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awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 09:21 PM

My wife and I just bought a lovely tablecloth at Pier One but the cashier kind of concerned me. We have a bank-issued check card which earns us frequent flier miles, but only does so if you choose "Credit" instead of "Debit" at the terminal. This makes sense, because the bank collects a larger fee for a credit purchase.

But, at Pier One, there was no way to choose credit. The cashier said they require you to enter your pin if it asks for one. Are they allowed to do this? I would think they'd be at risk of losing their VISA merchant agreement if they found out they're only letting pin-based debit sales go through. It was a $10 tablecloth so I'm not going to storm the corporate HQ or anything, but does anybody know anything about this?

design219 · Sep 1, 2007, 09:25 PM

Something sounds fishy. Does the card have the VISA logo on it?

jokell82 · Sep 1, 2007, 09:29 PM

Next time try hitting "Cancel" on the PIN pad - usually then it'll offer you a credit option.

GSixZero · Sep 1, 2007, 09:33 PM

Sometimes when I swipe my bank card, but I want to run it as credit, (my bank charges me .25 to run it as debit

) I hit cancel when it asks for a PIN and then will run it as credit.

Just a thought.

Cold Warrior · Sep 1, 2007, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by jokell82

Next time try hitting "Cancel" on the PIN pad - usually then it'll offer you a credit option.

Agreed. Merchants pay less on debit transactions, so many terminals are programmed to know the difference -- even if it has a VISA logo.

However, I've noticed McDonald's is opposite -- on VISA debit cards, it still processes as a credit card with no signature required. I think this is just to speed up transactions. Just a guess.

awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 09:46 PM

Aha, yes, I know the cancel trick but there was no cancel! 1-9, 0, clear and enter! And clear just clears - it doesn't take you to the Credit/Debit menu. My issue is that they had literally no way for me to run it as credit, and they even said so!

awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 09:48 PM

And yes, it's a VISA card.

turtle777 · Sep 1, 2007, 09:54 PM

I would think the cashier was just ignorant. You should have canceled the transaction and asked her to press the "credit" key. It seems like it would default to "debit" because it's a debit card.

-t

awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 09:56 PM

Yup, we did that - she tried swiping it on her machine and it still gave me the pin screen on the pad. She said she didn't have any option to do credit so I had her get her supervisor, and her supervisor said it's their policy to require customers to enter the PIN when it detects it's a debit card (for "security").

turtle777 · Sep 1, 2007, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by awaspaas

Yup, we did that - she tried swiping it on her machine and it still gave me the pin screen on the pad. She said she didn't have any option to do credit so I had her get her supervisor, and her supervisor said it's their policy to require customers to enter the PIN when it detects it's a debit card (for "security").

Ok, *sigh*

I guess that you are stuck if the supervisor is also ignorant.

Asked for the manager ?

-t

awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 10:01 PM

Yup, no manager working, just a supervisor.

Aren't there consequences for this though? I would imagine if this were allowed that every store wouldn't allow the choice, and I would get fewer and fewer miles!

turtle777 · Sep 1, 2007, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by awaspaas

Yup, no manager working, just a supervisor.

Aren't there consequences for this though? I would imagine if this were allowed that every store wouldn't allow the choice, and I would get fewer and fewer miles!

Well, you could stop shopping there.

Or, next time you wanna buy something, tell them Credit or no sale.
Or, call there corporate HQ.

-t

Cold Warrior · Sep 1, 2007, 10:13 PM

I know MasterCard has a place on its site to report merchants violating terms of service. Maybe VISA does too.

awaspaas · Sep 1, 2007, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

I know MasterCard has a place on its site to report merchants violating terms of service. Maybe VISA does too.

Good idea! Anybody want to help me look? I'm not seeing something like that on the VISA site map...

turtle777 · Sep 1, 2007, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by awaspaas

Good idea! Anybody want to help me look? I'm not seeing something like that on the VISA site map...

Just call VISA and tell them a merchant refused to take your VISA Credit card.
If they ask and find out that it's a debit / credit card, explain.

-t

Angus_D · Sep 2, 2007, 07:58 AM

Woah, so you guys have two accounts on one card overe there? That's just bizarre.

design219 · Sep 2, 2007, 09:23 AM

Debt, it's the American way!

Cold Warrior · Sep 2, 2007, 09:41 AM

Originally Posted by Angus_D

Woah, so you guys have two accounts on one card overe there? That's just bizarre.

Not exactly. The VISA debit cards don't extend credit like a credit card. They just draw on your bank account (debit), but are programmed to use the VISA credit card processing network -- making them accepted anywhere the VISA credit cards are. Years ago, when debit cards were gaining use, the VISA method was a godsend.

♥ · Sep 2, 2007, 10:15 AM

For credit they usually only have to swipe it through themselves on the register front versus you doing it yourself and yes, hitting cancel sometimes prompts a credit purchase instead.

awaspaas · Sep 2, 2007, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by design219

Debt, it's the American way!

What are you talking about? Using a check card/debit card incurs no debt - it's drawn directly from a bank account. Choosing credit vs debit just controls which processing system is used.

Angus_D · Sep 2, 2007, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

Not exactly. The VISA debit cards don't extend credit like a credit card. They just draw on your bank account (debit), but are programmed to use the VISA credit card processing network -- making them accepted anywhere the VISA credit cards are. Years ago, when debit cards were gaining use, the VISA method was a godsend.

I have a VISA debit card (and a VISA credit card, and a MasterCard, and a Maestro...). I have never been offered an option. Are you saying that if you have a VISA debit card, you can put it through as a "credit" purchase which isn't actually a credit purchase at all, but is treated the same in some respects?

This strikes me as bizarre.

Cold Warrior · Sep 2, 2007, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by Angus_D

I have a VISA debit card (and a VISA credit card, and a MasterCard, and a Maestro...). I have never been offered an option. Are you saying that if you have a VISA debit card, you can put it through as a "credit" purchase which isn't actually a credit purchase at all, but is treated the same in some respects?

Yes, at least in the USA and when I've traveled through German airports and in Russia. I can choose 'credit' and it'll process as credit. If the point-of-sale accepts VISA credit cards, it'll accept my VISA debit card, even processed/swiped as a VISA credit card.

design219 · Sep 2, 2007, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by awaspaas

What are you talking about? Using a check card/debit card incurs no debt - it's drawn directly from a bank account. Choosing credit vs debit just controls which processing system is used.

Yeah, I know, it was a response to the two accounts thing. You can go into credit with a lot of debit cards if you don't have enough in your account. Very convenient, but costly.

♥ · Sep 2, 2007, 07:02 PM

The truth is there is no such thing as "credit": It ALL comes out of your pocket eventually.

Laminar · Sep 3, 2007, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by ♥

The truth is there is no such thing as "credit": It ALL comes out of your pocket eventually.

Uh...there is such thing as "credit." It just means that it comes out of your pocket later.

moonmonkey · Sep 3, 2007, 05:37 AM

Or my pocket later in the case of my wifes card.