SOLO v Electron

[tkiely]

I have just had my Halifax SOLO card replaced with a new VISA Electron card.

I am a bit perplexed about this as I have a feeling that compared to SOLO, there are far less places that you can use Electron.

I asked the Halifax why they are changing and was told 'It's because of chip and pin, and SOLO doesnt do Chip and pin' funny how Nat West have got chip and pin SOLO cards then???

What are your experiences, should I be concerned?

[Nugget]

Both of my bank cards are VISA Electron and I don't have much of a problem. While I do agree that it's not as widely accepted as Switch (or whatever it's called now), it's been quite a while since I've tried to use it anywhere and been told they don't take it.

I also think that Electron's becoming more common as a card anyway - it's used by The Co-op, Abbey and now Halifax so you would assume that they will be pushing for it to be accepted in more places now anyway.

[tkiely]

I'm not sure that it is very well accepted on line, something to do with security or payment guarantees i think.

I just find it hard to trust a debit card with no raised numbers on it!

[Damien]

i was gonna move to VISA cos my solo doesnt work on amazon? do you have to be 18 before it works or something?

[Julian]

Originally Posted by tkiely

I have just had my Halifax SOLO card replaced with a new VISA Electron card.

I am a bit perplexed about this as I have a feeling that compared to SOLO, there are far less places that you can use Electron.

I asked the Halifax why they are changing and was told 'It's because of chip and pin, and SOLO doesnt do Chip and pin' funny how Nat West have got chip and pin SOLO cards then???

What are your experiences, should I be concerned?

I'm sure I heard that Halifax are changing from switch/solo to visa debit/electron.... that would be why they changed yours I guess.

Originally Posted by Damien

i was gonna move to VISA cos my solo doesnt work on amazon? do you have to be 18 before it works or something?

You do not need to be 18 to have visa electron as it is specifically aimed at people who either don't want or can't get credit.

Visa Debit requires you to be 18 and is issued subject to status.

[Shaun]

You cant use a VISA electron on-line, you have to be present for the transaction. SOLO you can use online, but in limited places.

To be fir they a re both cut down versions of their sister cards VISA DELTA and SWITCH, neither can be used to guarantee cheques or pay for things at a non-online till (i.e. the old carbon paper machines)

I detest both sorts and I honestly cant understand why they use such crappy cards, why cant they just remove the cheque guarantee part of the main cards and issue them instead?

As for issue under 18, both electron and solo are available, switch is also available under 18 at the banks discretion but delta isn't.

HTH

[Damien]

my mum uses visa election online at amazon? just works as a visa

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Damien

my mum uses visa election online at amazon? just works as a visa

Yep, I have as well - it's the same as using it in store. I've used it on Amazon, but I couldn't use it for paying my catalogu bill. At present, some places take it but others don't - as I said earlier, the ability to use Electron is becoming more widespread, but it's still not as popular as Switch.

[Damien]

why the hell doesnt my solo card work then? somethings awry here

[squiggs1982]

Can't (or rather won't!) say who, but I am very well acquainted with people who work for a large financial services organisation and it is fair to say that either of these cards are treated with contempt. Very low transaction limit set on them and they are the source of around 80% of all frudulent card transactions. Usually used by people with dubious citizenship or crappy credit rating. No offence intended, my brother has a solo and he's a 28 year old lawyer! Can't get a switch cause he was a little careless with cedit facilities when at uni! My point being, demand a decent card or go to a bank who will supply you with one! (sorry, I know it's never as black and white as that!)

[gazzae]

Originally Posted by squiggs1982

Can't get a switch cause he was a little careless with cedit facilities when at uni! My point being, demand a decent card or go to a bank who will supply you with one! (sorry, I know it's never as black and white as that!)

How come? Sorry If I'm being thick, but a switch card is a debit card, so the money has to be in your accound for you to use it does it not? So credit rating shouldn't matter? Or am I talking out of my arse and not have a clue how a switch card works.

[squiggs1982]

Originally Posted by gazzae

How come? Sorry If I'm being thick, but a switch card is a debit card, so the money has to be in your accound for you to use it does it not? So credit rating shouldn't matter? Or am I talking out of my arse and not have a clue how a switch card works.

No, you're quite right. But to open a current account (which usually has some sort of agreed overdraft) you are credit checked and he fails. Also, switch transactions also rarely go through proper authorisation at a PDQ machine if the transaction is under a tenner or 15 quid. Thats one of the ways he managed to get into such a mess in the first place (nip down the off licence, buy a six pack and £10 cash back with no money in his account! )

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by dellwear

You cant use a VISA electron on-line, you have to be present for the transaction. SOLO you can use online, but in limited places.

To be fir they a re both cut down versions of their sister cards VISA DELTA and SWITCH, neither can be used to guarantee cheques or pay for things at a non-online till (i.e. the old carbon paper machines)

I detest both sorts and I honestly cant understand why they use such crappy cards, why cant they just remove the cheque guarantee part of the main cards and issue them instead?

As for issue under 18, both electron and solo are available, switch is also available under 18 at the banks discretion but delta isn't.

The main difference between the cards is the way payments are cleared.

Visa Electron and Solo cards clear every payment straight from your bank account and do not allow you to go overdrawn - that is why they are offered to under 18s and only work using electronic tills with a direct connection to the banks. If you have £200 in your account they will let you spend up to £200 wherever the card is accepted but not a penny more.

Visa Delta and Maestro (was Switch) cards only clear large payments (over £250?) straight from your bank account and, hence, could allow you to go overdrawn. Smaller payments are cached by the retailer and processed at the end of the day. So if you have £200 in your account you could spend £100 at Retailer1 and £150 at Retailer2 on the same day, thus going £50 overdrawn.

This is why Maestro and Delta are accepted virtually anywhere but Solo and Electron are not.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by gazzae

How come? Sorry If I'm being thick, but a switch card is a debit card, so the money has to be in your accound for you to use it does it not? So credit rating shouldn't matter? Or am I talking out of my arse and not have a clue how a switch card works.

The point of it is, .... edit ... put far more succinctly by Bob!

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by Julian

I'm sure I heard that Halifax are changing from switch/solo to visa debit/electron.... that would be why they changed yours I guess.

Yes, Halifax announced it was moving from the UK only Switch/Solo cards to the worldwide Visa Delta/Electron cards at the same time Switch announced it was moving over to the wolrdwide Mastercard Maestro cards!