VISA Debit Card replacing Maestro, So easier import from USA

megagold5 said:
I had my Solo/Maestro replaced by HSBC in February for a VISA, makes life so much easier...
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You're in good hands though. Natwestians such as myself have yet to receive such goods. A housemate of mine, who works in a Natwest bank, says he's heard little about his company following suit.
 
Zin5ki said:
megagold5 said:
I had my Solo/Maestro replaced by HSBC in February for a VISA, makes life so much easier...
Click to expand...
You're in good hands though. Natwestians such as myself have yet to receive such goods. A housemate of mine, who works in a Natwest bank, says he's heard little about his company following suit.
Click to expand...

Sucks. :/ Only reason I am with HSBC is because of them comming and setting up a weekly branch in my middle school way-back-when, they have been quite good to me, although the branch in Norwich is annoyingly out of the way...
 
Archaic Sage said:
1) I've already stated that First Choice and HSBC are discontinuing this.

2) Your official PDF from Natwest does not state that they are stopping issuing Maestro cards at all. It states that it can change your card type when it sees fit.

3) You trust Wikipedia? I could go and change that and it would be left like that for a number of hours, day, weeks or months until someone can verify that my claim is inaccurate.

4) Money Saving Expert has been known to be wrong on various occasions.

Just because a couple of banks have updated their terms of service to allow them to issue a card as they see fit does not mean that the dreaded Maestro card is being discontinued. Whilst I accept that RBS may be changing their cards in the future, they have sent you no official confirmation other than VISA announcing in September last year that they've signed a deal.

Additionally I didn't say that you were wrong, I said that they haven't discontinued it. Which is correct, they may be migrating some customers over, but that card is not being discontinued.

Furthermore, the Maestro card is much better than it's comparison the Visa Electron card for many reasons. Not only because of acceptance of the card, but also because most Electron cards don't have their details (such as PAN, BIN numbers) embossed onto the cards. This means that when a retail outlet has to revert to an older method of accepting cards (such as when systems crash) they are unable to accept Electron owing to fraud reasons. This is where Maestro wins as on most cards they are embossed and most of them tend to have Issue numbers.

Besides, the fact remains that they now have the facility to use both sets of cards which is the best option for the customer. Just ensure that you avoid Solo or AMEX cards as they're just awful.

@Aion

No idea. I only know what I know due to work :).
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Well just to confirm that the RBS group will stop issuing solo/maestro cards over the next month or so to visa debit.

RBS customers start 15/08 and Natwest customers 05/09. The RBS group have ended there contract with maestro and will no longer issue maestro branded cards after the 12/10 as thats when the contract expires.

So by that time all RBS group customers will have a visa debit branded cards ONLY.

This will give a overall improved service to its customer ie chargebacks.

I hope that helps. (natwest employee)
 
Zin5ki said:
megagold5 said:
I had my Solo/Maestro replaced by HSBC in February for a VISA, makes life so much easier...
Click to expand...
You're in good hands though. Natwestians such as myself have yet to receive such goods. A housemate of mine, who works in a Natwest bank, says he's heard little about his company following suit.
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Id check on insight the group internal website theres lots of communcations about the group ending there contract with maestro and the tranistion to visa debit on there ;-)
 
naweststaff said:
RBS customers start 15/08 and Natwest customers 05/09. The RBS group have ended there contract with maestro and will no longer issue maestro branded cards after the 12/10 as thats when the contract expires.

So by that time all RBS group customers will have a visa debit branded cards ONLY.
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That is probably the most positive Natwest-related news I've heard. I wish not to sound clichéd, but you've just quoted me happy!
 
naweststaff said:
RBS customers start 15/08 and Natwest customers 05/09. The RBS group have ended there contract with maestro and will no longer issue maestro branded cards after the 12/10 as thats when the contract expires.

So by that time all RBS group customers will have a visa debit branded cards ONLY.

This will give a overall improved service to its customer ie chargebacks.

I hope that helps. (natwest employee)
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So, to be clear on this, if my RBS card needed to be changed today (Lost, Chip/ATM Stripe stoped working, got destroyed somehow) then I'd get a VISA card as a replacement?
 
Conan-san said:
naweststaff said:
RBS customers start 15/08 and Natwest customers 05/09. The RBS group have ended there contract with maestro and will no longer issue maestro branded cards after the 12/10 as thats when the contract expires.

So by that time all RBS group customers will have a visa debit branded cards ONLY.

This will give a overall improved service to its customer ie chargebacks.

I hope that helps. (natwest employee)
Click to expand...
So, to be clear on this, if my RBS card needed to be changed today (Lost, Chip/ATM Stripe stoped working, got destroyed somehow) then I'd get a VISA card as a replacement?
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My thoughts exactly. :twisted:

Though the part above in bold seems to suggest we would have to wait until the 5th of September (I presume that's what the date is supposed to be rather than "May 2009" since I don't think 2008 had a 15th month) before "losing" our cards. Otherwise you'd probably just get another Maestro.
 
Right boys and girls.

Just to take it from the top again and please accept my apologies for the typo in my previous post.

The visa debit transition will begin on 15/08/09 for RBS customers and 05/09/09 for Natwest & Ulster Bank customers.

Visa Debit offers almost three times the global acceptance of Maestro making 29 million point of sale outlets available to customers across the world, providing an overall improved service to us as customers.

Existing customers with Maestro. Solo or Cirrus cards can continue to use there Cards as normal. Customers will receive their new Visa Debit cards on request or replacement or as their current card expires. As you can imagine they are not going to send out everyones card in the same month and it will be rolled out in phases up until the end of 2010.

So if you wait until the a few days after the dates above and report you card damaged or something to that effect you'll get a new visa debit card.

You should or will have had this leaflet in your statements if you haven't already:

http://www.natwest.com/olb/mandatory_me ... d_0609.pdf

http://www.rbs.co.uk/content/personal/d ... on0609.pdf

This change also effects Ulster Bank in NOI too
 
Hi Just abit of an update.

I can confirm that RBS have today 23/08/09 started issuing there visa debit cards for all lost/stolen/replacements.

This will also apply to natwest but from 13/09/2009.
 
Sounds good. I've never had a problem buying online using my Maestro though. I didn't even know there was a problem :p. I always pay through paypal though. If visa makes things easier then I'm all for it.
 
Mmm, anyone can tell me if its the visa debit card or the visa electron (which is also a debit card)?
If it's electron, I might consider getting me one, as it means no extra charges from Ryanair.
 
Probably both. You get electron if your not cool enough for proper Visa. I was on electron for years, & then they upgraded me because my account had enough money going in & out.

Downside to electron, some UK places do not accept it.
 
Im pleased to confirm rbs, natwest or ulster bank.

Will not be issuing visa electron card they will be proper visa debit cards regardless of what account you hold.
 
chaos said:
Mmm, anyone can tell me if its the visa debit card or the visa electron (which is also a debit card)?
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Do American websites accept Visa Electron? I thought they only took the standard variants.
 
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