MSE News: Visa outage across Europe leaves shoppers struggling to pay

Mabel2012

Will a bank issue both a Visa and Mastercard on the same account or do we have to choose only one.

molerat

Mabel2012 wrote: »

Will a bank issue both a Visa and Mastercard on the same account or do we have to choose only one.

They generally only issue one type, you dont get a choice, as they decide which network they want to go with. That said my TSB CC is MC and DC is Visa.

spenderdave

As this thread is in the credit card section, there seems to be some confusion about whether the issue only applied to debit cards or whether credit cards were also affected. Had no issue myself, but in any case I always have enough cash for day to day purchase and normally use that anyway. I did have a thought about an online purchase I made with PayPal which would have gone to my Visa credit card but assume all was OK. Hardware failures like this are always going to happen even in systems with multiple backups so it is a bit unfair to criticise Visa. Maybe a reminder in the increasing reliance on electronic payments one should always have a back up method of payment - even going so far as taking the cheque book....
HSBC only offer Visa now for both credit and debit cards, no choice on the matter.

Fingerbobs

I happened to be shopping in Asda when this happened (first time I've been in an Asda since about 1983), and they started announcing over the PA that they were unable to accept any cards and the only way to pay for your shopping would be cash (not strictly true, as I presume Gift Cards would also have worked).

I (along with half the other shoppers in the shop) went outside to withdraw cash from the ATM.

When I finally got to the checkout, I paid with my VISA card, no bother, as had the person in front of me, and the customer at the next checkout.

It didn't seem to be down for very long.

aj23_2

All the people saying to me for months that I'm 'old fashioned' for not online banking and using cash. Well all of you who rely solely on Contactless card and mobile payments and don't carry cash or even a physical card to withdraw money from an ATM with and just carry your mobile phone came severely unstuck in the last few days. Always have at least two methods of payment on you, and not just electronic ones.

Fingerbobs

I wonder how may people were stranded at petrol stations with no means of paying for their fuel.

I keep enough cash for a full tank of fuel hidden in my car just in case one day I find myself unable to pay by card, or I forget my wallet.

aj23_2

Fingerbobs wrote: »

I wonder how may people were stranded at petrol stations with no means of paying for their fuel.

I keep enough cash for a full tank of fuel hidden in my car just in case one day I find myself unable to pay by card, or I forget my wallet.

Very sensible.

aj23_2

Fingerbobs wrote: »

I happened to be shopping in Asda when this happened (first time I've been in an Asda since about 1983), and they started announcing over the PA that they were unable to accept any cards and the only way to pay for your shopping would be cash (not strictly true, as I presume Gift Cards would also have worked).

I (along with half the other shoppers in the shop) went outside to withdraw cash from the ATM.

When I finally got to the checkout, I paid with my VISA card, no bother, as had the person in front of me, and the customer at the next checkout.

It didn't seem to be down for very long.

Surely Mastercard, AMEX, etc would have worked?

aj23_2

Mabel2012 wrote: »

Will a bank issue both a Visa and Mastercard on the same account or do we have to choose only one.

I'm yet to see a Mastercard Debit Card. I have seen Visa Credit Cards.

You don't pick what it is though.

molerat

aj23 wrote: »

Surely Mastercard, AMEX, etc would have worked?

More than likely but i expect it was the store panicking and assuming it was a general card problem rather than a more specific one.