Tesco Credit Card

In message , Derek F writes

What difference does it make?

I have found places where Visa is the only card accepted and places where M.C. is the only one accepted so I like to have one of each. We stayed at a remote Canadian hotel that only took M.C. and have found the same in France. Sometimes there can be a problem with either of the companies systems and a transaction cannot be made. We were checking out of a hotel in Spain this year and I offered two Visa cards (Tesco plus another that I have since cancelled) that were not accepted and had to use my M.C. So now I have two Master Cards and my Visa Debit card. Derek.

Acceptance of a MC v Visa card perhaps? There may still be places that accept one and not the other - although I haven't come across that kind of problem since I dropped MC about 7 years ago.

In the UK - usually none at all. I know of nowhere that doesn't accept one without the other.

Try buying a world cup ticket with the wrong one (I forget which)

tim

Special case surely - you were buying from Germany - I seem to recall reading something in Private Eye about the matter. Wasn't it resolved?

Perhaps, but not the only one

No problem buying from Germany, you just filled in a local bank transfer. It was the RoW that were stuffed: use a card or pay circa 30 quid for a Foreign Bank Transfer

Not retrospectively, and as exactly the same problem was resolved "not retrospectively" in France, you can expect it will be solved "not retrospectively" next time.

tim

When I applied for mine in January I was given the choice, I asked for Mastercard as I also hold a Visa.

My complaint is that they sent this as a chip and pin to replace my Visa card and presumably I chose Visa when initially getting the Tesco card years ago. Derek.

I think they have slipped up. Their website FAQ states clearly that you can request either card (although if you express no preference, MC is the default). Once that choice is made, there should be no compulsion to change, unless suitable notification is given and a chance to cancel provided. Give them a bell and inquire.

I gave them a bell about something else before I realised that I now had a Master Card. The Essex sounding girl at the other end was unable to help, no ones ever arsked me that one before she said. She then gave me another number to ring. Derek.

MC or Visa does either every ask if you can manage Chip & PIN, or if you want to accept the responsibility for the protection and safekeeping of a PIN? If you have PIN issues with either MasterCard or Visa and your card issuer doesn't volunteer the information that a Chip and Signature card is available here is how you can use terms and conditions to your advantage:

My bank decided that it would prefer to give me a Chip & Signature credit card rather than have me comply with their T&C on the Chip & PIN card.

The terms of the C&P card required "cardholders to notify the bank immediately the cardholder suspected anyone else knew their PIN" - the banks words not mine. I pointed out that everytime I used the card in a store I must suspect that someone knew my PIN (shop assistant, customer behind, CCTV camera operator). Even if I shielded my PIN I could not be sure nobody knew. Therefore I was duty bound to call them and advise them of my suspicion and they could take what action they deemed necessary.

The T&C did not specify what action they would take and I would not insist on any. When they told me that the automatic action they would take was to cancel the card and re-issue it, the penny then dropped with the bank that they could either issue me 50 plus cards a year or issue a C&S card.

The thing I found interesting was the bank commenting that they didn't expect people to read the T&Cs. I wonder why.

At 08:31:02 on 07/10/2005, snipped-for-privacy@tiscali.co.uk delighted uk.finance by announcing:

Because people generally don't. They also generally don't read user guides for the same reason.

Interesting. Will have to watch out for that.

I can imagine difficulties with people with regular credit card payments and card insurance, but can't see any other issue.