Starling payments from Bookmakers

rubicon15

Anyone else having problems getting incoming payments withdrawn from bookmakers. Apparently it's something to do with Mastercard and the Bookmakers having problems, but they weren't that helpful when I used web chat. Simply state they're looking into the matter, but don't have a resolution time period. Not really good enough, I need the funds back in my account by the end of the month for the mortgage, and no I'm not actually a gambler, just do the matched betting, which involves laying out a relatively large sum sometimes with guaranteed returns.
It seems they're not the only fintech bank having this problem, but at least Monzo have a forum, and it seems have now resolved the problem with payments due in Saturday.
No idea of course whether Starling have resolved it, because they closed the forum, and I'm sick of phoning and web chat.
Anyone please having the same problem, and with anymore more up to date information. It would be much appreciated.

jonnygee2

I need the funds back in my account by the end of the month for the mortgage, and no I'm not actually a gambler, just do the matched betti

Clearly using your mortgage money for matched betting is not a great idea.

If its the payment processor then reaposinility really sits with the merchant rather than the bank.

I doubt the website have a guarantee of how long this takes to process, so you don't really have any redress here. You'll just have to wait and hope, or possibly apply for an overdraft to cover the shortfall.

rubicon15

Thanks Jonny, it shouldn't be a case of using the mortgage money, because I know what I have incoming and outgoing on my account. It's the 19th today, 11 days before the end of the month, so as the withdrawals were made Saturday and Monday, there would have been ample time to receive it back in my account. One expects if you pay money into an account electronically it will arrive! I don't do the matched betting near the end of the month, because my pension payment arrives 11th each month, and I always have enough funds to cover the mortgage and the few Direct Debits that go out between 1st and 11th. That time period is like the end of the month for me. It's easy to say I shouldn't be doing matched betting, probably shouldn't do the survey sites either on that basis, but they both bring in a few extra £s to help.
Expecting the banks to have a problem, or Mastercard isn't really something I can forsee not being Mystic Meg. The bookmakers concerned have used the same details they've used before, so I can't really see how one can blame them when processing it back to the same card!

colsten

You don't really have to be Mystic Meg to know that Mastercard and betting aren't easy bed fellows. There have been issues for several years, and I am sure these have even been discussed on the MSE Matched Betting board as well as other Matched Betting sites.

Anyway, have you asked your bookie(s) to pay your money directly to your bank account? This has worked in some cases in the past. Another option could be to register another payment method, make a deposit with that and then withdraw the lot using that payment method. This is not a reliable method though as some bookies will insist that withdrawals must be made the way money was deposited. What do the T&Cs of your bookie say?

Bottom line is that your issue can only be resolved by the bookie.

rubicon15

I can do nothing at the moment, because as far as the bookies are concerned, the money has been withdrawn, and obviously they're not going to pay it out twice. The issue according to Monzo forum, and they're official response, is that Mastercard backlogged all the payments. Apologies I have not seen anything about withdrawing via Mastercard before, probably because I've never had a problem. I am talking about debit cards here, not credit cards. I've had them query a deposit before, ( my bank that is) and surely if they have a problem with Bookmakers, their actions should be taken against depositing money, not actually withdrawing it?
One would think that if they don't resolve the matter, as a matter of urgency, there is a case for taking Mastercard to the Banking Ombudsman, who I assume they're regulated by? According to the Monzo forum, some people have actually started receiving their money, but then again not all, and there are a number of dissatisfied people on there. I seem to be the only Starling customer on MSE at least with the problem.

Terry_Towelling

So the bookie has processed your winnings transaction. On the basis that it has not been rejected by their bankers or by MasterCard (which can happen but is unlikely or there would be many more people shouting) it will almost certainly have passed through to your card issuing bank and be stuck somewhere in their systems.

We had a thread on the forum a few months ago involving Halifax and gambling winnings. The winnings turned up in Halifax' systems after they were pushed to do some proper investigation by an official complaint.

The problem could be because the transaction isn't a refund, per se, but an 'original credit transaction' and that may involve different transaction message values that can trip up banks who haven't made the necessary system changes to recognise these values.

One theory (and that's all it is) is that some banks try to match incoming credits with their original sales (on the basis that they are refunds and should always be equal to or less than the original sale value). Gambling winnings are not refunds and may be considerably more than the original sale value, so the matching process fails.

Do you do this betting every month and, if so, is this the first time you've used Starling and the first time it's gone wrong?

If at all possible, can you get the bookie to talk to their bankers and provide you with an Acquirer Reference Number (ARN). This is 23 digits long. If you can get this, as a betting man, it is odds-on (but not guaranteed) that the credit is sitting with Starling somewhere. Starling should be able to trace it with that number and tell you what they've done with it.

Good luck.

rubicon15

Thanks Terry. Yes I do it every month, and whilst I've only been with Starling about 4 months, this is the first time it's happened, and with 2 separate bookmakers. One has already given me the Acquirer reference number, and Starling basically say they can still do nothing. Below is what a Monzo representative put on their forum, where it is affecting plenty. Unlike Starling they do at least have a forum, and are responding to queries, but there are still plenty who state they've not received anything even as of Friday morning! Hope this makes things somewhat clearer, but it doesn't to me. I imagine if Starling still had their Forum, there'd be just as many complaints as on Monzo. They got rid of it, and it's not difficult to see why.
Can confirm that it’s a payment processor issue (as in, the company between the affected betting sites and Mastercard), we’ve been working on getting to the bottom of it all day and should have an update on the status page shortly.
Also.Identified: The affected service providers have confirmed that customers impacted by delayed gambling payouts can expect their payments to start arriving overnight and we’re optimistic this will be fully completed by the early hours of Fr…

rubicon15

Just received the following from Starling. Looks like it’s just a case of waiting.


Thank you for your patience.

As you are aware there have been issues in receiving your betting win / credits in to your account, this was due to a processing issue with the payment by Worldpay who process the payments on behalf of the betting merchants.

WorldPay has identified the issue and has worked with MasterCard to resolve it, but as there was such a backlog of credits to be processed, they have advised us that by the beginning of the next working week we should start to see normal behaviour around betting withdrawals this includes the funds expected into your account already.

rubicon15

So just to clarify, just in case anyone else checks with the same problem, it appears the problem is between Worldpay which the Bookies use, ( presumably as they have gamblers everywhere) and Mastercard. Neither of which have pinged the money back to the bookies or on to the banks, leaving the customer stuck right royally in nowhere land. Bookies have paid out, Banks haven't received it, and I suppose understandably they're not going to do much. I guess in fairness the Banks have been working on it, but I'm glad I didn't do this nearer the end of the month

schiff

You would be better off using a debit card, perhaps from a more traditional bank. Santander have been accommodating me that way for over 10 years without the sniff of a problem.

d123

schiff wrote: »

You would be better off using a debit card, perhaps from a more traditional bank. Santander have been accommodating me that way for over 10 years without the sniff of a problem.

If it’s a Worldpay processing problem how would who the receiving bank is make any difference?