Why was me card blocked for 24hrs?

bobblebob

Went to a petrol station yesterday morning near where i live (been going there for years, was only £40) and used chip n pin to pay, everything went through ok. Drove 100 miles to the coast, tried to use my card at an atm and it said the card was declined by the issuer. Tried at a different atm and got the same.

Didnt bother sorting it out that night as i got home late, but the next day before going into the branch i tried using it, and it worked! So 2 question:

1) Why was it only blocked for 24hrs? If something was suspicious flagged, surely that would block it indefinitely

2) Why did my spending habits that day trigger a block? Buying petrol, travelling and then using card somewhere else not exactly strange

innovate

May be you were down to zero the previous night, and some money was credited into your account overnight? This sort of thing happens.

bobblebob

Nope checked online banking night before, was well into the plus, 500 quid or so

innovate

What does your bank say?

bobblebob

I rang them to ask, they dont know. Said a block was in place but its was temporary but seems they dont know why

Didnt even know 24 hours blocked existed. Thought a block was issued by the bank for lost cards or suspicious activity, which lasted until you contacted them

innovate

OK, there doesn't appear to be any logical explanation, may be it is time to vote with your feet and move your business to another bank.

bobblebob

innovate wrote: »

OK, there doesn't appear to be any logical explanation, may be it is time to vote with your feet and move your business to another bank.

I am happy with the service Halifax supply and this is the only time this has happened. Dunno if all banks have the same security measures in place. Im not so bothered about it being blocked, more a reason why. Honestly cant see anything suspicious going on to block it

Sparx

- Maybe it was because you used your card at a petrol station, then you went 100 miles and used it elsewhere?
- Was it somewhere you have never been before and had never used your card at this shop before?
- Maybe you had been a naughty boy and drove those 100 miles quite quickly and the bank was wondering how the card had gone so far across the UK so quickly and was being used so they temporarily blocked it?
- Halifax's authorisation centre could've temporarily gone down or had a blip at the time your card was being attempted to authorise..

Many possibilities..

Naf

With Santander perhaps?
Their card fraud system is crazy paranoid.
I once paid for a meal at a local restaurant - that I had visited many times before, and usually even paid more than this time. Then walked through town to the cinema and the card was declined. A typical date-night out, what could be any less suspicious activity?
Despite me being a staff member and so being able to ask the right questions of the right people, still nobody had the slightest clue what had triggered it.

Edit: your post about being with the Halifax hadn't shown up as I was typing.

bobblebob

Sparx wrote: »

- Maybe it was because you used your card at a petrol station, then you went 100 miles and used it elsewhere?
- Was it somewhere you have never been before and had never used your card at this shop before?
- Maybe you had been a naughty boy and drove those 100 miles quite quickly and the bank was wondering how the card had gone so far across the UK so quickly and was being used so they temporarily blocked it?
- Halifax's authorisation centre could've temporarily gone down or had a blip at the time your card was being attempted to authorise..

Many possibilities..

The last point is a no as my friend used her Halifax card with no problems minutes later. Dont think using your card, travelling 100 miles and using it again is that strange is it? Ive used my card in Europe, got a flight and used in the UK a few hours later no problem.

It was an ATM 100 miles away, but was 5-6 hours after first using it

Scarpacci

Could you have hit a limit on the number of transactions that is considered normal?

My HSBC card seems to have a 3 transactions and you're done policy. A fourth transaction will get denied but if I leave the purchase a day or so it goes through fine. Very strange but I've had a few of those temporary blocks that drop off all by themselves.