You Used Your Credit Card

[purplecat41877]

Yesterday, a customer came up to the service desk because she wanted some of her purchase on a gift card that she had. She handed me the receipt and I informed her that I was going to need her credit card. I needed the card to refund the amount and then ring up that same amount and the gift card would be used for that. She told me that she didn't use a credit card even though the evidence was right there.

Luckily, the checker that originally rang her up was the closing checker so I had her take care of this customer and I finished ringing up her customer. The checker was able to get through to the customer and we got everything sorted out.

[rerant]

Could she have been usin one of those VISA debit things and thought she used the debit part of it?

Forgive me if that question sounds stupid, but to my knowledge we have nothing like the dual debit/credit card here in Canada and the concept confuses me.
People use them here, but they can only be run as credit cards.
I'm also confused by that VISA cheque card. ... what the? But how does it... and why would you...
Ah hell I'll just stick with cash.

[Bright_Star]

to my knowledge we have nothing like the dual debit/credit card here in Canada and the concept confuses me.
People use them here, but they can only be run as credit cards.
I'm also confused by that VISA cheque card.

What's so confusing about a Visa Check card? They don't have them in Canada? That's hard to believe.
& what IF you lose your cash? What then?

[prb]

What's so confusing about a Visa Check card? They don't have them in Canada? That's hard to believe.
& what IF you lose your cash? What then?

Our debit card system is run by Interac. I prefer it, not sure why, I just get a better feeling from it.

[IvorTangrean]

In Canada we have cash, debit (our money in a bank account), credit cards (banks money we spend), and store cards. A visa check card may be like our debit card? I really don't know

[CorDarei]

a visa check card is a debit card that can act like a credit card (but only up to the limit of the funds available at the time you try to purchase something). it's supposed to replace checks as checks are really antiquated and SLOWWW :shakes the fist of death and anyone using checks to buy groceries slowing the line down:

as far as i know....

[earl colby pottinger]

Charges

Our debit card system is run by Interac. I prefer it, not sure why, I just get a better feeling from it.

Well, my Bank of Nova Scotia debit card for example has no transaction charges if used in a Nova Scotia ATM anywhere in Canada. And for a limited number of transactions per month the same applies for my BMO debit card. In Canada it is just about impossible to go to any city or even large town and not find a branch. That makes debit cards cheap to use.

Also unlike a credit card, if I believe the card to be stolen, I can easily go to my local branch with photo ID and lock out the card or have it's PIN changed while still having full direct access to the account.

[Andara Bledin]

What's so confusing about a Visa Check card? They don't have them in Canada? That's hard to believe.
& what IF you lose your cash? What then?

The Visa Check Card is essentially a bastard cross of a credit card and a debit card. When used, it is treated like a credit card but still tied to a bank account and subject to the fund limits and immediate removal of funds as with a debit card.

I have a debit card with the Visa logo. When used as a credit card, it works like a pre-paid credit card with my current bank balance being the limit. I have to sign receipts when using it as a Visa. As with all credit card transactions, the amount gets taken out of my account only after being submitted by the retailer, which in one notable instance took two weeks (!).

As a debit card, anything I pay for is taken from my bank account right then and I have to enter my PIN to release the funds. There is currently a $300 daily limit on debit/ATM withdrawals for my account (but this thread has reminded me that I need to remind the bank to raise it since I've had the account long enough - I should probably also let them know my current phone numbers....).

In either instance, if my account is compromised (has happened twice, both via brute force hacks), I still have access to my funds via any bank, and once I file a formal report, a new card is sent to me which arrives less than a week later.

Also, since my card has the Visa logo, that means that I am protected by Visa's customer protection policies as regards debit cards meaning that I have a higher level of fraud protection than if it were merely a debit card. In most cases, debit cards are not as well-protected as true credit cards, however.

^-.-^

[FuzzyKitten99]

Good explaination, Andrea! I was just about to post the same, but then I saw yours.

You said it better than I probably would have.

[prb]

Well, my Bank of Nova Scotia debit card for example has no transaction charges if used in a Nova Scotia ATM anywhere in Canada. And for a limited number of transactions per month the same applies for my BMO debit card. In Canada it is just about impossible to go to any city or even large town and not find a branch. That makes debit cards cheap to use.

Also unlike a credit card, if I believe the card to be stolen, I can easily go to my local branch with photo ID and lock out the card or have it's PIN changed while still having full direct access to the account.

Yea, same with my Scotiabank, CIBC and Meridian Credit Union cards

[LifeCarnie]

I bank with a small regional bank which I've been with for years. They've always had an agreement with a big national bank that let the small banks members use the large banks ATM's without a fee.

So what did my bank do a couple of years ago? Started charging their own members a fee for using the large national banks ATM.

If it wasn't for the fact that this bank is relatively fee-free, I'd have dropped them like a stone.
*******************************

Bank of America has the craziest debit card ever created. Whenever you purchase something with a Bank of America Visa Check Card, Bank of America rounds the amount off to the next highest dollar and transfers the difference into your savings account.

To explain it a different way, your $5.16 purchase is charged as $6.00 on the card and the other 84 cents is transferred into your savings. But the store receipt only will show $5.16.

I've never really grasped the benefit of this concept. If I wanted the money in my savings account, I'd PUT it there thanks.

[Andara Bledin]

Bank of America has the craziest debit card ever created. Whenever you purchase something with a Bank of America Visa Check Card, Bank of America rounds the amount off to the next highest dollar and transfers the difference into your savings account.

That is their "Keep the Change" program, and it's something you have to sign up for. I think it's brilliant.

For people who are awful about actually putting money into savings, it's a great way to save up a little at a time.

It's kind of an electronic banking equivalent of tossing all your small change into a jar and not spending it. Only, since it's a bank account, you get interest on the balance.

I'm a BofA customer, and they have ATMs everywhere. I can't remember the last time I actually paid any sort of ATM fee. And since I have direct deposit, my account has no fees, either.

^-.-^

[powerboy]

Bank of America has the craziest debit card ever created.

*Bank of America is pretty stupid anyways. I am with you one that, if I want my money in savings I would just put it in there myself.


*I have my personal problems, as to why I hate BOA

[rerant]

What's so confusing about a Visa Check card? They don't have them in Canada? That's hard to believe.
& what IF you lose your cash? What then?

No, we don't have them in Canada.
Hard to believe or not we just don't.
And yeah losing cash would suck, but I still prefer it to plastic.

[Andara Bledin]

*I have my personal problems, as to why I hate BOA

You probably do.

I have discovered that in most cases, problems with a banking chain are tied rather closely to the location. It's not usually the chain, but the employees at particular branches who make it sucktacular.

BofA screwed up my mom's banking so she switched to Wells Fargo and things went fine. I tried Wells Fargo, and they pulled lots of illegal carp on me, so I switched to BofA and they've treated me great. My brother tried the same Wells Fargo and ran into the same problems I did (which they've actually been fined for, but are still doing). The boss lady at work banks with F&M, and she's loved their account service, but dealing with a mortgage with them has had her gnashing her teeth.

Moral: All banks suck, just in different ways at different branches.

^-.-^