Buying stuff online with a visa debit card

mondeo

Hiya,

Can a visa debit card be used for purchasing goods and services online that only state they accept visa credit cards? My understanding is/was that you can enter your visa debit card info into a site where it states that it only accepts credit cards? Isn't that the point of the 'visa' written on debit cards these days? Is this correct or have I got it wrong?

Thanks

thyme

Use one all time, never any problems even when it just says visa card.

GerardKeating

For most purposes, a Visa Debit card can be used the same as a Visa Credit card, but there are some exceptions. Most of the Toll Road do not accept debit cards.

Also it cannot always be used for car rental or checking into a hotel. (Checking out is usually ok)

Yggr of Asgard

You can use your debit card to check into hotels, just be aware of the really bad consequences of it as they will block approx 50% more than your room rate for other charges (mini bar, restaurant) when you check in and might not release that amount when you check out, in fact they might get another approval for the full bill ignoring their initial request and hence leaving you out of pocket for a long period of time (usually 7 days but up to 30 days).

But generally a Visa Debit card should be accepted online where a Visa credit card is accepted unless the merchant does not want to accept them (for example for subscription where they want to charge regularly).

Also the charge for a visa debit card to the merchant is cheaper than a visa credit card, so in fact they might actually prefer a debit one.

Is there a specific site you have problems with?

mondeo

dublin-texas wrote: »

You can use your debit card to check into hotels, just be aware of the really bad consequences of it as they will block approx 50% more than your room rate for other charges (mini bar, restaurant) when you check in and might not release that amount when you check out, in fact they might get another approval for the full bill ignoring their initial request and hence leaving you out of pocket for a long period of time (usually 7 days but up to 30 days).

But generally a Visa Debit card should be accepted online where a Visa credit card is accepted unless the merchant does not want to accept them (for example for subscription where they want to charge regularly).

Also the charge for a visa debit card to the merchant is cheaper than a visa credit card, so in fact they might actually prefer a debit one.

Is there a specific site you have problems with?

I'm looking to book a flight to Asia online and the site doesn't mention it accepts debit cards, it just says credit cards. I was assuming I could select the visa credit card option and just type in my visa debit card details?

Sorry for the late reply by the way, any help is appreciated.

david75

Never had an issue really.

Liam McPoyle

mondeo wrote: »

I'm looking to book a flight to Asia online and the site doesn't mention it accepts debit cards, it just says credit cards. I was assuming I could select the visa credit card option and just type in my visa debit card details?

Sorry for the late reply by the way, any help is appreciated.

Yep. Ive booked flights and Hotels in Europe using the Ulster Bank Visa debit card, just select Visa as the payment type.

whomitconcerns

if it says visa credit only it will accept visa credit only and vice versa.

if it just says visa then it should accept credit or debit.

They function very differently in the background just saying Visa does not make them the same