Delay in balance being updated

paulb06

Hi, can you advise that when I used my Visa Debit card on Sunday 16th December, my balance was only updated today? Surely the balance is usually updated straight away and the transaction then shows a few days later? it's been happening quite a bit lately.

Bank of Ireland: Pat

Hi paulb06,

Thanks for the query. Normally when you make a purchase using your Visa Debit card, your balance will be updated immediately and the transaction will show on your account with a description of 'DEBIT CARD'. Once the transaction has been fully processed by the retailer, the description will update with the name of the retailer.

The delay that you've experienced may be down to the retailer that you have made the transaction with. For example, if the retailer is processing their transactions in batches, this would result in a delay before the transaction reaches your account in the first place.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Thanks
Pat

harolds57

By allowing this practice to go on i.e processing their transactions in batches, if an account holder goes overdrawn due to this do you charge them for been overdrawn?

Bank of Ireland: Laura

Hi harolds57.

Unfortunately we have no control over how retailers process their transactions.
If transactions are processed in batches and cause your account to become overdrawn, then you will indeed be charged for this, unless there is an overdraft facility in place on your account.

For information on these charges, please see here.

Thanks for your query.
Laura

harolds57

Thanks for reply, but surly there is terms and conditions the retailer has to adhere to so they should be forced to do it straight away. It is a debit card after all, and it won’t let the transaction complete if you didn’t have the funds in your bank account so the machine must check your balance some way, or does it not check your balance and allow a transaction take place regardless if you have the funds in your account or not?

Bank of Ireland: Tara

Hi harolds57,

We authorise card transactions based on the available balance in your account at the time the purchase is made. It is then up to the individual retailers when they complete the transaction in full. We cannot comment on terms and conditions on the retailers side of things.

Thanks,
Tara

harolds57

So why don’t you change it so that it comes out of the persons account straight away, simply really. Sure you can pass on my feedback to the relevant department were it will be filled under unread feedback from Boards.ie.

Thanks

paulb06

Hi I would just like to query something further, last week I made a transaction on my account, went into my account and saw 'Debit Card' which is expected.The next day this was gone! And it finally updated 4 business days later? My balance actually updated to show the transaction had been made yet the next day the balance was reupdated to say it hadn't happened yet and I had more money in my account then. Can you explain this is as it's extremely frustrating, how can a transaction as 'Debit Card' be shown on my account and then just removed the next day before being put back on a few days later?

Bank of Ireland: Pat

Hi paulb06,

Thanks for your query. The situation that you mentioned above can occur if a retailer puts through a pre-authorization through to your account. This is a check to see if the funds are available at the time you make the purchase or payment. This will fall off the account if the retailer does not complete the transaction and then reappear when the retailer processes the payment the second time.

This is more likely to occur with online transactions than it is with Point of Sale transactions.

I hope this answers your query.

Thanks
Pat

paulb06

Is there any way to stop this? Surely Bank Of Ireland can keep the customers balance updated and deal with the 2nd attampt by the retailer themselves?Just don't understand how it can work that way.

Bank of Ireland: Pat

Hi paulb06,

As mentioned previously, we have no control over how a retailer processes transactions.

We wouldn't be able to use the idea you mentioned above as, for various reasons, the retailer may not process the transaction at a later stage. For example, if we were to charge a customer based on a pre-authorization and then the customer decides not to go ahead with the transaction, that customer would still end up being charged.

We can only process transactions as they are presented to us. We can't process a transaction based on the assumption that the retailer will put through the transaction at a later stage.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Thanks
Pat

harolds57

Bank of Ireland: Pat wrote: »

Hi paulb06,

As mentioned previously, we have no control over how a retailer processes transactions.

We wouldn't be able to use the idea you mentioned above as, for various reasons, the retailer may not process the transaction at a later stage. For example, if we were to charge a customer based on a pre-authorization and then the customer decides not to go ahead with the transaction, that customer would still end up being charged.

We can only process transactions as they are presented to us. We can't process a transaction based on the assumption that the retailer will put through the transaction at a later stage.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Thanks
Pat

Yes but dont alow them Pre-auth transactions that are actualy sales. Anytime i have ever presented my card for payment was to pay for an item was never looking for it to be pre- auth. You should make Pre-auth an exception to the rule. Never heard of pre-auth on a debit card, yes have heard of pre-auth at hotels when your booking in on your credit card but not on a debit card. If i was to ask a hotel to pre-auth my debit card, they would tell me they cant do that as its a debit card and not a credit card. So dont treat debit cards cards and credit cards the same, sounds like your systems were only ever set up for credit cards and then along came debit cards and your still using a old system.

