Round in circles with Alliance and Leicester

DGJsaver

Two posters on http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=786027 this thread say quite clearly that there is two TYPES of VISA debit

Argue it with them

For us ,were back off to NATWEST with the associated advantages over the trash that is A&L

Dan

PROLIANT

DGJsaver wrote: »

Two posters on http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=786027 this thread say quite clearly that there is two TYPES of VISA debit

Argue it with them

For us ,were back off to NATWEST with the associated advantages over the trash that is A&L

Dan

Yes, found some information from my bank today and it is all to do with the floor limit on the card, some cards have a floor limit and some dont, which will mean that the transaction must be processe in real time, however my thread ref "old style merchant equipment" still stands.

DGJsaver

Your point about old style merchants is IRRELEVANT in the context of what it is i posted about

PROLIANT

With regard to train stations I have used my Visa credit card for tickets less than £15 and it has been authorised "in real time" by the merchant, I think these companies need to sort this out because they cant advertise for accepting VISA then knocking it back, advertising is advertising at the end of the day so I am sure if a complaint were made to trading standards it would change there systems, and what about the manual carbon copy machines that are still in use? If your card has a raised number strip then it will be accepted, no authorisation for small transactions there.

PROLIANT

DGJsaver wrote: »

Your point about old style merchants is IRRELEVANT in the context of what it is i posted about

I what context?

Princess_Jane

wow I didn't think my A&L trauma would turn into such a big deal.

MarkyMark -

I can understand how it might sound to you. No likes their word to be doubted but that's the peril of messageboard forums I guess.

I just wanted some advice in the first instance and hoped my outcome would provide some help to others.

I'm sorry if you continue to be unhappy with my explanations but I don't think there anything constructive left to be said.

Thanks everyone for your help.

DGJsaver

PROLIANT wrote: »

I what context?

I made the point that not all VISA debits work at petrol stations and the train station

I was correct about that it`s surley not relevant wether they may or not be old technology , the fact is some VISA Cards are not as widley accepted as others

Dan

DGJsaver

PROLIANT wrote: »

With regard to train stations I have used my Visa credit card for tickets less than £15 and it has been authorised "in real time" by the merchant, I think these companies need to sort this out because they cant advertise for accepting VISA then knocking it back, advertising is advertising at the end of the day so I am sure if a complaint were made to trading standards it would change there systems, and what about the manual carbon copy machines that are still in use? If your card has a raised number strip then it will be accepted, no authorisation for small transactions there.

Some good points here , i think i may risk the wait time to get through to A&L and mention this

MarkyMarkD

There are "proper" Visa Debit cards, which are accepted as widely as Visa Credit cards, and there are Visa Electron cards which are not.

Visa Electron card transactions have to be electronically authorised at point of sale, irrespective of their value. Some merchants may choose not to accept them because they don't want the overhead of this electronic authorisation process for small transactions. Visa Electron cards don't have a raised number strip because they don't need it - and to stop anyone trying to use them in a "click clack" carbon paper imprinting machine.

I think that there is an issue under VISA's own rules with merchants claiming to accept VISA but then not doing so for certain card types. It would be the same for merchants which refuse VISA below a minimum transaction value, but don't make that clear up front.

PROLIANT

Useful information, but surely they should differentiate between what they are going to accept and what they will not, you can appreciate the inconvenience this will cause people, I can understand in the old days of dial up merchant lines that each transaction that needed authorisation would cost the retailer/service provider but most new systems are linked through ISDN/Broadband/leased line connections these days, just does not seem fair.