Credit card (Santander) 'second' transaction decline Marks & Spencer

tg99

Quite often walk past several M & S food halls when out and about but something strange recently with my Santander credit card. First time was last week, contactless transaction fine in first store, popped into another M & S store to pick something else up about half an hour later and contactless was declined (didn't ask for pin or anything). Card was fine in between and subsequently at other non- M & S stores and when I spoke to Santander they said definitely nothing to do with my account and likely something to do with M & S payment point (Santander did not receive any notification of a Declined transaction from M & S).

Same thing happened today, this time I was in a different place so was two different M and S stores but again the first transaction fine and the second one declined. Used a different bank card for the second one instead and then happened to pass a third M and S store a short while later so tried to do a second transaction on this different bank card and that was fine.

So, seems to be some issue with a second transaction in M and S stores shortly after each other using my Santander credit card. No other declines in any other stores. Has anyone experienced similar?

Ben8282

The cause of this problem is making two contactless transactions in separate M&S food halls within a short space of time.
The solution is simple. In future use chip and pin for the second transaction or perhaps even for both of the transactions then it won't happen.

tg99

Ben8282 wrote: »

The cause of this problem is making two contactless transactions in separate M&S food halls within a short space of time.
The solution is simple. In future use chip and pin for the second transaction or perhaps even for both of the transactions then it won't happen.

Yep that is the most likely reason I think but it has only started happening over the last week or so (no problems for previous few years with this card) plus it was fine using my different bank card to do two separate contactless payments in different M & S stores within a short period. Different bank card is Visa though as opposed to MasterCard for Santander so could be new payment methodology / infrastructure rolled out by M & S recently but only affecting MasterCard hence interested to see if anyone else had same issues.

Ben8282

Stop complaining and use chip and pin if you insist on keep making purchases from different M&S stores in a short space of time. The extra effort of using chip and pin won't hurt you. Why do you actually need to do this anyway; why can't you just buy everything in the first store?

molerat

I have used a card contactless in my local garden centre 3 times at different tills within an hour with no problems so I doubt that is the reason for a decline, it would most likely ask for a PIN in that situation. Was the transaction over £15 because that amount usually triggers an authorisation and if the link has fallen over then, as with chip and pin, it can give a decline - failure to contact data centre = refusal !

agrinnall

Ben8282 wrote: »

Stop complaining and use chip and pin if you insist on keep making purchases from different M&S stores in a short space of time. The extra effort of using chip and pin won't hurt you. Why do you actually need to do this anyway; why can't you just buy everything in the first store?

Why do you feel you can dictate how the OP shops? There are perfectly good reasons for making purchases at different stores at different times, but even if there weren't it's a decision for the OP to make, not you.

tg99

Ben8282 wrote: »

Stop complaining and use chip and pin if you insist on keep making purchases from different M&S stores in a short space of time. The extra effort of using chip and pin won't hurt you. Why do you actually need to do this anyway; why can't you just buy everything in the first store?

I'm not complaining. I simply wanted to know if others had experienced the same issue. I suggest you have a cold shower if my post has got you so worked up.

tg99

molerat wrote: »

I have used a card contactless in my local garden centre 3 times at different tills within an hour with no problems so I doubt that is the reason for a decline, it would most likely ask for a PIN in that situation. Was the transaction over £15 because that amount usually triggers an authorisation and if the link has fallen over then, as with chip and pin, it can give a decline - failure to contact data centre = refusal !

Both were less than £10 I think.

tg99

agrinnall wrote: »

Why do you feel you can dictate how the OP shops? There are perfectly good reasons for making purchases at different stores at different times, but even if there weren't it's a decision for the OP to make, not you.

To be fair he may be unaware that sometimes stores run out of items, especially those selling fresh food.

Ben8282

tg99 wrote: »

To be fair he may be unaware that sometimes stores run out of items, especially those selling fresh food.

No I am quite aware of that.
I haven't yet worked out which town it is that you live in which has 'several M&S Food Halls' (your term not mine) all within a short walking distance of each other. You must admit that it is somewhat unusual for a person to go from one of these M&S Food Halls to the other, on a regular basis, each time making only a contactless purchase for less than £10, such transactions taking place within half an hour of each other. Although you personally may be innocent of any wrongdoing, the problem is that this is the stereotype behaviour of somebody using a stolen contactless card, which is why you are encountering problems.