Hi y'all, RBS just sent me (unprompted) a visa debit card to replace my current maestro debit one. After calling them to ask why they've done this, they told me that the company has entirely switched over to visa debit cards because "they offer more protection, and are accepted at more places". Is this true? Has anyone made the switch and can let me know? I always thought Visa Debit was pretty crappy and hardly accepted anywhere. So long as it's as widely taken as maestro there's point in me having it, but if it's less so, might as well just take out the credit card every time. Advice and feedback much appreciated.
Visa Debit is accepted pretty everywhere VISA is. Infact I've never I've had a problem getting my Visa Debit accepted anywhere. Visa Electron on the other hand is a pile of crap.
Mine has never been refused. I have a Maestro too, and that has problems quite frequently. I even booked and paid for a hotel with the Electron, despite the staff telling me it had to be a credit card not debit. Seems it worked out anyway, though it was a foreign hotel so maybe something got lost in the translation.
NatWest (part of RBS) switched me over back in December from Solo. Never had any problems with it being not accepted. Barclays, Abbey, Halifax (HBOS), Lloyds, Co-op Bank, First Trust Bank, Alliance & Leicester, Northern Rock, Reliance Bank and Nationwide all issue Visa Debit. Anyone who can process a normal Visa credit card can process a Visa Debit (it goes through the same gateway) so you should have no problems. Edit: You'll be thinking of Visa Electron, which isn't widely accepted due to requirements for phoning home to check account balances before the transaction can be completed, preventing batch processing. But I've never even seen an actual Electron card.
The Visa Debit, formally Visa Delta, card is fine for everyday use. Security is a little tight in my experience, but I guess that should be reassuring.
HSBC switched from Maestro to Visa Debit late last year as well. In my experience so far, it's actually more widely accepted than Maestro.
I've just had the same letter from Natwest and I'm pretty pleased, I've been asking them for years to give me a Visa Debit card but they said I didn't earn enough. I've often had problems with my maestro card online with people not accepting it which is why I wanted a Visa. Moriquendi
You're pretty much getting a better deal. I had Solo, which is about the equivalent of Maestro and there were a few places I couldn't use it. The new system means you can pay for things online by selecting Visa if they don't have a Visa Debit option (this is what I've experienced, it may be different for you, but I doubt it).
Well, I've never had any problems with Maestro, except for in some parts of Europe where everyone's weird anyway and seems to use cash, but then again that's what the mastercard's for. Still, everyone here seems more than happy with Visa debit cards, so I'll put aside my dislike of the company and give it a whirl. Cheers all.
Mine got replaced recently and it's a really good thing IMHO. Maestro is accepted most places in the UK but quite rarely abroad, i've had immense problems ordering things online in the past (whereas VISA debit seems to be universally accepted)
Haven't read any other replies but I suspect you're thinking of VISA Electron, which is totally different to VISA Debit Electron is the pikey version that no one useful accepts (the kind of things kids bank accounts get, or for people who don't qualify for/want a "proper" current account), Debit is universally accepted
I had my Maestro swapped to a Visa Debit - no differences as far as I'm concerned. Looks a bit more sparkly!
My 11 year old daughter has a Visa electron card and she has yet to find anywhere that doesnt accept it. Any store that has a chip and pin machine seems to take it and she has also made online purchases via amazon, play, tesco as well as Scan. (a mouse pad for me).
Also Most accounts now don't get electron, well at Lloyds you get a Visa Debit card when you hit 11. (sister got one today as she turned 11 the other day).
I have a Visa Debit, never any problems. In my work I know we don't take Solos and the machines seem to have a hard time reading Maestros (have to put in security code and name manually), they do work though. Yes, we're still swiping. I know.
