Using someone else's card to pay of a debt

B.E.N · 8 July 2009 at 10:16PM

Hi there,

I've got a friend who's in, lets just say, a little debt.

Anyway, because her bank is heavily overdrawn, she's asked if she can use my card to pay her mobile phone bill with.

This might sound like a stupid question, but there's something in my head jolting a memory of a story of a debt co trying to take money from a card that was used in making a payment, even though the card wasn't owned by the debtor..

Anyone have any knowledge surrounding this?

tealady · 9 July 2009 at 5:45AM

No idea but if you want to pay their debt get it in writing when they are to pay you back by. TBH I wouldn't use my card to pay someones debt, better to get them on here to see if they can clear it themselves.
After all if you pay their phone bill this month how are they going to pay the next one?

slig · 9 July 2009 at 7:15AM

Sounds like a bad idea to me. I don't think you should get involved financially. As tealady says, send her on here and people will help her find a solution.

Raini · 9 July 2009 at 8:39AM

Hi BEN, everyone's circumstances are different but I really wouldn't do this. Mixing money and friendship doesn't usually work and what happens with the next bill?

If you must help maybe offer the cash if you're worried about the using the card. But I do as the others have suggested & show her this site.

Let us know what you do & good luck x

B.E.N · 9 July 2009 at 9:21PM

Hi, thanks for all your replies & I will send her on here.

Phone bill's only £30 and she's actually giving me the cash, so that's not really the issue (just that she can't use her card to pay it as her bank would swallow the money instantly), just worried that further down the line, if she stops paying the bill (as she's done with other things) they're gunna start taking money from me as my card has been used on the account!

Perhaps an irrational fear, thought I'd heard it happen before, but if no-one can shed any light on it, maybe I'm just imagining things.

Thanks all

Tixy · 9 July 2009 at 9:39PM

Anything is possible, although this sort of horror story usually involves DCAs rather than original creditors. Could you pay it via internet banking (and put her account number as the reference) as then they don't have your card details and cannot debit it again.

s0127786 · 9 July 2009 at 9:44PM

I might be missing something but 2 things to put your mind at rest:

The phone company wont pass those card details onto a DCA and they wont debit a card used for a one off payment.

Secondly, even if they did, report it to your bank as an unauthorised payment.

I don't think you have to worry too much about this.

Deep_In_Debt · 9 July 2009 at 9:47PM

I really wouldn't do it. Once they have your card number they can and often will just help themselves. It has been known.

petrie_pedrito · 9 July 2009 at 10:32PM

My grandmother says a lot of things that I don't like to hear, but the phrase 'neither a borrower nor a lender be' rings through my heart whenever this kind of situation comes up.

Lovely sentiment therein, personally I may give the cash to a close friend, but getting your card details on their accounts (with any organisation) is something I would always shy away from if possible.

My gran would probably say a true friend would not call on you financially, but then I did say I don't hold with all her ideas

I understand why you want to help but I would have the same reservations as other posters - yes if you get charged you can cancel the payment, argue with your bank, follow it up, etc. but in the end is that possibility something you are prepared to face?

Financing your friends is an easy way to fall out. Proceed with caution but keep things in perspective.

the_cat · 9 July 2009 at 10:35PM

I don't get it TBH.
If your friend has the cash, why can't she use it to pay the phone bill herself?

B.E.N · 9 July 2009 at 10:55PM

the_cat wrote: »

I don't get it TBH.
If your friend has the cash, why can't she use it to pay the phone bill herself?

'Cos she's got to make payment by card (maybe by bank transfer), and her account is heavily overdrawn. If she puts money into her bank account, the bank will swallow it. She can't just open another account as CCJs everywhere. Suggested co-op cashminder she's got debt owing with them, so even that's not a refuge!

Thus, she asked if I could pay it if she gave me the cash..

I might actually have a solution, I've got an old account that I haven't used for a while (they still send me bank statements, so I presume they haven't closed it). I might use that to pay the bill with, thus if there is any comeback later on, there'll be nothing in that account to take..

Using someone else's card to pay of a debt

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