Advice about mystery debit to account...

almamatters1985

Hello all,

I've just been checking my online banking (as a faithful DFW!) and Halifax have recently added a "Pending debit card transactions and cheques being processed" section to my account. So I clicked to have a look and there were two entries; one that I am aware of and one that I'm a little confused by (and worried about).

Its listed as being from the 23rd Jan, TESCO/CHESHUNT GB for £2 and it states that my debit card was not present when the transaction was made. It also lists the last four digits of my debit card.

I have NO idea what this is. Can anyone advise? I'll obviously be calling the bank in the morning but I thought maybe someone could put my mind at ease/make me angry about being scammed!

We do our weekly shop with Tesco online and I use the debit card in question (if that helps).

I've noticed an errant £2 every now and then from my account (I'm fastidious when it comes to knowing exactly what's in my account but never thought very much about it until now. Probably because it's "only" £2 and it always seems to right itself in the end, i.e. if I'm missing £2 one week it always reappears the next with nothing happening on my statements).

Can anyone shed any light on what this might be? I've had a google, to no avail aside from finding out that Cheshunt is where Tesco HQ is. Is someone stealing £2 from me every now and then or is it something innocent seeing as the missing £2 always seems to reappear in the end.

Thanks!

Neil_948

SlitheryElf wrote: »

Hello all,

I've just been checking my online banking (as a faithful DFW!) and Halifax have recently added a "Pending debit card transactions and cheques being processed" section to my account. So I clicked to have a look and there were two entries; one that I am aware of and one that I'm a little confused by (and worried about).

Its listed as being from the 23rd Jan, TESCO/CHESHUNT GB for £2 and it states that my debit card was not present when the transaction was made. It also lists the last four digits of my debit card.

I have NO idea what this is. Can anyone advise? I'll obviously be calling the bank in the morning but I thought maybe someone could put my mind at ease/make me angry about being scammed!

We do our weekly shop with Tesco online and I use the debit card in question (if that helps).

I've noticed an errant £2 every now and then from my account (I'm fastidious when it comes to knowing exactly what's in my account but never thought very much about it until now. Probably because it's "only" £2 and it always seems to right itself in the end, i.e. if I'm missing £2 one week it always reappears the next with nothing happening on my statements).

Can anyone shed any light on what this might be? I've had a google, to no avail aside from finding out that Cheshunt is where Tesco HQ is. Is someone stealing £2 from me every now and then or is it something innocent seeing as the missing £2 always seems to reappear in the end.

Thanks!

It is the name of the store / distribution center that Tesco direct orders are sent from so would be worth while asking Tesco why the payment keeps getting taken then returned.
It's usually something that a company would do when you take out a contract with them.
So would ask Tesco what it is as your bank would only be able to recall the payment.

EverTheOptimist

I don't know if this is a particular thing that Tescos do. I occasionally buy petrol and use the pay at pump and each time £1 shows as a pending debit from my account then when the actual amount comes out the £1 mysteriously returns. It's never actually shown up on a statement but shows as a difference of £1 between available and actual balance.

Don't know if that is what they do with an online order.

Edited to add...
I've googled this and there is a thread on MSE from 2010, stating that tescos verify the card being used and for online groceries verify using a £2 payment, petrol £1. So I would think that is what it is unless you have noticed the £2 being debited and not returned.

Neil_948

EverTheOptimist wrote: »

I don't know if this is a particular thing that Tescos do. I occasionally buy petrol and use the pay at pump and each time £1 shows as a pending debit from my account then when the actual amount comes out the £1 mysteriously returns. It's never actually shown up on a statement but shows as a difference of £1 between available and actual balance.

Don't know if that is what they do with an online order.

I would expect all petrol pumps to do a request to your bank as this proves to the pump that there is funds available to pay for what you are getting (how ever I would have thought it would be higher than that) but anyway all they are doing there is checking firstly the card works and secondly the funds are available.

almamatters1985

Hello both,

Thanks so much for your answers - my hunch was that it was an innocent but I just thought I would check!

Neil_948

SlitheryElf wrote: »

Hello both,

Thanks so much for your answers - my hunch was that it was an innocent but I just thought I would check!

You will still need to look into it as if you are doing online shopping then they shouldn't really be doing it as you will pay at the end it is only really when you apply for credit that they should do this and it should only be done once not to continue until they seem fit.

vanpopeye

Hey, I've noticed on my account today that I too have a pending transaction for £2 from TESCO/CHESHUNT. Just rung Lloyds Bank and they cannot help. Did you find out what this was, or has the pending transaction cleared?

I definitely haven't been to this branch of Tesco's to spend £2!

Thanks.

his_missus

If you are ordering online, supermarkets often check to make sure the card details you have given are correct and will work and will debit your account by a few pounds then return the money usually the same day.

They really should inform you of this when you place the order online but they don't.

I only know this because I placed an order before I was paid (and there was about 56p left in my account) to be delivered after I was paid and my card was declined. Someone rang to ask if I had another card I could use to pay for the order and explained it all to me.

charlotte4940

When you use the petrol pump it checks your card if you have funds in your account. Like at asda it keeps £1 and then when it debits the amount from your account the £1 is 'let free'

Shelley2005_2

It's definitely Tesco testing your card. I can't order my shopping unless I have that £2 available.

vanpopeye

the pending transaction has gone today, not even showing a £2 taken, then £2 added. clearly some offline check then. think this "pending transactions" list is new on the Lloyds site, so never noticed it before. thanks.