The Eternal Debit Card

[Xieg]

This one threw me through a loop, to the point where I had to get up and do something else for a good ten minutes before I could truly process what happened. It wasn't an unusually sucky customer, it wasn't a loud or rude customer, as far as I can tell it was a dumb customer, unless Canada hands out debit cards so vastly different from the ones here in the US (I doubt that but stranger things...)

Customer has an order on hold. Calls to send it COD. Explain we can't do that for Canada but give her the options available. She chooses to use a debit card. All is fine there. I enter in the card number and ask for the expiration date. The following ensues.

Me: Confused as all ever-loving hell.
SC: Likely just as confused, but will never know it.

Me: And the expiration please.
SC: What?
Me: The expiration date.
SC: What expiration date?
Me: From the card. Usually written as two digits, a slash, and two digits.
SC: Where is that here?
Me: *whips out debit card for detailed directions*
SC: I've never heard of a debit card with an expiration date on it.
Me: ...
SC: I've had this card for years, and there is no expiration date on it. Noone has expiration dates on debit cards.
Me: ... Not quite sure what to tell you. But I can say for certain all cards of either the credit or debit variety have expiration dates. The one I am holding in my hand definately has one. As do any I have ever seen or dealt with.
SC: No, they do not have expiration dates.
Me: ... Ok then your only option is to mail us a check. I can't process the order otherwise.
SC: ... Let me call you back. *click*

Seriously... WTF? Can ANYONE explain what the hell just happened to me? Did she have a library card with 16 digits on it that looked like a debit card? Last I checked, all credit cards and debit cards have a finite life span.

[Fawn]

Canada Here!
*goes out and checks* No expiration date on my Debit Card. Sorry!

[Finduilas]

Off-topic... library cards also have expiration dates.

[Broomjockey]

Debit cards in Canada are bank issued, and as long as you take good care of it, they will last you as long as you have it.

There is a *slight* qualification to that statement though. I do believe credit union debit cards are different, as the ones I've seen do expire. But from the actual banks (CIBC, RBC, ScotiaBank, et al.), nope, no expiry. So yes, bank-issued debit cards are vastly different from American ones.

[Parrothead]

Off-topic... library cards also have expiration dates.

Mine doesn't.

[Finduilas]

Oh, well, CT and MA (or certain regions of MA) library cards do.

[Mango]

I'm also Canadian and none of my debit cards have an expiration. You also can't use them over the phone - the customer must be physically present to enter a password into a keypad.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well I just had to go check my debit cards (one is from a credit union, the other a regular bank). They both have expiration dates.

My library card itself does not have an expiration date printed on it, but the account does expire. They just ask for your driver's license when you try to use it if it's expired, to make sure you still live in the county. (Which I don't, but I didn't have my new address on my license yet when I went to the library a couple weeks ago...) The card number is only 14 digits, though.

[StevieJD]

The VISA/MC down here south of the Canadian border require an expiration date in order to validate the card and complete the transaction.

My foreign (outside of USA) customers always have had an expiration date that they have provided to me.

Maybe the name of the date is not "expiration date", maybe it is a valid thru date.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm basing this on my knowledge of credit vs debit and another recent thread here.

In Canada, it seems that debit cards are debit cards only while here in the US, the vast majority of debit cards also work as credit cards.

Using your card for charges over the phone is using the credit portion of the service, even if you only have a debit type card.

Any time you use a pure debit card, or a debit card with a credit card logo as a debit card, you are required to enter your PIN, which is generally something only done in person.

^-.-^

[Javarod]

There in is the difference, you're thinking of a Visa/debit or a MasterCard check card, and because of the credit card company backing the card, they have an expiration date. Its been a long time since I had a plain debit card, but as I recall, they typically don't have an expiration date, there's really no need for one, as its pin based and transactions are usually instantaneously removed from the account, should you close the account, the card will immediately stop working, usually by the time you hang up the phone, or walk out of the bank.

[Raieth]

Yeah I remember when I read the whole debit as credit thing on here and it confused the hell out of me.

Very few people up here in BC land have a debit+credit on one card. I've never seen a till that could prosess one of those cards. When they are swiped the tills just process them as credit.

[Happy Otter Lover]

I'm in Canada and my debit card has an expiration date on it
maybe it makes a difference if you're with a bank or a credit union?

[alacazar]

As a general rule in canada the bulk of debit cards do not have exparation dates, however they also can not be used to process transactions over the phone or online. They are the same type of card you will get from bank of armerica before you are issued your debit card with the credit card logo on it. On the other hand branded debit cards or checking cards, which do not require a PIN code, often have exparation dates. These cards can be used to purchase things over the phone and online and usualy have a holographic credit card logo somewhere on the card.

[Forensic Waitress]

Down here in Asutralia we also have expiry dates on our normal everyday debit cards which are linked directly to our account and are the ones used to take money out of an ATM. The expiry date is also something that we generally check when we are doing an eftpos transaction to make sure that all the information printed from the machine is the same as the card.