Contactless Payments dont show up in available balance!!!

iainUK

I'm afraid I don't know the difference between online or offline cards. I have Contactless facilities on Visa credit, debit and MasterCard cards. My experience of visa debit Contactless has been the same at First Direct and Halifax. ie. Normal payments come off available balance straight away, before coming off actual bal. few days later. Whereas Contactless payments don't show at all until they come off the actual bal. after around 6-10 days.

All I can say is that, for me, there is a significant difference. I am responsible with my money, I don't go overdrawn, but I do use my available balance towards the end of the month and although I know that 5-day old Contactless payments won't even show in pending card payments, I just think some could be forgiven for understanding otherwise.

To be fair this is really not something I'm passionate about, and I'm as much to blame because I keep responding, but I'm going to leave it there now. If you disagree I hope you can at least understand where I'm coming from.

gunsandbanjos

You don't just need to take into account the online/offline differences, you need to remember retailers also have floor limits.

anoncol

iainUK wrote: »

I'm sorry this is just not true. Debit card transactions come off the available balance straight away and show in 'pending debit card transactions' for a few days before appearing as an actual transaction and coming off the account balance.

Contactless payments, on the other hand, will never show in 'pending debit card transactions' and will only come off the available balance when coming off the account balance and appearing on the statement, which can be a week or more later.

I'm really not asking anyone for any "magic". If you think I am then that's okay, I've said what I've said.

It IS "magic" if you are expecting a bank to know about a transaction before the shop has put it through, sometimes not even that night! How is it to possibly know?

iainUK

anoncol wrote: »

It IS "magic" if you are expecting a bank to know about a transaction before the shop has put it through, sometimes not even that night! How is it to possibly know?

Where have I ever said that? I mean seriously why would you just post a comment like that without even reading? Have I not said, several times, that it's just about the banks making customers aware.

Contactless payments are processed differently to normal debit card transactions, as standard. However I accept it is possible in some cases to make normal debit card payments that take longer to process. Nevertheless, I think there is a clear case for the banks letting customers know about that difference with Contactless payments.

fun4everyone

Used my contactless card for the first time today and because I am responsible with my money noticed it had not come off my "available" balance nor was it showing under "pending transactions". A bit of googling led me to this thread. I have to say I completely agree with iainUK about everything and also feel the responses to the OP were harsh and over the top. None of the rubbish that came with the card even mentioned this would be the case. It is (another) downside to contactless payments. If I was not being paid cashback for using the card in this way I would not entertain spending money via this method, and once that promotion ends so will me carrying a contactless card.

colsten

fun4everyone wrote: »

It is (another) downside to contactless payments.

It's not particular to contactless - same thing has been happening for years with C&P, and even more so with the old imprinter gadgets.

SeduLOUs

colsten wrote: »

It's not particular to contactless - same thing has been happening for years with C&P, and even more so with the old imprinter gadgets.

Correct, absolutely none of the small shops round my way cause transactions to show immediately as deducted from my available balance, even when using ordinary chip and pin.

chuckley

I noticed this recently with Barclaycard. a good £60 didn't show up under 'pending' for a good 3 days, then all of a sudden they were applied, and I was within balance by 63p!

I'm reluctant to spend with contactless now.

lee111s

Some of my contactless payments do show up on the available balance immediately. The one I have noticed it consistently with is payments at Lidl. I bank with First Direct.

reclusive46

Its up to the retailer if they process contactless offline or online. Sainsbury's in their contactless trial stores process contactless online as well.