Using card with no funds - will it work?

sillystudent_2

Because of a problem I've just mentioned in an earlier thread (withdrew £200 from cash machine, got no money but got charged anyway!! :eek: ) I've got basically no funds in my account. The bank says the money should be credited within 2 weeks, but I need to buy books and food pretty urgently.

So my question is - do any shops still have shop floor limits, where the balance of the card isn't checked? I know its a bit unethical to pay for things when I know I'm not good for it (and I know I'll be charged) but I'm in rather dire straits and I will pay the bank back when I get my money returned! I read on here somewhere that Tesco have a £50 shop floor limit, however I tried to buy some petrol from an Express earlier today and my card was declined (fortunately had just enough cash!)

So my question is - do shop floor limits still exist, and if so where? (a supermarket or food shop would be ideal ) I'd just like to add that I'm not some type of fraudster - just a silly student who's found himself in a serious pickle

Its a Barclays Visa Connect debit card (not cheque guarantee) if that's of any relevance.

Thanks for any help

YorkshireBoy

Have you asked the bank for a temporary overdraft/overdraft extension under the circumstances?

BTW, you're going to risk damaging your credit rating by doing what you're proposing. Also, there's a very good chance your bank will close your account for card abuse on this scale (many small value transactions in order to get round the floor limits).

omelette451

There's always a chance the card will be checked, regardless of the amount. I've had transactions for a pound or two where I've had to wait for authorisation by the machine yet in the same shop £50+ went through instantly. If the bank admits you should have the money (and by saying you'll have it in two weeks I'd assume it has done) I'd ask if they'll give you an emergency free overdraft until the funds are credited.

username

If your connect card is the one without a cheque guarantee, it's most likely that all transactions done on it will be forced to be authorised 'online' - that is, a check will be done to see if there's enough funds in the account, and if there isn't, the transaction will be declined. That probably explains why your card was rejected at the petrol pump.

cifpower

I concur with YB. Ask for a temporary overdraft/extension to tide you over to prevent any bank charges or any embarrassment at the till.

Mikeyorks

sillystudent wrote: »

So my question is - do shop floor limits still exist,

Virtually disappeared at the introduction of Chip & Pin.

As posts #2 and #5 ...... you need to resolve this with the Bank ..... or parents.

TheEffect

Ring them and explain your situation. They'll most likelly give you a temporary overdraft. If you try and use your card, it will be declined. The easy way to use money without an overdraft is by paying online, however this will incur you a £25 unauthorised overdraft fee as well as a bad credit rating, bad account running with bank and possibly account closure.

Ring the bank, or your parents/friends. If you're at Uni, talk to the financial adviser.

omelette451

As an extra thought, do you have a credit card? When I became a student the bank automatically sent me one, and it's in circumstances such as these that they prove to be rather useful...

LittleCharlie

Or pay by cheque... Expensive when they bounce, but hey ho!

orangeslimes

at my university people could get emergency loans from student support to cover situations like this - maybe you could try and see if anything similar exists where you are.

Mike1989

Same advice again. See if the bank can provide an emergency overdraft. Or the best bet is to go into your uni, explain the situation, and they may well provide you with an emergency loan that you have to pay back. I know my uni provides such loans to people who hit financial difficulty. So go into your student union or advice centre and ask to see if they can provide some sort of help until you get your money back.