What's the difference..

immoral_angeluk

between a visa debit card and a visa electron card????

tigtag02

I think its the same as the difference between switch and solo - ie a switch card does have a credit facility (ie: it may NOT check your account before the transaction goes through) Solo will ALWAYS check you have the money in your account.

Thats why less places take solo/electron ~ they have to have a PDQ (the swipe macine) that is online 24/7.

Hope that makes sense
tigtag

lynzpower

MY understanding is that Electron "checks" your bank account first before taking the money out at a chip & pin location, whereas a standard visa debit doesnt, allows you to make payment regardless ( and can bounce OD etc)


Electron tho is taken in fewer places IIRC

immoral_angeluk

Ah you're kidding! Does that mean when we were switched over from Woolwich to Barclays and they gave us debit cards instead of electron that they would've credit checked us? I don't want more credit!

tigtag02

I do believe that you are credit checked for an account that offers switch/visa debit.

Its not credit in the sense of a Credit Card though - dont worry about it

tigtag

fermi

This is an answer I have seen posted by someone knowledgeable on another forum.

Debit cards are cards that authorise deductions of money from your account, and there are two types:

3rd party authorised, such as maestro cards, where the bank will guarantee the funding for the sale, so only a percentage check with the bank to see if funds are there. So you can build an unauthorised overdraft with one of these.

Basic, or 1st Party authorised, such as electron and solo, where each and every transaction is confirmed before the sale goes ahead, to ensure that funds are there. Prevent you from going overdrawn.

So Electron, Solo and Maestro cards are all debit cards.

joeblack066

Maestro cards will not be checked for transactions under £100. Electron and solo checked at every transaction. Hope this helps along with the other replies you have had.