Debit Card with nominal balance

caveman38

Sarahspangles said:

caveman38 said:

Is there any way you can have a DC with only a small balance. This would be used for buying coffees etc. when at a swimming pool. The fear of having card stolen from locker prevents my wife from taking hers with her. But is seeking an alternative for small purchases with little liability if lost/stolen.

I’ve considered getting a pre-paid card for exactly this scenario. The vending machines at local leisure centres are card only. I’ve looked at the Tesco one that also acts as a loyalty card. It’s supposedly fee-free but I need to read the small print and work out if there’s a minimum top up.

That looks like something that she could use - Clubcard Pay+. Tell me when you have the answers, please.

Sarahspangles

caveman38 said:

Sarahspangles said:

caveman38 said:

Is there any way you can have a DC with only a small balance. This would be used for buying coffees etc. when at a swimming pool. The fear of having card stolen from locker prevents my wife from taking hers with her. But is seeking an alternative for small purchases with little liability if lost/stolen.

I’ve considered getting a pre-paid card for exactly this scenario. The vending machines at local leisure centres are card only. I’ve looked at the Tesco one that also acts as a loyalty card. It’s supposedly fee-free but I need to read the small print and work out if there’s a minimum top up.

That looks like something that she could use - Clubcard Pay+. Tell me when you have the answers, please.

I’ve now had a look, and it doesn’t appear there’s a minimum amount you have to put on the card. I’m still looking though because I wouldn’t get many Clubcard points (no Tesco here) and there may be other providers.

caveman38

Sarahspangles said:

caveman38 said:

Sarahspangles said:

caveman38 said:

Is there any way you can have a DC with only a small balance. This would be used for buying coffees etc. when at a swimming pool. The fear of having card stolen from locker prevents my wife from taking hers with her. But is seeking an alternative for small purchases with little liability if lost/stolen.

I’ve considered getting a pre-paid card for exactly this scenario. The vending machines at local leisure centres are card only. I’ve looked at the Tesco one that also acts as a loyalty card. It’s supposedly fee-free but I need to read the small print and work out if there’s a minimum top up.

That looks like something that she could use - Clubcard Pay+. Tell me when you have the answers, please.

I’ve now had a look, and it doesn’t appear there’s a minimum amount you have to put on the card. I’m still looking though because I wouldn’t get many Clubcard points (no Tesco here) and there may be other providers.

Thanks. The points are of no interest to her reason for the card. 

GeoffTF

There are two main mistakes in the answers here:

(1). Not having an overdraft facility does not prevent you from overdrawing if the bank allows unauthorised overdrafts. Tesco and Nationwide do not allow them. Another issue is that merchants can still accept debit card payments on a paper from without doing a balance check. The bank cannot prevent that. I do not expect that is a serious issue, and there is nothing that can be done about it anyway.

(2). You are liable for the first £35 that is lost to fraudulent payments before you inform the bank that your card is lost or stolen, but most banks refund in full. Tesco's T&Cs say that you will be liable for the first £35, but they may be more generous in practice. Nonetheless, there have been some nasty cases where people have been forced to give up their PINs, so I would rather not rely on a big refund from the bank.

I use a Tesco Clubcard Pay+ Visa debit card for small payments in person. I currently have £22.24 in the account. It would be lean pickings if someone grabbed that. It would be hard to drain if you do not know the balance. The account is fee free, and there is no minimum top up. You just send money to the sort code and account number. (There is no "nominated account".) The Nationwide looks like a good alternative if you want a Visa rather than a MasterCard. The Tesco card has the advantage that you automatically get Clubcard prices and points if you use it in Tesco. You also get some Clubcard points wherever you use the card. You can also make Faster Payments and draw out cash at an ATM.

Desmond_Hume

Is something like Hyperjar not suitable for this? Load up with £30 for coffee and lunch before leaving. Use it. Rinse repeat the next time. 

GeoffTF

Martico said:

If she carries her phone with her, then the above suggestion of Apple/ Google Pay would seem to be the easiest solution. Phone has to be unlocked before paying, so as secure as a PIN

Google's documentation for Google Pay says that you do not have to unlock your phone to make a payment below the contactless limit "which depends on the jurisdiction" (it may also depend on the bank). Above the contactless limit, the default behaviour is to require the phone to be unlocked. That has the risk that the phone may be stolen when it is unlocked. In the US, at least, there is a way to ensure that payments over the contactless limit can be authenticated without unlocking the phone. I have always taken the view that it is safer to pay by card.

Martico

No - Google Pay only works if the phone is unlocked. At least on my phone that's the default

GeoffTF

Desmond_Hume said:

Is something like Hyperjar not suitable for this? Load up with £30 for coffee and lunch before leaving. Use it. Rinse repeat the next time. 

I expect so. It has a MasterCard rather than a Visa, which is not ideal for resilience if you also carry a well hidden MasterCard. Unlike my suggestions, HyperJar is eMoney rather than a bank account and is not covered by the FSCS, but that should not matter if it only ever carries a small balance. It comes down to details really. It depends on what you want. If you want a MasterCard, Starling Bank may be a better choice.

Jami74

caveman38 said:

Is there any way you can have a DC with only a small balance. This would be used for buying coffees etc. when at a swimming pool. The fear of having card stolen from locker prevents my wife from taking hers with her. But is seeking an alternative for small purchases with little liability if lost/stolen.

Think of all the money she is saving by not taking her card to the gym!

I have a few current accounts that I keep a tiny balance on maybe less than a tenner, which would do the job. If she takes her phone with her she could freeze/unfreeze the card when she wants to use it.

born_again

Perhaps a better idea is to find a gym where this is not happening. 
If it is something happening that often. Then they are best avoided.