Visa credit and debit logo confusion = costly cash advance!

digitaltoast

I'll just paste the letter I've just sent to my bank, should explain the story!

Ever since the new style "Visa Debit" card arrived, I knew I'd have to be wary which one I was using.

However, when it's dark, raining and you're in a hurry in a foreign city, it's not always possible to think about whether you're looking at the feintly printed outline of the word "debit" when putting the card in the cashpoint.

Due to having a brain, I would never in a million years use a credit card to get cash out, but checking my statement it appears this is exactly what I've done, along with all the cost incurred. [almost £4 to take out £50]

Can I please strongly suggest that the cards are made substantially different? Otherwise, it could almost be though that the customer was trying to be "caught out" - seriously, put one of your debit and credit cards together, then think about being in a hurry at a rainy cashpoint. See what I mean now?

I'm thinking about putting a sticker over the front of each card, on the flat bit above the number, with DEBIT or CREDIT it BIG letters, but I'm concerned that might jam up in a cashpoint.

Also, does this mean I'm getting hammered for the full rate from the time of that withdrawal? What's the best way to "pay off" that part of the card quickly? Or do I have to pay it all now to ensure that?

Response appreciated.

speedbird1973

My visa debit card has "Debit" very clearly on it. If it didn't I'd still be clever enough to put the correct one in the machine.. sure you have a brain?

ILW

Just have a different PIN for each one.
Problem solved.

YorkshireBoy

speedbird1973 wrote: »

sure you have a brain?

Ouch!

OP, they may refund you the fee as a gesture of goodwill, rather than enter into protracted correspondence with you on what is a very trivial matter, but you'll be most likely stuck with the interest until you've paid the full balance for two consecutive months.

Some tips:

Keep your debit cards and credit cards in separate areas of your wallet/purse.

Keep the credit cards behind the debit cards so you have to 'root' for a credit card, rather than it being the first one you see when you open the wallet/purse.

Set different PINs for debit and credit cards.

Permanent marker may be better than strips of sticky tape, for the reason you gave.

Slow down (at the cashpoint)!

Buy a brolly!

digitaltoast

speedbird1973 wrote: »

My visa debit card has "Debit" very clearly on it. If it didn't I'd still be clever enough to put the correct one in the machine.. sure you have a brain?

Definitely - and good eyesight.

But both the credit and debit cards are the same plain black, but in one corner, it has a small, very thin, outline hollow font saying "debit", with grey as the outline.

If you saw them both in the dark, under a streetlight, in the rain, I'm pretty sure you'd not think about which was which while watching your back/bag!

outofworksch

A silly question for you but are all your PIN numbers the same? The simple and safest answer would be, change them so they are different, then in future, that type of error wouldnt happen

digitaltoast

outofworksch wrote: »

A silly question for you but are all your PIN numbers the same? The simple and safest answer would be, change them so they are different, then in future, that type of error wouldnt happen

Yeah, that's a good idea - I have different pins, but only for each "company", just so I don't have TOO many, but each service is different, if that makes sense.

I think I've learnt my lesson, I just can't believe I took out cash with a credit card!

As for taking my time at a cashpoint, try a dark street in Paris, in the rain, at night... it's not a place you want to stop and look too closely at card designs

YorkshireBoy

digitaltoast wrote: »

As for taking my time at a cashpoint, try a dark street in Paris, in the rain, at night...

No thanks. I'll continue to plan ahead and get my cash out during the day (and in between the showers).

it's not a place you want to stop and look too closely at card designs

So segregating them and/or setting different PINs is the way to go then.

NickX

Could have been worse - if the Credit Card was a maxxed out stoozing card and you had just gone over your limit with a Cash Withdrawal you really would be swearing.

As YorkshireBoy says I would speak to them nicely and explain the mistake and they may well refund you the fees (and possibly the interest depending on their generosity).

I really think you need different PINs for every different card - simply for security reasons if nothing else. I know its a pain but it is safer.

JasX

You should really be able to tell your cards apart ad take the time to look, perhaps your bank has a different design you could request, or does a special large font one for the partially sighted?

Or perhaps take a big black (edit: or silver/white) marker pen and put a dot in the top corner of one of them.... i understand a similar technique involving the letters L & R has been employed for some years to help small children put their shoes on correctly

izools

To be fair though I can appreciate this - look at the First Direct credit card and debit card, they are near identical and possibly indestinguishable in the dark.

But yes, it's a good idea to keep credit cards in a different area of your wallet / purse to debit cards, I do