I tried to use my visa debit card (pocketcard) at a restaurant today. I had $18.37 available on the card and the charge was supposed to be for $15.67. They said the transaction was declined. and they dont accepts checks so I couldnt pay for my diiner. when I left the restaurant i called the pocketcard company and asked why it was declined. they said the restaurant tried to charge me $18.68. I went back in the restaurant and told them they where only supposed to charge my card $15.67 but somehow they charged it for $18.67 and that i had talked to the card company about it. they tried ringing the charge through again and it was declined a second time. I asked them to call the card company to prove that the charge was going thru for the wrong amount but they refused to do so. How can this happen where a merchant says there putting a charge thru for one amount and it ends up being a totally different amount. Is this legal? And isnt it a violation of ther contract with visa if they refuse to call the card company even when there is obviously either something wrong with the card or there register?
RE: merchant overcharging card I don't know but I had a similar situation where a restaurant charged me like $32 for a meal and of course I wrote in a tip for like $5 and when the charge hit my banks pc banking site, it was for like $39 (overcharged by $2). I didn't don't anything about it. Time is money and I don't have the time to drive back to the restaruant to credit my card $2 (there is no way they could of mistaken the -7- for a -9-....as in $39 instead of $37....my handwriting is precise! That's why I don't use my debit card at all for stuff like that. Am/Ex baby all the way.....under that scenerio....I could of disputed the charge on-line no problem! I know it's only $2 but with the way gas prices are, hey....that's a gallon of gas! My car gets 17 miles to the gallon! You better believe I'm trying to get the money. Besides...I wonder how many people the server was over charging (of course in the tip amount probably by $1-2 dollars everytime!)????? You figure you do that with every customer you serve, then you got some loot on your hands!
RE: merchant overcharging card Authorization systems at hotels, restaurants and car rental agencies usually add 15-20% to the amount of the bill. The amount you sign for is what you are billed.
RE: merchant overcharging card thanks! didn't know that. well the hotel part, they always auth about $150+ my bill when i check in when i get a hotel charge card for the resort..
Not always the case though... In regards to restaurants that is. Who is going to notice that they originally signed for $32 (wrote in $5 tip so $37 total) and on their statement in shows up as $39??? Not many...the only reason why I noticed was because I use my check card and I check my checking account transactions on-line daily! I match stuff in my registar against the statement. But just think about the tons of people who get a regular credit card statement. They aren't trying to save restaurant receipts and match them against their statement. I feel that people are getting robbed this way and don't even know it!
RE: Not always the case though MP- you're missing the point- you don't get CHARGED that "increased" amount- it just gets authorized (and your credit held for 4-10 days) UNTIL the merchant posts and your bank reconciles. The amount you see on your hardcopy statement (or what finally gets updated to your PC banking - watch for the "pending verification" to vanish when it does) is the real amount. Anything else is fraud. I agree with you 200% about debit vs. credit cards ... you have no protection and your cash is at risk, with no recourse (most banks now have in their agreements that you waive any merchant dispute capabilities normally associated with V/MC transactions). Hope that helps clear it up...
RE: Not always the case though This is off topic, but for my own sanity, my debit card is used only for cash, and i charged everything i can on my credit cards, and then use online pay at BOTH pay periods during the month to pay off the credit card. That way there is little chance of something like this happening. btw, many many B&M banks give you an overdraft limit, Usually between $100-300 on pretty new accounts, the # is on their computer screen, they sometimes will tell you this. This also applies to debit cards, i've overdrawn a Wachovia visa debit by $1, and was promptly spanked with a $25 overdraft(NSF) fee.. Wachovia, lets you atm withdraw over your balance as well, and then slaps you with $25 fee. Its really annoying, i accidently hit the wrong "FAST CASH WITHDRAWAL" $200 instead of $100 and guess what, you can't just walk back in and put it back!!! those bastards wouldn't let me go back in the branch, explain my mistake, and give them money back and reverse the fee!! UGH
Possibly for tip? My guess is that the restaurant computer automatically adds 20% or so to the pre-authorization, to allow for the tip amount, which is added after the authorization. If they didn't allow for the tip, the card could be authorized before tip, but when they run it through after the tip is added, it would be over the limit, and declined. That extra amount wouldn't actually get charged to you're account unless you leave it as a tip. I believe the same thing happens when you use you're card at the gas pump. They pre-authorize something like $50, and then only charge what you actually use.
RE: merchant overcharging card Boy, Did I learn my lesson on that one. My husband and I took a vacation. I wanted it to be cash basis No Credit! I don't trust hubby with Credit cards. So when we got to the hotel we used the ole debit card. Later on we went to eat. Declined! I figured somethings wrong, try to w/d money. Daily limit used up. i'm like WTF I haven't used any money. So I call. Well not only is there one hold for $458 but two holds for $458. The hotel put the hold on there twice. Yikes! No cash for two days. Thankfully I did bring one Credit card. I almost didn't. Arghhh! hehehe (though it wasn't funny then) Kelly
RE: Possibly for tip? thats not possible in this restaurant. It was a buffet there are no waiters. Therefore there are no tips.
RE: Possibly for tip? If the merchant is classified as food service, the merchant processor probably does it automatically (the rest. may not even know about it). Visa/MC regs. allow for it (20%) on the initial authorization, but it has to be reconciled (with correct amounts) when they transmit their daily batch. It's no biggie when you have a balance or overdraft protection - but when you living close to the $0 mark, it can be a real pain. Here in New England, I don't know of any banks that will give you a debit card w/o having an overdraft line of credit.
RE: Possibly for tip? At my credit union, they won't even give you a debit card unless you apply for and are approved for a $1,000 overdraft protection line of credit. MJ wrote: ------------------------------- Here in New England, I don't know of any banks that will give you a debit card w/o having an overdraft line of credit.
