Banks/mental health/debit card transactions

epm-84

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience of getting banks to block certain debit card transaction categories if you have mental health difficulties? I'm thinking along the lines of ones that stand out like gambling, adult websites etc., rather than anything like issues with spending too much on clothes that would be more difficult for a bank to help with. The provider in this case in Virgin Money, but I think it would be interesting to know if anyone approaches any bank with that kind of request.

400ixl

Many allow you to block gambling, but haven't seen any with much more of a filter.

Of course it is still in the card owners control to re-enable it, but some make it so it takes 24 hours to happen.

SiliconChip

This site provides a list of banks that allow gambling transactions to be blocked. Unfortunately it doesn't include Virgin Money (or Nationwide) so you might need to switch your account to one that does.

https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/public-and-players/page/i-want-to-know-how-to-block-gambling-transactions 

For adult websites the easiest option is to enable your ISP's (or mobile provider) adult content block, some allow you to do this yourself through their website while for others you'll need to ring them up and ask for it.

epm-84

I've tried blocking websites by modifying the Windows hosts file, but the problem is it's too easy to undo it. I've found a block from the ISP can sometimes include websites which shouldn't be blocked and miss ones which should be.

The Virgin Money account is a second current account, and if I close it I lose the attached 10% regular saver. I'm disciplined with what transactions appear on the statement for the main one. Sometimes money which should go into savings ends up in the Virgin Money current account. For example, I gave the Virgin Money details to an intermediary which were due to send me a £225 payout following the Currys data breach. I'd already put £250 in the regular saver for this month and thought I could move the £225 across on 1 April, but most of it's not survived by being in that account.

Removing the ability to directly transfer from my main current account to my second (without going through setting up the payee again in online banking) has had a positive effect, but hasn't eliminated the problem.

I realise losing the 10% regular saver could potentially be more beneficial in the long term, given the maximum interest available is £150 over the product's lifetime. I suppose I'm hoping to be able to eliminate the problem without needing to resort to closing both Virgin Money accounts.

sausage_time

IP address blocking will fall apart if there exists access to a smartphone.  Just a thought.

moneytorques

epm-84 said:

I've tried blocking websites by modifying the Windows hosts file, but the problem is it's too easy to undo it. I've found a block from the ISP can sometimes include websites which shouldn't be blocked and miss ones which should be.

The Virgin Money account is a second current account, and if I close it I lose the attached 10% regular saver. I'm disciplined with what transactions appear on the statement for the main one. Sometimes money which should go into savings ends up in the Virgin Money current account. For example, I gave the Virgin Money details to an intermediary which were due to send me a £225 payout following the Currys data breach. I'd already put £250 in the regular saver for this month and thought I could move the £225 across on 1 April, but most of it's not survived by being in that account.

Removing the ability to directly transfer from my main current account to my second (without going through setting up the payee again in online banking) has had a positive effect, but hasn't eliminated the problem.

I realise losing the 10% regular saver could potentially be more beneficial in the long term, given the maximum interest available is £150 over the product's lifetime. I suppose I'm hoping to be able to eliminate the problem without needing to resort to closing both Virgin Money accounts.

Regards the 10% saver.
If you save the maximum £250 a month, for 12 months and don’t withdraw any money during the year, you would earn £162.40 in interest when the account matures.

Do you value that over switching to another bank where you can block those required transactions?