, so it's wise to avoid doing it too close to any other applications for credit cards, etc.

The application is processed electronically through our central system, and a decision will be made based on your credit score, account performance and trends, etc.

This decision cannot be over-ruled by any member of Retail Banking (even me!)

If you're declined, ask the personal banker why. They will be able to see why. It might give you some help in trying to repair your credit problems. You can also appeal the decision, and it will then be assessed by a real live human. However, appeals need to be of decent nature, i.e. not "customer really wants it". They must always address the issues that you were declined for. So, say, if you were declined due to arrears on your credit score, you and the personal banker could appeal on the grounds that your Barclays account has been run in an excellent fashion for the past X years, with no arrears and no unpaids.

If you're successful, you will unfortunately have to give up your account number, as it will be a fresh one. It's not a straight upgrade.

You may lose your sort code too, if you're on 20-20-20 (universal banking: cash card accounts only). You'd be switched over to the sorting code of the branch you opened the account in.

I hope this helps.

Confused on this one. If BC Visa debit(electron) requires authorisation, can you use them on trains and if so why, when "electron" cards are not accepted. Confusing since both cards require authorisation,also since both cards are basically the same why is BC Visa more widely accepted.
Thanks

stickman

stickman wrote: »

Confused on this one. If BC Visa debit(electron) requires authorisation, can you use them on trains and if so why, when "electron" cards are not accepted. Confusing since both cards require authorisation,also since both cards are basically the same why is BC Visa more widely accepted.
Thanks

Still can't find definitive answer on this one,any ideas anyone?
Also has anyone got anything on co-op ditching "electron" for visa debit like Barclays?
Thanks

book12

stickman wrote: »

Still can't find definitive answer on this one,any ideas anyone?
Also has anyone got anything on co-op ditching "electron" for visa debit like Barclays?
Thanks

Yes, from June, Co-op is ditching Electron - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1668331

Natwest/RBS is also doing the same according to wikipedia, and this thread - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1650763

savagej

You can use Visa Electron on a train, it is just the staff are told not to accept them but if they run them through the machine it goes through just like it was an ordinary Visa card. So any Visa card will work with one of those machines (including these full authorisation debit cards and prepaid cards like Cashplus) it is just what a member of staff will or wont swipe through it.

However, they now have extra protection built in to the Visa system because I think it was as of April last year all card are supposed to be checked for their service code to indicate if on-line authorisation is required. If this is ignored and the transaction pushed through then the bank can bounce it back as the train company (or more correctly its machine) did not follow procedure. I am sure it wont be long beforfe they have new ones that can tell the difference between card types and even go on-line via a SIM card or trains WIFI to authorises transactions.

They were told years ago to stop taking electron cards after the number of bounced transactions.

kev1980_2

savagej wrote: »

You can use Visa Electron on a train, it is just the staff are told not to accept them but if they run them through the machine it goes through just like it was an ordinary Visa card. So any Visa card will work with one of those machines (including these full authorisation debit cards and prepaid cards like Cashplus) it is just what a member of staff will or wont swipe through it.

However, they now have extra protection built in to the Visa system because I think it was as of April last year all card are supposed to be checked for their service code to indicate if on-line authorisation is required. If this is ignored and the transaction pushed through then the bank can bounce it back as the train company (or more correctly its machine) did not follow procedure. I am sure it wont be long beforfe they have new ones that can tell the difference between card types and even go on-line via a SIM card or trains WIFI to authorises transactions.

They were told years ago to stop taking electron cards after the number of bounced transactions.

I work within the Revenue Protection Team for a Train Operating Company and its still the norm that we DO NOT ACCEPT Electron or Solo.

With regards to the pre paid cards our Avantix Ticket Machines will not accept a pre paid card and a message is displayed to the member of staff on screen.

savagej

I have used a Cashplus Mastercard with no money on it to buy a £64 return ticket, it went through fine. I thought I had the money on the card but I did not and when they wrote to me I paid up immediately, but Cashplus Mastercard works in the machine with no problems.

EditL just did a bit of googling and i think it has to do with the type of ticket issuing machine the guard has, I see there are new ones with a pin pad, in our area it is older machines were the card is simply swiped.

stickman

kev1980 wrote: »

I work within the Revenue Protection Team for a Train Operating Company and its still the norm that we DO NOT ACCEPT Electron or Solo.

With regards to the pre paid cards our Avantix Ticket Machines will not accept a pre paid card and a message is displayed to the member of staff on screen.

So can you tell me why Barclay cashcard (connect) IS accepted when just like electron it also requires authorisation (electronic auth via terminal)
Thanks