ARN Number Confusion

RolandFlagg

A few weeks ago a Bookmaker sent a withdraw payment to a TSB account that I had switched away from a few weeks earlier.
I had assumed that the TSB would automatically send the payment to my new Nationwide account I had switched to, but the payment didn't show.
The bookmaker give me a 12 digit APN number to trace the money. I phoned the TSB who told me the money would be a in holding account but the APN number they need should be 23 digits. The Bookmaker is sticking to their guns saying it's only 12 digits. What to do now?
Thanks.

born_again

Acquirer Reference Number. ARN is 23 digits and is a unique number for all transactions.
So the number the bookmaker is taking about is not a ARN. It might be a internal number, but it will mean nothing to TSB.

Get the bookmaker to chase at their end with their finance team & merchant bank. You could also ask TSB to look in their internal accounts to see if they can find the amount. You will need to know the exact amount and the exact date it was sent for this. As there will be thousands of payments in these internal accounts.

RolandFlagg

Thanks for your reply.
The bookmaker is saying seeing the transaction is from them to me it is 12 digit. I'm going around in circles. Can anyone clarify this?
This is the email the Bookmaker sent me.
"We have doubled checked with our payment provider who have confirmed the ARN provided is correct.

I believe if the transaction was from you to us then the ARN number is 23 digits long.

Make sure it is clear with the bank that the transaction you are querying is funds from us to you."