Bank of Ireland: Pat

Hi harolds57,

Thanks for your post. As mentioned above:

Bank of Ireland: Pat wrote: »

As mentioned previously, we have no control over how a retailer processes transactions.

We do not have the option to tell every retailer that they must process payments immediately or they won't be paid. When a customer enters an agreement with a retailer to make payment for goods or services, we would facilitate the payment between the two. We cannot dictate to the retailer how they must process their transactions.

Credit and Debit card payments are different. However, both being card payments, there would be inherent similarities. The ability to pre-authorise transactions would be one of these similarities.
 
I will be forwarding on your feedback to the relevant department. If there's anything else we can help you with, please let us know.

Thanks
Pat

harolds57

Bank of Ireland: Pat wrote: »

Hi harolds57,

Thanks for your post. As mentioned above:



We do not have the option to tell every retailer that they must process payments immediately or they won't be paid. When a customer enters an agreement with a retailer to make payment for goods or services, we would facilitate the payment between the two. We cannot dictate to the retailer how they must process their transactions.

Credit and Debit card payments are different. However, both being card payments, there would be inherent similarities. The ability to pre-authorise transactions would be one of these similarities.
 
I will be forwarding on your feedback to the relevant department. If there's anything else we can help you with, please let us know.

Thanks
Pat

Thanks for getting back with reply. One quick solution is to not let the transaction go through a few days later if the funds aren’t in the account rather than letting it go through and then charging the bank customer an extra fee. The retailer would soon stop pre auth transactions, and put them through there and then. The onus should be on the retailer to get it right and not on your customer to keep tracks on pre auth transactions in there account till they go out. Go on for a change and do something positive for your customers.

LifeBeginsAt40

harolds57 wrote: »

Thanks for getting back with reply. One quick solution is to not let the transaction go through a few days later if the funds aren’t in the account rather than letting it go through and then charging the bank customer an extra fee. The retailer would soon stop pre auth transactions, and put them through there and then. The onus should be on the retailer to get it right and not on your customer to keep tracks on pre auth transactions in there account till they go out. Go on for a change and do something positive for your customers.

Woodies DIY once took nearly 3 weeks to process a Laser card transaction in their Bray store. I phoned them to complain and got the usual cold shoulder.

Very hard to balance your accounts when you have transactions from 3 weeks previous being debited. Do the banks and retailers think we are all 24/7 accountants?

The Banks should get together and enforce a code of conduct for merchants. People incur overdraft fees due to shoddy merchants taking weeks to process transactions in stores.

Banks then get irate customers calling them about the fees. The issue could easily be solved with a new code of conduct stating that retailers MUST process all transactions within, say 3 working days.

How difficult is that to do??? People walked on the Moon you know and there is a radio controlled car driving around Mars at the moment!!!!

LifeBeginsAt40

harolds57 wrote: »

Yes but dont alow them Pre-auth transactions that are actualy sales. Anytime i have ever presented my card for payment was to pay for an item was never looking for it to be pre- auth. You should make Pre-auth an exception to the rule. Never heard of pre-auth on a debit card, yes have heard of pre-auth at hotels when your booking in on your credit card but not on a debit card. If i was to ask a hotel to pre-auth my debit card, they would tell me they cant do that as its a debit card and not a credit card. So dont treat debit cards cards and credit cards the same, sounds like your systems were only ever set up for credit cards and then along came debit cards and your still using a old system.

If you hire a car and use a Visa Debit card there is pre-auth. Hertz do it all the time, that's how they hold a deposit until about a week after the car is returned at the end of the hire agrement.

Hertz for example, will pre-auth €150 for the duration of the vehicle hire. After a period of the time the pre-auth is cancelled / lifted and the funds once again become available to spend in your account.

Tow

Car hire companies dont take debit cards.

LifeBeginsAt40

Tow wrote: »

Car hire companies dont take debit cards.

Hertz take Visa Debit cards. I know because every time I hire a car I book online and pay by Visa Debit.

Indeed they don't take the old Laser debit cards, but they certainly take BOI / Ulster Bank Visa Debit Cards. They also pre-auth the Visa Debit Card to cover the hire deposit. I only have Visa Debit Cards, so trust me, they do take them.

This is Hertz in the UK, with the booking made online via Hertz Ireland or UK.