Visa debit card

Depends on the type of debit card. Visa Debit should be taken everywhere Visa is taken, Switch/Maestro can be used in other countries but theres no guarentee that a retailer will accept it.

That's what I thought, ie a Visa card is a Visa card. However it has been refused when I use it for an online transaction I presume because it is a debit card. I also had a trader in this country who wouldn't accept it over the phone. Hence my confusion. I've now asked the bank directly as well.

Many thanks for your reply.

I had a problem when buying several tickets over The Train Line

I had to buy four tickets and did it in three sessions in quick succession. After two, my Visa credit card was rejected and I had to change to my Visa Delta card. Presumably it could have been a stolen card with that frequency of usage.

It is Visa Electron or Visa Delta, these are not the same as just a plain Visa card. Usually Visa Delta is accepted everywhere a Visa is but Visa Electron is not.

Dave

Its probably due to whether the retailer has an electronic terminal or a clunk click swiper at the other end - a debit card MUST be taken electronically AFAIK as the card should not be able to take the account below the zero balance or overdraft limit, wheras a credit card can be used below the shops floor limit and take the card to well over the limit if used in many such transactions

1. If this was the case why don't you see shops taking "credit cards only"? The only cards which must be taken electronically are Solo and Electron (I think Electron might have changed).
2. How does an online retailer take payments with a "clunk click" swiper which works by taking an imprint of the card number?