Halifax Visa Electron

mancini601

My wife and I went to the Post Office this morning to pay a bill. My Visa Electron debit card got declined even though we have more than enough in our account.

Called the Halifax whilst in the PO and they said that there was no problem with our cards or account. Got off the phone after being told to try my wife's card. It got declined. So I had to run to the Halifax and get the cash. Whilst at the Halifax, they re-iterated that there was nothing wrong with our cards and to prove the point they asked my to get £10 from an ATM. This worked.

When we got home I tried to pay off my Car Insurance with the AA over the phone. My card got declined...very embarrassing. Got off the phone and called the Halifax. They said, there is no problem so there is no fault on our (their) part.

Tried to pay a bill using A&L's Online Bill Payment Service (something I use every Friday with my card and it always works)...card declined.

Called Halifax again. They suggested going to another shop and testing the chip and pin there. So, we did. Went to our local chemists and did 2 small transactions (her card and mine). Both got authorised with no problem.

Went to Currys and did the same there (£80 transaction). Authorised no problem. Great we thought, the cards are all sorted. Went home, phoned Companies House to pay them my monthly bill...card declined. Went to Asda to do weekly shopping...card declined (fortunately had money in another account).

After all this, Halifax still say no fault with cards/account and we can get cash from ATM's but to safeguard ourselves, I walked into the Halifax and withdrew a large amount and put it into Nat West. So here we are with a Halifax account where, for no explainable reason, our debit cards have just stopped working (apart from the brief respite at lunchtime).

Anyone else had trouble with the Halifax Electron cards today?

PROLIANT

I used to be a Halifax customer and I hated them, the reason your card has been declined is the simple fact it is electron, if you have bad credit rating open a Lloyds TSB basic account where you will be given a full VISA debit card, no overdraft, no cheque book but still better than Halifax easy cash, or try CITI Bank's access account where you will get everything but the overdraft (for now).

Hope this helps

Regards

Rob

ABitBatty_2

I've got a Co-Op Electron and had problems yesterday with it in McDonald's but also, I have NEVER been able to use it in PC World for some reason...even though I have definitely had money in and they accept electrons

dramaqueen1973

I have this card and do not have any probs, used it all day today wiv no probs! I bet me saying that now I will:rolleyes:

I might go for the lloyds tsb, does everyone get it????

WTFUK

Last week I had problems with my A&L card at British Rail, I had to go to the cashpoint to withdraw the money to pay for my ticket. I also have a visa electron with Co-Op and used to have issues in PC World which always declined the card. I think it's a visa electron issue.

PROLIANT

Yes everyone gets the LLoyds TSB card, aslong as you arent on any fraud register.

clio

Ive never had a problem till today i tried to pay my cap 1 bill and used
my Halifax debit card and it was declined and now my bank balance is now
showing £1 less, ive allways used my Nat west debit card but seeing as Cap1
have a new system i re-registered and added the halifax card instead .
i dont know why balance is showing a pound difference if card was
declined. ended up phoning cap 1 up and paying it that way[went
through ok].

what doc,s will i need to open a Lloyds TSB account. reason
i ask is both my bank accounts are 10 years old and ive forgotton???

ShelfStacker_3

WTFUK wrote: »

Last week I had problems with my A&L card at British Rail, I had to go to the cashpoint to withdraw the money to pay for my ticket. I also have a visa electron with Co-Op and used to have issues in PC World which always declined the card. I think it's a visa electron issue.

The train companies don't usually accept Visa Electron or Solo, as far as I know...

FWIW I once had a full Visa Debit from Lloyds TSB get repeatedly declined while at the train buffet car on a First Great Western service. Transaction was alright, but the bloody reader would simply not take it...

dellwear

ShelfStacker wrote: »

The train companies don't usually accept Visa Electron or Solo, as far as I know...

FWIW I once had a full Visa Debit from Lloyds TSB get repeatedly declined while at the train buffet car on a First Great Western service. Transaction was alright, but the bloody reader would simply not take it...

I think National Express trains online service (if you're having tickets posted) will now accept these cards.

mancini601

mancini601 wrote: »

My wife and I went to the Post Office this morning to pay a bill. My Visa Electron debit card got declined even though we have more than enough in our account.

Called the Halifax whilst in the PO and they said that there was no problem with our cards or account. Got off the phone after being told to try my wife's card. It got declined. So I had to run to the Halifax and get the cash. Whilst at the Halifax, they re-iterated that there was nothing wrong with our cards and to prove the point they asked my to get £10 from an ATM. This worked.

When we got home I tried to pay off my Car Insurance with the AA over the phone. My card got declined...very embarrassing. Got off the phone and called the Halifax. They said, there is no problem so there is no fault on our (their) part.

Tried to pay a bill using A&L's Online Bill Payment Service (something I use every Friday with my card and it always works)...card declined.

Called Halifax again. They suggested going to another shop and testing the chip and pin there. So, we did. Went to our local chemists and did 2 small transactions (her card and mine). Both got authorised with no problem.

Went to Currys and did the same there (£80 transaction). Authorised no problem. Great we thought, the cards are all sorted. Went home, phoned Companies House to pay them my monthly bill...card declined. Went to Asda to do weekly shopping...card declined (fortunately had money in another account).

After all this, Halifax still say no fault with cards/account and we can get cash from ATM's but to safeguard ourselves, I walked into the Halifax and withdrew a large amount and put it into Nat West. So here we are with a Halifax account where, for no explainable reason, our debit cards have just stopped working (apart from the brief respite at lunchtime).

Anyone else had trouble with the Halifax Electron cards today?

Hi All,

The issue I have is that I have used my Electron card at all the places mentioned above with no problem over the years and on hundreds of occasions until this Friday when at most of these places it has suddenly declined. At some it works, at others it refuses. It appears to be an intermitant issue!

The Halifax simply do not want to know and maintain there there is no problem with our cards or account. Still completely unsatisfied, I went into the Halifax on Saturday and withdrew the rest of our money and put it into Nat West.

PaulW922

I believe that some of the newer Visa debit cards (such as the Lloyds basic account one) have a new series of numbers on them and not all companies, particularly train companies, have updated their systems. The Halifax Electron problems is odd and it clearly looks like a bank error doesn't it? It's all very well for them to say to check the chip and pin elsewhere but online and over the phone C&P doesn't apply. Good for you for voting with your feet.

You can get a full debit card at Lloyds as mentioned above but the basic account restricts you to getting cash from Lloyds ATMs and Post offices. Clydesdale do a full maestro card on their basic account and you can pay in at the Post office.