Maestro cards - why have DVLA stopped them?

cazza35

I'm trying to book my practical test online but I only have a maestro card and they are now not accepting them on the DVLA site.

I know that the SOLO cards are being decommissioned but I thought that Maestro cards were ok.

Does anyone know why this is?

Thanks

peterbaker

I can only assume it is because current Maestro cards are now something of a rarity in the UK? I think many were reissued as Visa Debits a couple of years ago well before they expired.

coolesticeking

Apart from the Pre-Paid Cards I think the only bank that now uses Maestro cards on some of it's account's is Yorkshire Bank/Clydesdale Bank.

It is still a valid (for now anyways) type of payment method in the UK. How long it will last though who knows? Visa Debit seems the king now!

Will they allows you to pay by Maestro over the phone or is it the same as online?

[Deleted User]

It's strange because when I was on the continent there were lots of Maestro signs dotted about.

I thought they were in decline when I got my Natwest card reissued early, and it became a Visa debit.

coolesticeking

[quote=[Deleted User];43138138]It's strange because when I was on the continent there were lots of Maestro signs dotted about.

I thought they were in decline when I got my Natwest card reissued early, and it became a Visa debit.[/QUOTE]

Although they have the same name "Maestro UK" & "Maestro International" are different in many ways. Different rules on the way they are proccessed between the two and Maestro UK still runs on the old Switch gateway.

Toe-Jam

coolesticeking wrote: »

Although they have the same name "Maestro UK" & "Maestro International" and different in many ways. Different rules on the way they are proccessed between the two and Maestro UK still runs on the old Switch gateway.

Yes thats 100% correct 6759 cards run off the switch system still, they are essentially a switch card with the name changed.

Other Maestro cards run off Mastercard.net. I think the switch service is coming to an end it is just waiting for the individual banks contracts to expire.

Toe-Jam

coolesticeking wrote: »

Apart from the Pre-Paid Cards I think the only bank that now uses Maestro cards on some of it's account's is Yorkshire Bank/Clydesdale Bank.

Northern Bank and Bank of Ireland also use Maestro exclusively.

coolesticeking

Toe-Jam wrote: »

Northern Bank and Bank of Ireland also use Maestro exclusively.

Never heard of Northern Bank till now and would have thought the BOI would have been one of the big ones to move to Visa Debit.

I guess if they don't move to Visa Debit cards and wish to remain with the Mastercard brand, it will be Mastercard Debit like Metro Bank?

[Deleted User]

DSA deal with driving tests. Not DVLA.

Sorry couldn't help correcting this.

Toe-Jam

coolesticeking wrote: »

Never heard of Northern Bank till now

You never heard of the biggest bank robbery in UK history in 2004?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Bank_robbery

coolesticeking

Toe-Jam wrote: »

You never heard of the biggest bank robbery in UK history in 2004?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Bank_robbery

Ah, now you mention it! Didn't click till I was reading the article though!