Strange Barclays Current Accont Balance

pfpf

hello.

for a few years i have done most financial transactions online and that includes my Barclays Current Account.

a fair few times over the years my balance just doesnt add up, and today its the same, so time to find out whats going on i guess!!

ok. i have one amount "last nights balance" and then "current balance". i realise payments i make on my debit card are taken instantly but dont show up on my transactions list for a few days, so i appreciate there is a difference between the two amounts.

but currently...my "current balance" is £53.00 less than "last nights balnce" and i know that the only payment still to show is a £50.00 payment. so why am i showing £53.00 down?

like i said this happens quite alot, but once the transactions are added so i can actually see them, everything works out to the penny.

i get the idea that Barclays are adding a few pounds here and there until the transaction actually appears in the hope i go overdrawn!!

i just dont understand it, but until now have never questioned it as it always adds up in the end.

any advice or ideas?

thank you.

vwman_3

This is odd, most times when I use my Barclaycard which isnt often, there alway is a small amount of £2 or £3 shown as a pending transaction, but after a day or two that pending transaction is removed.
Then my actual transaction is shown which is correct, I have often wondered about this, but never asked as I have never been charged..........or have I.

pfpf

hmmm, this is indeed bizarre...will be interesting to see if anyone can shed any light on it...ref original post.

thanks.

**purplemoon**

I think it's a "test transaction" to ensure the card you are using is valid (often done with online transactions) but the transaction never completes so the money is never actually taken from your account, just held as payment pending for a few days.

pfpf

**purplemoon** wrote:

I think it's a "test transaction" to ensure the card you are using is valid (often done with online transactions) but the transaction never completes so the money is never actually taken from your account, just held as payment pending for a few days.

that would actually make perfect sense...and the fact i use my card mostly online would explain why it happens so often.

thank you.

bargains83

Yes this usually tends to happen when you 'register' a card with a website. For example when you sign-up to tesco.com for online grocery shopping you are asked to enter card details during registration even though you haven't actually ordered anything yet. They do a test transaction on the card to make sure its valid, genuine and not stolen by taking £1 - £2 which is then automatically refunded.

Another reason for this with the online shopping websites is they will often pick and pack your order BEFORE charging your card (the way it should be done :T). If they didn't do this and then the card turned out not to be valid after picking and pakcking then obviously this is wasted resources for the company.

pfpf

bargains83 wrote:

For example when you sign-up to tesco.com.

ok where's the hidden camera?

CGG

I used to work for Barclays. It never made sense to me back then and still doesn't...

AndyR_3

CGG wrote:

I used to work for Barclays. It never made sense to me back then and still doesn't...

It made sence if you knew how to use BCIS. Not many people do though. Wonder if they still even have that...