tesco wouldn't accept my switch for 93p!

kittykate_2

Hey
As you can tell by the title, I went into Tesco today before I caught my bus and bought a paper and a little drink. It came to 93p and I went to pay with my card, I apologised and explained that I only had my bus fare and the machine outside wasn't working, but the lady on the till wouldn't let me use my card. She said Tesco won't let you use your card for things under £1 because that's how much it costs them to let you use it. I work at Asda and have not heard this before. Is it true? I'm sure I've used my card for a small amount at Tesco before.

Mad cos I got wet and had to walk over the other side of town cos I used my bus fare to get the paper.

Guess it's my own fault for not bringing more cash out with me.

KK x

taxiphil

Never heard of this before. I used my debit card to pay for a 60p newspaper at Tesco a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it's another case of over-zealous pedantic staff inventing their own rules.

kittykate_2

Yeah I thought that too cos when she said it she had a smirk on her face and when I pointed out that I work on the tills at asda and we haven't got that policy or heard of that she kinda stoppped smiling and said "well its true, its true they charge us". I kinda laughed and said she could have my bus fare. It's not like there was a queue and I know that using a card takes about 10 secs longer but it's much easier. I let people pay for 19p choccy bars with their cards and I don't bat an eyelid.

I just wanted to check what you guys thought.

Thanks!

KKx

aj3001

I have purchased items for less then £1 in tescos using debit cards.

If this is the case in this store for whatever reason, is there any acsess to self service checkouts? I know in my local Tescos there is, and that definatly doesn't complain about transactions under £1

hjb123

When I used to work in retail we wouldnt let people buy on card for under £1. We didnt do cashback so we werent able to let the customer get round it that way either.

kittykate_2

No self service, it's one of them medium sized tescos in town not the big tescos. It's quite old as well. She wouldn't let me get cashback either. She probs was in a bad mood and thought she'd take it out on the customers.

KKx

Astaroth

Accepting a debit card costs 30p per transaction irrespective of the amount of the transaction (which is why companies do cashback on debit cards)

Cannot comment on what Tescos policy is but given that their profit margins on most things is about 10% then a transaction for £1.00 paid by switch would have cost them £1.20 and so a 20p loss

achtunglady

I'd call up head office and ask their policy on it, and if they say yes they do accept debit cards for under £1, then tell them that a rude cashier refused to serve you, and tell them that you had to spend your bus fare and walk home in the pouring rain and also the cash machine was out of order. If you still have your receipt, give them the details on it.

As for her snotty attitude that it cost tesco that amount in charges to use it, was she personally paying the charge out of her pocket????

carrie483

I would've just bought something which took my total over the £1 mark, like a sweet for 30p or something.

pianeet

tescos done this to me once so know i make a point of buying my paper for 45p every morning with my credit card when i rang head office they said there is no minimum spend policy in place

woohoo_postingid

Accepting a debit card costs 30p per transaction irrespective of the amount of the transaction

Maybe for an independent business...
I would imagine that the charges for Tesco are nowhere near that amount - probably more like 5p or even 1p per transaction.