Paying credit card saga ...

busman

In the past I've paid my Ulster Bank credit online from my UB account.
Just recently switched current account to PTSB because of customer care issues!
So today sent the Wife with the Credit Card statement and the Bank Giro bit at the end off
to the local PTSB Branch to make payment :-)
After two of the cashiers had a bit of a discussion she was told that "they don't do those here" i.e bank giros! She would have to go the the UB Branch to pay it there.
So off she goes down the street to local UB branch :-)
Got to the UB Branch presents bill and whips out TSB Laser/cash card to pay.
Told "sorry, we don't accept laser"!
Off back to TSB and withdraws cash!
Back to UB and pays CC with cash.

Now I have to say that my wife is not from this green and pleasant land (She's American if you have to know!) so does not fully understand the Irish banking system so blames me for this incident and that I should have know!!

Was I wrong to expect that the TSB would accept the Giro thing?
Also WTF don't banks accept Laser cards for payments?
They are the ones that give us the shagin' things in the first place!

Anybody care to comment?

stepbar

busman wrote: »

In the past I've paid my Ulster Bank credit online from my UB account.
Just recently switched current account to PTSB because of customer care issues!
So today sent the Wife with the Credit Card statement and the Bank Giro bit at the end off
to the local PTSB Branch to make payment :-)
After two of the cashiers had a bit of a discussion she was told that "they don't do those here" i.e bank giros! She would have to go the the UB Branch to pay it there.
So off she goes down the street to local UB branch :-)
Got to the UB Branch presents bill and whips out TSB Laser/cash card to pay.
Told "sorry, we don't accept laser"!
Off back to TSB and withdraws cash!
Back to UB and pays CC with cash.

Now I have to say that my wife is not from this green and pleasant land (She's American if you have to know!) so does not fully understand the Irish banking system so blames me for this incident and that I should have know!!

Was I wrong to expect that the TSB would accept the Giro thing?
Also WTF don't banks accept Laser cards for payments?
They are the ones that give us the shagin' things in the first place!

Anybody care to comment?

I wish you luck with PTSB if that's the start you've made with them. Best of luck......

dotsman

Have you tried paying by Direst Debit or via online banking (your wife will never need to go to a branch ever again to pay the credit card bill!)

P.S. Moving from UB to PTSB? Are they both not as useless as each other?

jahalpin

I wouldn't go near PTSB. The TSB staff are still under the impression that they are government employees and behave as such.

If you were unhappy with Ulster Bank you should probably have moved to one of the two major banks, BOI or AIB and not to the worst bank in Ireland, PTSB. The other two are full members of the clearing system and therefore process payments etc far more efficiently.

busman

Got the online payment setup last night for the Credit card with open24:-)
Not too bad except for all the "security" questions! Twice!

The main reason I switched to PTSB was the somewhat longer opening hours and
of course it's "free!". Their branch in mallow is also nicer the the UB! They have more seats to sit on while you wait!

For past experiences both here and in the US I know
that all banks are must the same and appear to see you more as
an inconvenience that a customer of their services!

If I could I would be like Bertie and deal in cash!

Paul

dotsman

busman wrote: »

Got the online payment setup last night for the Credit card with open24:-)
Not too bad except for all the "security" questions! Twice!

The main reason I switched to PTSB was the somewhat longer opening hours and
of course it's "free!". Their branch in mallow is also nicer the the UB! They have more seats to sit on while you wait!

For past experiences both here and in the US I know
that all banks are must the same and appear to see you more as
an inconvenience that a customer of their services!

If I could I would be like Bertie and deal in cash!

Paul

Ah...

but, if you do the main bulk of your banking via online means (paying bills, transferring funds, applying for products such as credit card, overdraft, small loans etc), you need only ever go to the branch when it's a special case, and for those, you make an appointment, and do not need to queue etc

And then, you rarely have to deal with any of the humans who work in the bank!

Toots

Hey OP,

To answer your question, yes PTSB should have accepted your CC giro. AFAIK there's an agreement between the banks that customers can pay in any bank using bank giros. This goes for the likes of ESB, Gas, and phone bills, as well as credit cards. I work in BOI and we take them all (Except MBNA, which has to be paid in the post office only cos it's just feckin awkward). The only two things you need to be careful of is 1) if you pay your UB credit card in a PTSB branch, it will take longer for the payment to reach the card as it will have to go through the interbank clearing cycle. 2) Ensure PTSB inputs the serial number or reference code on your UB giro, so that when UB get the payment they know it's from you. Sometimes when you're paying your credit card in a different bank, their systems won't automatically pick up the reference code on the giro, or prompt them to enter one.

The reason UB couldn't take your PTSB Laser card is because they are not a retailer. If you go into your own bank to pay your bill and you use your card, they're essentially using your card as a cash card, just to do a straight withdrawal from your account. Banks don't use the 'Laser' facility on the card to withdraw money. Ulster Bank's systems don't link up with PTSB, so they couldn't just do a straight withdrawal from your account, so the quickest way for your wife to pay the card would have been to write a cheque then and there, or go and get cash to pay it.

Hope that answers your question! At least the online banking is set up now so you won't have to do it again in future!

unclebill98

Most banks will not let you pay a bill with a chq drawn on another bank. You must use cash.

In this case a personal PTSB chq onto the UB card would be allowed. I see no reason for them refusing it.