Barclaycard: Beware of debit card payment T&Cs!

Dagobert

Beware that you can only make one debit card payment per day until the minimum amount has cleared!

I attempted to pay my minimum payment with multiple debit card payments. The second one was rejected and I was only able to salvage the situation because I still had enough time for a BACS payment. If I had made the debit card payment on the last possible day (2 working days before due date), it would not have been possible to pay by any other means in time, thus causing penalties and affecting credit records.

Just another example that each credit card provider handles debit card payments differently. It seems the various quirks are just designed to catch people out.

Payment Terms & Conditions

Currently you can use your debit card to make your minimum payment or any amount up to £100 (whichever is the greater) either over the phone or online. Until your minimum payment amount has cleared, you can make one debit card payment per day (up to the maximum shown on the previous screen). After your minimum payment has cleared, you will then not be able to make another payment by debit card until you are next billed.

It is also worth noting that you can only pay greater amounts by debit card 90 days after clearance of the first debit card payment. I wonder whether this restriction applies to each individual debit card or to debit card payments in general?

This just goes to show that it's always a good idea to pay a few days earlier than you actually need to to give yourself more options.

Astaroth

But then they are charged by your debit card issuer for taking the payment - kind of understandable why they dont want to encourage the over use of them

Dagobert

In all fairness, these T&Cs are available online. However, the Further Information link is next to the Maximum Amount radio button and does not appear to apply to Other amounts. Otherwise I would have read it prior to submitting the payment.

It's probably not intentional but the design of the web page is misleading.

Astaroth

With risk of being accused of being a bank croney (again) - actually writting the websites is fairly difficult - you have to get enough information on a page so that the customer can read it but not every single T&C on it as you know fully well that a page like that would be read by no one. Whilst you would imagine that it would then become "buyer beware" unfortunately the FOS seems to actually accept the arguement "no i didnt read the T&Cs, well no one does do they?" far too often.

Dagobert

I did not post the above message to slag Barclays, just to prevent other people from a potential pitfall.

Astaroth wrote:

actually writting the websites is fairly difficult - you have to get enough information on a page

In this particular case, the link to the information is simply in the wrong place: namely quite clearly next to the Maximum Payment button whilst the information relates to both maximum and Other payments. It's not a question of space but positioning.

Astaroth wrote:

know fully well that a page like that would be read by no one

If people don't read the T&Cs it's their own fault and no-one else's.

I am guilty of assuming that Barclaycard debit card payments worked in the same way as Conran's. This is simply a warning that each provider has different processes in place.

Astaroth

Aye, wasnt knocking your comment - it isnt something I was aware of either but then I pay by BACS or DD rather than debit card anyway