TSB's contactless card offer

teddysmum

I'm beginning to doubt that TSB are being honest about their contactless card cashback.


I used three cards for the 5% on up to £100 spends , with no trouble, until Christmas, since when I have had frequent requests for the PIN, meaning no cashback.


They say they have no control over the random requests for a PIN, as it's a security measure, but the chances of all three cards, often, and two cards , fairly often, needing PINs at the same time, makes me very suspicious.


One of the lady's on our Tesco self service section said that she thought contactless sometimes gets switched off, but that couldn't be the case today, as after refusing to let me use three TSB cards without PIN , it accepted my Co-op card. 5p cashback instead of 30p ,is no big loss, but I'm so glad I decided not to do my big shop, for which I would have spent over £30 (topping up with cash) and lost £1.50.


Should the Co-op,which has been our main bank for years, go, I don't think TSB will be our choice, as we'd once thought.

Robisere

No problems here for over 3 months with TSB cashback, but I have been faced with the same request for PIN twice in one week, before that. And on other occasions. It is random, I think you were just unlucky. If it happens again, call them.

veryintrigued

My card no longer works on TfL which was a shoo in previously.

Robin9

I use my TSB contactless several times a week.

Only once have I needed a PIN - I think that was on the 4th use that day.

ST-User

Do it with a "starter". Buy something for a few quids first, with chip&pin, then the lot up to £30 with contactless, and it will go through.

Stores are different in accepting contactless. And the more you pay, the more likely to ask for pin. My experience is that Morrisons and ASDA accept it most of the time, Aldi needs a starter, Post Office too.

P-Nuts

Yeah, it's basically 0.5%/£5 cashback on £200 of spend as it asks for the PIN every other time.

teddysmum

The first time I had multiple requests ( two of three wanted PIN at Tesco, then an hour later, the one accepted by Tesco and the other two were needing a PIN at one of the pound shops). I rang CS and was told checking was random and they have no control over it (but I think they can manipulate the security level ie ask for more PINs over all, though they may not know whose cards are involved ).


I asked if I now needed to buy something with each, using PIN, to prime them , but was told there was no need.


This fits with the occasion that I spent over £30 so made two purchases, with the same card wanting a PIN for the second batch. I took the shopping to my car, then returned to buy a £1 tart , intending to use the PIN , but the card worked contactless with no problem.


Touch wood, the card that my husband uses, just for petrol has never failed to work contactless.


It's getting to the point that I am surprised when a PIN is not requested, but I am determined not to make an almost £30 spend with no reward, so refusal all round means I use the Co-op card instead.(Only 5p in total, but TSB are not getting my sale for nothing; they get commission from the shop, anyway).


I just have a feeling that they hope you will still use the card with the PIN, then spend another £100 to get the £5, meaning the cashback works out less than 5% on the total spend.


Until interest rates were cut on accounts , I only ever had one request ,so more PIN requests and less interest seem to coincide.

Robisere

Re. buying fuel with the contactless: my local large Spar/Shell station has always been OK, but I have had to use C&P for others.

newatc

It might help if you deliberately use your pin (taking some cash out of an ATM for example) before using your contactless for a "large - £20-30" purchase.

ColdIron

Checking your balance might be enough

newatc

ColdIron wrote: »

Checking your balance might be enough

That didn't work for me unfortunately.