Barclays debit card (full authorisation) & Tesco

book12

I am going to Tesco tomorrow to buy something. I will be using my Barclays debit card (full authorisation). The card doesn't have a cheque guarentee. The staff still call it a Electron for some reason, even though the card doesn't say 'Electron', and it has been phased out.

Will this work in Tesco? I don't want to be embarrassed tomorrow about having the card declined at the checkout.

I understand that Tesco don't accept Electron cards.

stclair

You should be okay ive seen people paying for goods and services in Tesco with an electron card before (I appreicate the card is not an electron card)

I think people get confused because the card type is visa electronic which is different to a visa electron.

book12

I just hope bank staff would say 'Visa Electronic' instead of 'Visa Electron' from now on when customers open a bank account with that type of debit card. I will use the card tomorrow and report back. I tried my Barclays debit card in ASDA and Sainsburys and it worked.

Read a BBC News article a few days or last week, about the phasing out of Visa Electron. This is good news for most of us. However, in the future, paying for cheap flights wouldn't be good, as a fee would need to be paid.

stclair

book12 wrote: »

I just hope bank staff would say 'Visa Electronic' instead of 'Visa Electron' from now on when customers open a bank account with that type of debit card. I will use the card tomorrow and report back. I tried my Barclays debit card in ASDA and Sainsburys and it worked.

Read a BBC News article a few days or last week, about the phasing out of Visa Electron. This is good news for most of us. However, in the future, paying for cheap flights wouldn't be good, as a fee would need to be paid.

To be honest I always wondered how long it would take the airlines to change their visa electron policy.

It looks like HBOS is the only bank left still issuing them, It would not surprise if that dont change over time as Lloyds TSB offer Visa Debit Electronic on there basic bank account.

Mrs_Ryan

I've used my Halifax Electron and A&L full auth debit card in Tesco loads of times without problem - I think its just online that doesnt take Electron.

Extant

book12 wrote: »

I just hope bank staff would say 'Visa Electronic' instead of 'Visa Electron' from now on when customers open a bank account with that type of debit card. I will use the card tomorrow and report back. I tried my Barclays debit card in ASDA and Sainsburys and it worked.

Barclays systems have two product holdings for debit cards - "Connect Card" and "Connect (Electronic)". Those are the exact words that show on the screen.

The problem is that both the terms "Connect" and "Electronic" are used almost solely by Barclays, and staff are generally not aware of this (or the Visa scheme as a whole) - so their conversations with customers may unfortunately be slightly unclear as a result.

never-in-doubt

Looking at the Barclays website, the card shown looks embossed and not electronic - unless it is my eyes (at such an early hour!):



However, the card is shown when I visited Basic Account - unless they just show the main Connect card....

Can you confirm whether the above looking card is a full auth card (electronic) or the non authorisation one (i.e. cheque card whatever)...?

Also, anyone know if when you apply for a Barclays Bank Account, if you don't meet the scoring criteria do they just decline you (if unsuccessful) or do they downgrade you to a CardCash account? Cheers...

savagej

Extant wrote: »

Barclays systems have two product holdings for debit cards - "Connect Card" and "Connect (Electronic)". Those are the exact words that show on the screen.

The problem is that both the terms "Connect" and "Electronic" are used almost solely by Barclays, and staff are generally not aware of this (or the Visa scheme as a whole) - so their conversations with customers may unfortunately be slightly unclear as a result.

Indeed, as on this forum we have managed to make up our own terminology (not saying there is anything wrong with it), but using Visa's own words a full authorisation card would be either an embossed or unembossed card with a positive mandatory authorisation code or a Visa Electron or Visa Interlink card as it is a given for the last two. Which is a bit of a mouthful.

davethorp

never-in-doubt wrote: »

Looking at the Barclays website, the card shown looks embossed and not electronic - unless it is my eyes (at such an early hour!):



However, the card is shown when I visited Basic Account - unless they just show the main Connect card....

Can you confirm whether the above looking card is a full auth card (electronic) or the non authorisation one (i.e. cheque card whatever)...?

Also, anyone know if when you apply for a Barclays Bank Account, if you don't meet the scoring criteria do they just decline you (if unsuccessful) or do they downgrade you to a CardCash account? Cheers...

In my experience they decline you as you dont meet their criteria for the personal loan you have applied for despite the fact you applied for a current account.

Nice to know they know what they are doing with your money

book12

stclair wrote: »

To be honest I always wondered how long it would take the airlines to change their visa electron policy.

It looks like HBOS is the only bank left still issuing them, It would not surprise if that dont change over time as Lloyds TSB offer Visa Debit Electronic on there basic bank account.

According to this person, he/she phoned up HBOS about the change from Electron to Visa Debit Electronic. It is happening in the future: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=26916855&postcount=13

never-in-doubt wrote: »

Looking at the Barclays website, the card shown looks embossed and not electronic - unless it is my eyes (at such an early hour!):



However, the card is shown when I visited Basic Account - unless they just show the main Connect card....

Can you confirm whether the above looking card is a full auth card (electronic) or the non authorisation one (i.e. cheque card whatever)...?

Also, anyone know if when you apply for a Barclays Bank Account, if you don't meet the scoring criteria do they just decline you (if unsuccessful) or do they downgrade you to a CardCash account? Cheers...

Yes, the card looks like that. Instead of 4659, it's 4658 (i.e. full authorisation card) without cheque guarentee. The card is embossed.

When you apply for a Barclays Bank Account, I think they automatically default it to a Cash Card Account. This will happen if you do it in branch. Since you've done it online long time ago, it will be a straight decline.

By the way, have you got a reply about your application not being received?

davethorp wrote: »

In my experience they decline you as you dont meet their criteria for the personal loan you have applied for despite the fact you applied for a current account.

Nice to know they know what they are doing with your money

Probably the credit score/history isn't good, so the personal loan will be declined.

Extant wrote: »

Barclays systems have two product holdings for debit cards - "Connect Card" and "Connect (Electronic)". Those are the exact words that show on the screen.

The problem is that both the terms "Connect" and "Electronic" are used almost solely by Barclays, and staff are generally not aware of this (or the Visa scheme as a whole) - so their conversations with customers may unfortunately be slightly unclear as a result.

I've just looked back at the summary sheet, that was given to me after opening the account in branch. It says 'Connect (Electronic)'.

I hope the staff would say 'Connect (Electronic)' in the future.

Extant

never-in-doubt wrote: »

Looking at the Barclays website, the card shown looks embossed and not electronic - unless it is my eyes (at such an early hour!):



However, the card is shown when I visited Basic Account - unless they just show the main Connect card....

The card looks essentially the same whether it's full authorization or a card with a floor limit; the easiest way to tell the difference (for now) is to flip it over and check the reverse - if it has a cheque guarantee, it's all-auth. If you're approved for a card with a floor limit, it always comes with a cheque guarantee, at a minimum of £50 (again, for now).