Where to get a debit card (not solo)

barginboyrob

Also when i some betting site said switch ( but not solo), i tried putting my solo details as the switch card and it went through

kingz2005

I've just opened a student account with https://www.smile.co.uk and they give you a visa debit card as soon as you turn 18. They also have the highest interest i have found for a student account and a good overdraft (although not as high as halifax).

sfboy

I don't uinderstand why banks issue these crappy cards.. I have both a Solo and a Visa electron and I hate using cash.

The other day I went to catch a train and they had installed a new chip and pin and they didn't accept Solo or Visa electron. I had no cash and I had to catch the train so I caught it to the next stop where I could get to a cash machine. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the lack of a free cash machine within 3 miles of me.

It's embarrasing to have a card refused, once again, I really don't understand why banks do it other than to !!!!!! people off.

an0key

sfboy wrote:

I don't uinderstand why banks issue these crappy cards.. I have both a Solo and a Visa electron and I hate using cash.

The other day I went to catch a train and they had installed a new chip and pin and they didn't accept Solo or Visa electron. I had no cash and I had to catch the train so I caught it to the next stop where I could get to a cash machine. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the lack of a free cash machine within 3 miles of me.

It's embarrasing to have a card refused, once again, I really don't understand why banks do it other than to !!!!!! people off.

The reason Bank's issue the Solo & Electron card is they have a "zero floor limit"...

All retailers have what is known as a floor limit, whereby the can accept any amount under it without asking the issueing bank for permission, so an example is Tesco may have a floorlimit of £50.00 so if you buy something for £30.00 it would go straight through, where as if it were £51.00 they'd need to go for authorisation and ask your Bank first. This works for all cards except Solo & Electron.

These cards have it built into them that they have a £0.00 floor limit, so everytime you use it the retailer's machine has to ask for authorisation.

The reason the Bank's do this on these cards is they are usually young people i.e. under 18, have had bad credit or don't have an overdraft, so to stop the account going overdrawn and potentially putting the Bank at risk they do this so they can decline transactions if possible.

You state you wanted to buy a train ticket, this machines to save time don't dial everytime, so they cannot accept solo or electron as they would have to keep dialing up, and as you know sometimes in shops this can take a while at busy times...

Hope this explains

sfboy

Yeah I suppose, but there was an occassion in argos where I was already overdrawn without knowing it (I didn't realise I could go overdrawn) an they allowed me to pay for an item to the value of £30, They subsequently charged me £30, so this seems contratry to what you have said. Why would they authorise payment on an overdrawn card plus account? They bank gave the feeble excuse that all payments are carried out at the end of the day- just trying to fob me off- that was when I was 16.

Only recently did I have the confidence to complain - I got my £30 back.