Cash Point Cards

[Silver Dollar]

Well I rang the Abbey National the other day and then went into a local bank to enquire. The bank here informed me that the problem appears to be the fact that we have 'raised numbers' (the ones that you can feel) on the front of the card and that they are fast being phased out here so a lot of machines don't recognise them. I know there's nothing wrong with the cards because we used them right up until leaving for Florida, even in Gatwick. There's no stoppages on our cards and we explained the situation to the Abbey. We haven't spent a penny using the cards so it's not like they have stopped them because thousands were being withdrawn abroad with no explanation![msnscared]

[Mr G]

I will speak to Abbey to see if they are issuing cards with the "flat" numbers.Mine expires soon so I will see if they will issue a diffrent one.I think most of the UK Banks issues cards with raised numbers.I have just checked all mine and it is only my Bank of America card which is flat.

[Mr G]

I have spoken to Abbey, their card services have had no similar complants from customers re using their cards in the US. They are still receiving transactions from the US and so believe there is no problem with the raised numbers.
Come to think of it all my cards have raised numbers and I would think other UK guests in America would also be having the same problems.I think this explanation fronm the US bank concerned might just be their personal view.
It would be interesting to hear from any other "tourists" out there to see if they are using their ATM cards OK.

[jolliffee]

Hi. I have just checked my USA Bank Credit/Cheque & Debit cards and they all have raised numbers as have all my UK based credit cards so I think the raised numbers are a very red herring. Thinking about it raised numbers are needed for a manual/paper swipe machine. Dave.

[Nostromo]

My Lloys ATM card has alwyas had 'raised' numericals and I have used them without problems in ATM machines around the world, including on a recent 3 week visit to Orlando. I mused have used it at least 10 times during that visit alone and it worked fine every time. Silver Dollar, I still think that you should check if your cards have somehow become 'unreadable'.

[Cruella DeVilla]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by stabard
Now you are making me nervous - I have big plans for hubby's credit card when we go over on the 24th[msnwink]
[/quote]

Phone the bank and tell them your plans and that wil stop them stopping the card for large amounts of purchases.

[Silver Dollar]

Ok now another update!! I called the Abbey this morning who told me that even though in the past i used ATMS with the "PLUS" sign, it now has to say "CIRRUS" or something like that on it. I'll try and find one but I don't hold out much hope. These people don't seem to know their 'grr-ass' from their elbow. Other than that I opened up a US bank account three weeks ago so I'll have to wire some funds in. Just be aware people, it's not always as straight forward as it seems. In the future, I'll just use my US bank account before I come and wire funds in and then draw the cash out here using my US bank card.....we're so complicated sometimes.

[Mr G]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Silver Dollar
...even though in the past i used ATMS with the "PLUS" sign, it now has to say "CIRRUS" or something like that on it.....
[/quote]

I think for the past 3 years advice from ABBEY has been look for a CIRRUS sign, you have been lucky if you haven't had problems before.

Also a friend of our returned from Miami yesterday, also banks with Abbey,they had no problems with their link card in ATMS, I guess Silver dollar, you are just unlucky[msnsad]

[Silver Dollar]

Ok thanks to everyone who gave me advice when I was panicking I'd be stranded and broke! LOL Actually I was in Sanford Airport yesterday meeting my sister who flew in and I tried my card there. IT WORKED!!!! In the past, I just went by the PLUS sign and this machine was CIRRUS. It appears that there aren't as many CIRRUS machines then as I had previously used. I've had some trouble in certain Walmarts and Publix's. But at last, we have cash flow again!! Thank you every one!!

[andycoll]

Just a little bit of in put have you had your cards in a safe in the villa / hotel I ask this as two years ago we had a similar problem all of are cards stopped working and we found out that it was the electronic safe as they use an electromagnet to slide the bots shut we found this out after being in the hotel reception on the phone for about a hour ordering new card from the bank / credit card the desk clerk sad to us that’s why there is a disclaimer on the inside of the door which read do not place any objects in to this safety deposit box that can be interrupted by magnetic fields