Clubcard Pay+: can anyone get this thing to actually work as a Clubcard?

Cloudane

Thought it was a good idea.  I'd move everyday spending money to a Pay+ card rather than having every pub transaction, bar of chocolate from Tesco etc going through my main bank account and it helps me budget.  And I get a payment card that automatically acts as a Clubcard.  Or does it......?

There's no barcode on it so it's an RFID type Clubcard, okay I understand that much.  

Here are the variations people from Tesco (in-store, Clubcard customer services and the Tesco Subreddit) have told me:

"You just pay with it like a normal card and it'll recognise the card number and give you the discounts and points"

"You have to tap it on the reader BEFORE you hit the Pay button and it'll see it as a Clubcard, then you tap on Pay and tap your card again to pay"

And my favourite from Mr Indian Call centre chappie, "You have to tap it twice.  First to pay then you tap a second time to register the Clubcard" (after the payment has been processed lol suuuuure)

Reality:
Scan items.  Full price is displayed. Hold card against reader, nothing happens. Hold it longer, flip it, wave it, pray to Lord Tesco, nothing.  Tap on Pay. Reader says "tap clubcard or payment card".  Tap Pay+ card as it's both.  Transaction immediately goes through at full price.  Receipt says "here's what you could've saved and the points you could've earned"

Go to customer service counter, they say "ooh I've never seen one of these cards before" and one of the above 3 variations on how to use it, and refund the difference and add the points manually.  

Phoned Tesco Bank who told me it's Tesco Clubcard's problem.  

Phoned Tesco Clubcard and the guy was quite arrogant in telling me that yes it IS working because he can see the 8 points I earned (and wouldn't listen when I tried to explain that those points were added manually) and that I saved some money (because again, they manually refunded me some).  Told me to ignore the receipt when it says you didn't earn clubcard points and look on the app but give another call next time if it doesn't work.  I shrugged and said alright and went back in.  

Bought a £1.25 item that is £2 without a Clubcard, with the idea that I'd at least be able to prove it this time if I don't go to the customer service counter.  Scanned it, did everything I could with the card before tapping pay, nothing.  Tapped pay, presented the card, boom, full price taken, evidence recorded.  

Phoned Tesco Clubcard again. Got the guy who gave me the third explanation (that you tap the card twice but not listening to me when I explain that I LITERALLY CAN'T).  Gave me some goodwill points and offered to send me a normal clubcard as apparently I'm too thick to use this one.   

I went back to the customer service desk at this point to get a refund on my experimental £2 item.

No one is willing to help make it actually work, and barely any Tesco staff has even seen a Pay+ card.  Are they just so rarely used that not even anyone at Tesco, even the people writing the checkout software, know how they are supposed to work?

Time2count

Sorry if this is no use as I have never even heard of this card, but with my clubcard I scan that on the till not the card reader when I use the self check out, would that be an option or is there no bar code/ scanny squiggly design bit on this card?

Cloudane

There isn't a barcode or QR code on this card as it uses contactless it's the type of clubcard that you "tap".  Or it's meant to be.  

I can work around it by using the phone app, it's a bit annoying though 

molerat

When it asks you to scan the clubcard have you tried putting it in the card reader ?

Or, if going straight through to pay, put it in the reader and it may ask if you want to pay with this card which means it has taken it as the clubcard.

(Similar to using the Tesco credit card as clubcard only at pay at pump for the extra points)

Cloudane

Yep inserting the card seems to be the trick. Just tried it and got the magic words "clubcard accepted".  I wonder if that then "teaches" the system it exists for next time you use contactless?  Something to try when I don't have too much to lose. Or even if the clubcard part has a separate antenna, if it's stronger signal then hovering first might work. 

By that point you might as well use your PIN to pay, as I found that waiting for "payment cancelled" to clear so I can tap the card takes longer than entering my PIN would've done.