Disappearing debit card payments!?

jc22_2 · 27 May 2011 at 12:10PM

I am having a problem with my debit card payments with my current account and it has led to several charges.

When I make a payment with my debit card the money will come off my account immediately and be viewable on my online statement. This is fine and is what I would expect. However, what seems to be happening is that the payments will disappear from my account a couple of days later; the money will be added again to my balance; and the account will show that I have cash available when I shouldn't!

Even though I am aware of this issue it is impossible to keep track of (especially when I have made a few payments) without checking my online banking every hour and writing down my balances and payments!

I'm not sure why this is happening but it seems a bit suspect to me - showing that there is cash available when there isn't - and has led to several charges of £50 for being just a couple of quid over my limit. I have spoken to the bank who claim it is "entirely normal" for Maestro payments to be deducted then added the deducted again, but I am unconvinced by this. Certainly my last bank account did not have this issue.

Any help or sharing of similar experiences would be greatly appreciated. My current account is with Clydesdale Bank.

Thanks, Jamie

coolesticeking · 27 May 2011 at 12:46PM

It sounds like the retailers are doing whats called a 'Pre-Authorisation' where they check to ensure you have the money in the account, but if they do not go ahead with this Authorisation in time it drops off your account and makes it look like you then have money to spend.

It then seems the retailers are of course debiting for the transaction and causing you grief.

You have very limited choices here and it's one of the downsides of card payments.

Even if you had whats called a Full Authorisation card it would still reserve the funds from your account and if they don't act on the pre-authorisation go back into your account, and then when they are ready take the amount in full.

My only suggestion to you would be to have maybe a £50/£100 buffer depending on how much these transactions are for and not to go below this balance ever.

If you can't do this - Then have a spreadsheet or a bit of paper and write down each time you make a card payment and tick when they have been paid in full from your statement.

Only other route would be to get a Credit Card and ensure this is paid off in full each month.

jc22_2 · 27 May 2011 at 3:06PM

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I understand the mechanics of it, I just don't understand why it happens with my Clydesdale account but never happened with my RBS account? No-one else I have spoken to has come across this issue either. It appears to me a rather convenient, sneaky and underhand way of duping people into thinking they have money to spend in their account.

ERICS_MUM · 27 May 2011 at 3:18PM

This has never happened to me - I'm wth Nat West. It would drive me mad as I am almost obsessive about checking my account daily !. You might have to think about moving to another bank.

pmduk · 27 May 2011 at 3:57PM

The RBS group does seem to be particularly fast in reinstating these earmarked funds. It's always been a problem, before debit cards you had to allow for cheques to clear. There's no substitute for knowing exactly what's in your account, even if you have to resort to a pen and paper to do so.