Monzo, Revolut and ABN Amro cards blocked by Essex bus company

Daliah

oops. Hope this doesn‘t spread to other areas and/or other cards (not that I am using any of the three)

https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/40858/fraud-spike-forces-bus-company-to-ban-online-banks-and-cut-mobile-contactless-limits

MDMD

This looks like a specific issue with the UK Finance rules around contactless for transport operators. According to this article any loss to fraud over £10 is the merchant’s liability 

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/essex-bus-company-introduces-ban-120731982.html

The rules are here, section 5.4:

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/UK-Finance-Contactless-Transit-EMV-Framework.pdf

WillPS

I'm sure there's a rule about cherry picking which specific cards you accept as a merchant, isn't there?

[Deleted User]

WillPS said:

I'm sure there's a rule about cherry picking which specific cards you accept as a merchant, isn't there?

The bus company can simply opt not to do business with an individual who proposes to use those cards. 

Daliah

WillPS said:

I'm sure there's a rule about cherry picking which specific cards you accept as a merchant, isn't there?

Doubt it as there are countless merchants which do not accept Amex. I know it's slightly different but in the end it's the same - a question of cost of doing business.

callum9999

Deleted_User said:

WillPS said:

I'm sure there's a rule about cherry picking which specific cards you accept as a merchant, isn't there?

The bus company can simply opt not to do business with an individual who proposes to use those cards. 

I'm pretty sure the regulator/card issuer will see straight through that plan!

And it's not the law, but I've definitely seen this mentioned before as a scheme rule by MasterCard and Visa (so you can't, for example, block their premium cards with higher fees - though that's less of a thing in Europe with the fee cap). Whether they care enough to enforce it (or are happy to make exceptions in cases like this because it's based on fraudulent activity) I don't know.

Migster

callum9999 said:

I'm pretty sure the regulator/card issuer will see straight through that plan!

And it's not the law, but I've definitely seen this mentioned before as a scheme rule by MasterCard and Visa (so you can't, for example, block their premium cards with higher fees - though that's less of a thing in Europe with the fee cap). Whether they care enough to enforce it (or are happy to make exceptions in cases like this because it's based on fraudulent activity) I don't know.

I think the "honour all cards" rule, which used to be part of the scheme regs, was dropped a few years ago. 

grumbler

Is the title not sort of misleading? Banning smartphone payments isn't the same as banning cards/banks, is it? I think they still accept physical cards.

Daliah

grumbler said:

Is the title not sort of misleading? Banning smartphone payments isn't the same as banning cards/banks, is it? I think they still accept physical cards.

Don't think so.

Whilst it was initially just contactless payments with certain cards / over certain amounts, it sounds as if they have now blocked payments with cards from certain banks. "As part of ongoing contactless fraud/non-payment issues, a number of banks are now blocked on our ticket machines. The most common which may affect you are Revolut, ABN Amro and Monzo. If you use any of these, please use an alternative bank card or cash"

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/20715998.essex-bus-company-blocks-monzo-banks-amid-issues/

wiseonesomeofthetime

I wonder how they would handle any of those cards via Curve.

The ticket machine would not of course know the underlying card details.

PRAISETHESUN

wiseonesomeofthetime said:

I wonder how they would handle any of those cards via Curve.

The ticket machine would not of course know the underlying card details.

Unless they just straight up ban Curve as well...