New Current Account - Offline/Online Bank Cards

xlnc99

Hi so i have been on a basic bank account for so many years. The card has its disadvantages for example not using it at petrol pumps etc

I have now for the first time in years got a current account. Are all cards with current accounts offline cards? What is the main difference between current account bank cards and basic ones. How do i tell if the card is offline or online?

Thanks

xlnc99

Also what can someone tell me what embossed or unembossed cards mean? How can i tell the difference?

soulsaver

xlnc99 wrote: »

Also what can someone tell me what embossed or unembossed cards mean? How can i tell the difference?

Tried Google...? May help you avoid some grief.

xlnc99

Yes i did try it and didnt understand what they meant but then after digging around it seems all cards now are pretty much embossed (i believe it means the details are physically imprinted on the cards) ive never had a card with numbers just printed on so it looks like i was reading an old thread on here from years back

System

xlnc99 wrote: »

Yes i did try it and didnt understand what they meant but then after digging around it seems all cards now are pretty much embossed (i believe it means the details are physically imprinted on the cards) ive never had a card with numbers just printed on so it looks like i was reading an old thread on here from years back

Online only cards used to be mostly printed (e.g. Visa Electron) but this is no longer the case with RBS/NatWest, Starling and some Virgin Money cards printed regardless of their status.

To answer your other question, having an online card doesn't expressly prohibit 'pay at pump' - it's your normally the card issuer that prohibits those transactions.

xlnc99

thanks for your reply - is there any fool proof method of finding out whether my card is online or offline? Ive spoken to customer services and they dont have an idea what it means

Terry_Towelling

It is most likely a standard debit card. An online-only card is one that will instruct the retailer's POS device to seek approval from your issuer for all transactions you make. There isn't really such a thing as an off-line card. What people probably mean by that term is that the card doesn't have the inbuilt feature to make it always go on-line for approval and that it will perform according to standard parameters - such as normal Floor Limits and POS device settings.

If you want your bank to tell you what sort of card it is, ask them, 'will it always require authorisation approval from you (the issuer) when I make a transaction?'. I hope they'd understand that better. Alternatively, try it in an unattended petrol pump (correct term, 'AFD' - Automated Fuel Dispenser). To be honest, it doesn't really matter.

An embossed card is one where details such as the card number and expiry date are raised on the card surface (or embossed, as the word suggests). An unembossed card just has the details printed on with ink.

xlnc99

Thanks for that well informed reply. Makes sense and i understand it better. I think ile test it at a petrol pump. Its the best way, most of the time these customer services agents dont no what they are saying.

However i have seen an old thread on here in which if you bank with santander and go int account services it will tell you if you have an online card. or not

So if anyone has santander on here - that is a good way of checking

Ben8282

xlnc99 wrote: »

Thanks for that well informed reply. Makes sense and i understand it better. I think ile test it at a petrol pump. Its the best way, most of the time these customer services agents dont no what they are saying.

However i have seen an old thread on here in which if you bank with santander and go int account services it will tell you if you have an online card. or not

So if anyone has santander on here - that is a good way of checking

Not trying to be funny but do you actually bank with Santander? If yes, then do as suggested. I too recall the thread. If not, then it is not relevent to you.
The only difference as far as I can see would be if you wanted to use the card for pay at pump or on an aircraft where authorisation cannot be immediately obtained..
The best thing that you can do is to try a pay at pump transaction.

xlnc99

Yes Santander is one of my accounts - hence why i was more curious. I believe that is the best option too, petrol pump

jefaz07

I recall threads on here and the first digits of your card number indicated whether you had an ‘offline’ card or not!