HSBC VISA Debit card

indigo_child

I used to have a HSBC solo card due to a managed loan which is still being payed off (i never miss a payment btw), when I asked HSBC a couple of years ago if I could change back to a switch account, as by then my credit history had dramatically improved for a while, they said no and this would be the case until the loan was finished (also they refused to turn the managed loan into a normal one even though I had the funds and proven credit history to by then)

I have just received my new HSBC VISA card. And I'm slightly confused as to the changes that will happen as a result (I have tried finding information about it but the more I read the more I get confused!)

Really just a few of questions:

• What differences will I notice from solo to VISA (I couldnt use solo in a few places before, has this changed now?)
• Are there any drawbacks?
• Why would HSBC being changing my type of credit allowence if my managed loan is still in place?

Cheers!

456789

Visa can be used in more places than solo

HSBC are switching all cards from Solo/Maestro to Visa

Not really thanks to visa chargeback you get better protection now

Don't know why they have given you a Visa card now

Stanai

I have a HSBC PLUS debit card, it has a really modern design and is black like the premier cards, I first saw it advertised at Cambridge railway station on a large billboard display in november 2008. I opened a plus account up in January 2009 that comes with £3000 life insurance, vehicle breakdown assistance, travel insurance and identity theft protection for £12.95 a month, I like the maestro symbol and am pleased with the card but I just recently had a letter saying that in the next few weeks they are changing it to Visa. I just hope they put as much effort into the design as they did advertising the old one. Since Visa changed it's symbol from a flag to the new visa I think it looks tacky like all the poor people who sign on at the job centre have visa debits for giros to be paid into their bank account after the post office giro system was replaced. So the new HSBC PLUS card better look respectable.

rb10

Karl_Chapman wrote: »

I think it looks tacky like all the poor people who sign on at the job centre have visa debits for giros to be paid into their bank account after the post office giro system was replaced.

I would expect most of the people who go to the Job Centre to have Visa Debit cards. If you take any sample of adults in the country, chances are that most of them will have a Visa Debit card, as it is the most widely issued debit card in the UK.

And who cares what the new HSBC card looks like!?!

naijapower

Visa can be used in more places than solo. That is the biggest effect you would feel

never-in-doubt

it is still a full auth visa debit means you cannot use on a plane, on trains nor at tesco pay at fuel pumps as these are non-live terminals and all auth cards require authorisation no !!!!!! lol

savagej

never-in-doubt wrote: »

it is still a full auth visa debit means you cannot use on a plane, on trains nor at tesco pay at fuel pumps as these are non-live terminals and all auth cards require authorisation no !!!!!! lol

I would not give it a try yourself before taking anyone elses word for it, you might just find that they are talking !!!!!! lol.

joeyjones

HSBC Visa Debit card,

I think you'll find that you have been sent a Visa Debit card in replacement of you solo card. do not get this mixed up as I think you are doing with a Visa Credit card, Visa is just the name of the company that runs the transaction system. The Visa debit card appears to have the same functionality as a solo, or as I had a maestro.

I am also told that Visa is accepted by more outlets, well I have had a maestro for around 8 years, and i have never had it refused anywhere ! both at home or abroad. So I find this statement to be misleading in the slightest, as Maestro appears (from my experience) to be excepted everywhere.

I also phoned HSBC this morning to clarify why my card was changing, My main concern is that now i have a Visa debit card. a lot of on-line retailers, such as Ryan air. charge an additional fee for using a Visa debit rather than a Maestro card, although both cards do the same thing, which is to instantly take out money from my account.

My view is that this is a back door way for banks such as HSBC to gain additional fee's for transactions, which in the past have been free of charge.

Although the man on the end of the phone representing HSBC could tell me the ins and outs regarding the change over. he was oblivious to the fact that additional charges would now be incurred to myself through using many on-line retailers.

I was also told i could not continue with a Maestro card as HSBC had signed a new contract with visa.

I for one will be looking at moving bank.

BruceyBonus

never-in-doubt wrote: »

it is still a full auth visa debit means you cannot use on a plane, on trains nor at tesco pay at fuel pumps as these are non-live terminals and all auth cards require authorisation no !!!!!! lol

I've used my HSBC Visa debit card on a train to buy tickets. The card was swiped through the conductor's Avantix machine so would have taken place offline, i.e. no authorisation.

Stanai

I think Maestro is owned by the same company as mastercard. I was watching a champions league football match and the sponsor panels around the edge of the pitch was a sign Mastercard-Maestro

BruceyBonus

Karl_Chapman wrote: »

I think Maestro is owned by the same company as mastercard. I was watching a champions league football match and the sponsor panels around the edge of the pitch was a sign Mastercard-Maestro

But all card processing within the UK goes through the Switch system (which is seperate to Mastercard's Maestro system). Switch (who aren't owned by Mastercard) decided to use the name Maestro for UK transactions to increase awareness of being able to use Switch cards worldwide.