Made a payment to my CC - now my debit card is blocked!

lucystardust

Hi, I got a Tesco credit card last month. Last night I logged onto my Tesco online banking and it had the option to make a payment from a debit card, so I paid £100 from my Natwest debit card.
Then today I found I was unable to make a payment at the train station or withdraw cash on my NatWest debit card, despite being able to check my balance (£1300 still left til my overdraft limit!) I rang NatWest customer services and they suggested maybe a direct debit had come out overnight (nope), maybe my chip was broken or I'd tried the PIN 3 times incorrectly (nope - managed to check my balance today). They said they couldn't help me over the phone and I'd have to go to a branch on Monday!!! Said something about how I have online banking and not telephone banking so they cant access my account over the phone!
The only thing I can think of was that making the payment to Tesco last night made them block my card as it was fine yesterday afternoon. On the Tesco site I had to put in my Mastercard Secure password, but I had forgotten it. So it asked me for my debit card number, expiry date, code on the back of the card and my date of birth. Surely that was enough to prove it wasn't a dodgy transaction??
So now I'm left confused and cashless til Monday. Has anyone else had this happen to them??

never-in-doubt

Ring Natwest again and explain you want the block removing. Mastercard securecode is for the credit card, how was this relevant to make payment to tesco when you paid using a debit card? Doesn;t make sense..... have you set up matercard secure to work with maestro card (Natwest debit card?) - if so then this could block the account if you got it wrong but you'd be bonkers to forget this code - after all you choose what the password is! Forgetting it means goodbye to online shopping - use a proper password that you'll remember!

Tesco couldn't block the natwest card though, this would have been natwest directly. You have to speak to shatwest i'm afraid..... they hold the answers.

iwanttoberich

Is your Natwest card a Solo? If so, the train stations do not accept Solo cards for payments. Maybe this is the reason.

never-in-doubt

iwanttoberich wrote: »

Is your Natwest card a Solo? If so, the train stations do not accept Solo cards for payments. Maybe this is the reason.

Good thinking batman (batgirl) lol..... this is true. But card would have worked at ATM surely?

lucystardust

It is a Maestro NatWest card, hence why I had to use Mastercard Secure (and I also use it alot for payments at the train station, I did on Friday). I had forgotten the Mastercard Secure online password as I don't do alot of online shopping, but the payment to Tesco went through fine after entering the additional details and choosing a new password. I cant see why NatWest cant unblock it over the phone!

never-in-doubt

lucystardust wrote: »

It is a Maestro NatWest card, hence why I had to use Mastercard Secure (and I also use it alot for payments at the train station, I did on Friday). I had forgotten the Mastercard Secure online password as I don't do alot of online shopping, but the payment to Tesco went through fine after entering the additional details and choosing a new password. I cant see why NatWest cant unblock it over the phone!

They can if you ring them - they are just being awkward. The number you need to call is: 08453560020. Try it now and see what they can do for you..... whether or not you're registered for tele banking is irrelevant as they can go through security and you can name DD's and what you spent recently which is more than enough proof to provide that you are the account holder. Do not take no for an answer.

See other threads of similar nature:

1 - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1630445

2 - http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=natwest+blocked+my+debit+card&meta=&aq=f&oq=

lucystardust

I called them again and again they said they couldn't access my account, but they passed me onto the dept that deal with debit cards. The 2nd man said there's no block on my card after all, he said I must have reached my overdraft limit. I said i haven't and he said they must have suspended my overdraft!!! He said I'll have to go into a branch to sort this out! How can they suspend my overdraft when I'm within the limit and do this between 11pm Fri and 9am on Saturday (the time I made the Tesco payment and the time I tried to make a payment today)

never-in-doubt

lucystardust wrote: »

I called them again and again they said they couldn't access my account, but they passed me onto the dept that deal with debit cards. The 2nd man said there's no block on my card after all, he said I must have reached my overdraft limit. I said i haven't and he said they must have suspended my overdraft!!! He said I'll have to go into a branch to sort this out! How can they suspend my overdraft when I'm within the limit and do this between 11pm Fri and 9am on Saturday (the time I made the Tesco payment and the time I tried to make a payment today)

Ahhh that seems logical - bet they've cut your o/d...... Plus it is also happening a lot! Read here:

Overdrafts Reduced: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1655559

Credit Cards Reduced: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1694063

jatos

iwanttoberich wrote: »

Is your Natwest card a Solo? If so, the train stations do not accept Solo cards for payments. Maybe this is the reason.

Only at some trains companies stations.

For example East Midlands Trains don't acept Solo at their stations, but SouthEastern do.

never-in-doubt

jatos wrote: »

Only at some trains companies stations.

For example East Midlands Trains don't acept Solo at their stations, but SouthEastern do.

I was referring to the actual on train system - solo cannot be used there. Solo is an online card whereas the hand held system carried by conductors is offline and so will come back declined as they cannot prove payment will go though.

At the sales office then this could be random from town to town I suppose. Lets not confuse matters here though :beer:

lucystardust

I don't see why they have cut my overdraft. I'm no where near the limit (never been over and have regular salary coming in which always pays off the overdraft) and it is a Graduate account, so the only reason I opened the account was for the 2k interest free overdraft!