Paying off credit card balance from a friend's account

twmc

Hi there,

So I've been painted into somewhat of a corner by various actions of various banks, leaving me with a rather urgent problem. Here's the overview: I'm currently away from the UK travelling in Asia. I left the UK with a Natwest debit card and a Halifax credit card just in case (signed up for especially). Despite telling Natwest of my planned travels, since I left they have been bought by Santander and have cancelled my debit card in order to issue me out a new one. I'm now without a debit card.

So I turned to my credit card in order to withdraw cash abroad. This shouldn't be a problem given that I had set up the account on my Natwest internet banking as a payee in order to settle the debt immediately and avoid hefty interest. I was advised that this would enable me to pay into the credit card account without further card-reader verification as it would be an established payee. However, this is not the case - I'm being asked to use the card reader to verify the payment, presumably because the payee, though set up, had never been paid to before. With a cancelled debit card in my possession and no way of transferring funds online, this leaves me in a tricky situation.

The only solution I can come up with is that my girlfriend (who is travelling with me) set up my credit card account as a new payee (she was sensible enough to bank with HSBC who seem to be much more capable) and pay the amount of money to my credit card that is on the balance. I will then pay her via Natwest internet banking as she's an established payee who has already been paid through my account. My question is: is this possible? When I google for an answer I'm confronted with thousands of threads on transferring credit card debt. I just want to know if it's possible for her to pay the money to my credit card account and settle the balance.

Many thanks for any help you can offer.

Best,

C

PDF

Yes she can pay it, anyone can pay funds off as on internet banking it counts as a bill payment. Enjoy your travels.

bouncydog1

Just be aware that Nat West do sometimes require card reader verification for existing payees. Might be an idea to transfer funds to your girlfriend first in case there are problems. I would also be raising a complaint and switching to another bank ASAP.

opinions4u

twmc wrote: »

So I've been painted into somewhat of a corner by various actions of various banks, leaving me with a rather urgent problem. Here's the overview: I'm currently away from the UK travelling in Asia. I left the UK with a Natwest debit card and a Halifax credit card just in case (signed up for especially). Despite telling Natwest of my planned travels, since I left they have been bought by Santander and have cancelled my debit card in order to issue me out a new one. I'm now without a debit card.

Nat West has not been sold to Santander. While there is a deal on the table for the handful of Nat West branches in Scotland to move to Santander's ownership it is a long way from complete.

The only solution I can come up with is that my girlfriend (who is travelling with me) set up my credit card account as a new payee (she was sensible enough to bank with HSBC who seem to be much more capable) and pay the amount of money to my credit card that is on the balance. I will then pay her via Natwest internet banking as she's an established payee who has already been paid through my account. My question is: is this possible? When I google for an answer I'm confronted with thousands of threads on transferring credit card debt. I just want to know if it's possible for her to pay the money to my credit card account and settle the balance.

Your girlfriend can make any payments she likes out of her Nat West account. Quote the right numbers and your Halifax bill will be paid.

As long as the systems side of things is working smoothly.

agrinnall

I'm not sure that a complaint is going to get very far, although I'd agree about moving banks due to the account moving to Santander. NatWest had no choice about transferring the OP's account (which is presumably at a Scottish branch), and it hasn't exactly been a secret that this would be happening. The OP would have been better either transferring the NatWest account to a RBS branch or moving it to another bank altogether before leaving for Asia.

agrinnall

opinions4u wrote: »

Nat West has not been sold to Santander. While there is a deal on the table for the handful of Nat West branches in Scotland to move to Santander's ownership it is a long way from complete.

I don't think you can say it's a long way from complete, the transfer of accounts is well under way, and as the OP has found, at least some debit cards have been cancelled and reissued as part of the process (there have been other threads about this).

twmc

Thanks everyone, that's great news. Forgive the ignorance, I've avoided credit cards up until now so have very little idea as to the particular quirks of the system.

As to the Natwest/Santander deal - as others have said, it's clearly far enough along that the effects are being felt at the account holder level. Though I will admit to not being particularly read up on the deal itself, just the literature they sent me about reissuing cards and such.

I also agree that not much will come from complaining (I guess banks aren't in a position to compensate for poor service by offering discounts or vouchers!), though I will do so in the hope that it will flag the issue before others go through the same issue. I'll also be moving bank when I return to the UK as I'm sick of Natwest ignoring the circumstances of its customers.