Checking your bank statement

No problem. I have never, ever, used my debit card except for withdrawing cash. First Direct will be able to send you a new PIN for your credit card - they might want to send you a new credit card at the same time and cancel the old one. You can change your PIN to something easy for you to remember at a cash point. The other benefit of using a credit card is if you have a problem with something you buy with it and the retailer is awkward the credit card company will often give you a refund. Keep safe! So many companies we buy from online store our card details even if we haven’t authorised them to, and their systems can be hacked.

Re: Paying in a Cheque

Thanks for the information Ladies - I will examine his mobile banking App (He's is not tech savvy).

Haven't seen a cheque for many years!

information re debit cards' use protection, see moneyhelper.org.uk

Debit cards and chargeback
Debit card payments and purchases aren't covered by section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. But if you don’t get something you have paid for by debit card, and the firm is refusing to refund you, you can ask your bank to ‘reverse the transaction' and get your money back via chargeback.

Chargeback isn’t legal protection like section 75, which applies in the UK. It’s an agreement Visa, Mastercard and American Express have signed up to. The scheme enables you to claim a refund from your card provider if a purchase doesn’t arrive or is faulty.

Here’s how to get your money back via chargeback:

Contact the company and try to get a refund first before making a claim.
You must make a claim within 120 days of making the purchase. If the purchase is for something in the future, for example, tickets to an event, the 120-day limit starts from the day the event would have happened.
The card company will try to claim your money back from the company you’ve paid, by reversing the transaction.

Be aware that claims can take some time to process because the card company must get the money refunded before it can pass it onto you.

Chargeback works for debit, credit or prepaid cards.

so better to use a debit card for items costing under £100, as the credit card protection only applies to items/contracts for £100+.
this does include eg if you paid £20 deposit with credit card towards a hat costing £200, paying the balance by other means.
but if it's the kind of hat i might order, ie, costing about £20 total, i'm safer paying with debit card.

welbeck

so better to use a debit card for items costing under £100, as the credit card protection only applies to items/contracts for £100+.
this does include eg if you paid £20 deposit with credit card towards a hat costing £200, paying the balance by other means.
but if it's the kind of hat i might order, ie, costing about £20 total, i'm safer paying with debit card.

Thanks for that information Wellbeck…🤓

And risk your account being emptied. I have had my credit card compromised a couple of times - fraudulent transactions cancelled, money refunded and card replaced. My card details had obviously been stolen. Now if that had been my debit card, my current account could have been emptied. Is it worth taking that risk? No.

Very amused when I was paying a restaurant bill, the inexperienced waiter managed to pay it himself through with phone in his pocket. His face was a picture as he immediately realised what had happened. I use contactless on my phone but am rather more careful about it.

i do not use my main current account for debit card purchases.
i have a separate one with a different bank, with limited funds, for debit card purchases.
i use my main account for paying utility bills etc via telephone automated payment system.
it works for me.
i haven't had a credit cards for several years.

welbeck

i do not use my main current account for debit card purchases.
i have a separate one with a different bank, with limited funds, for debit card purchases.
i use my main account for paying utility bills etc via telephone automated payment system.
it works for me.
i haven't had a credit cards for several years.

I do the same, i.e. using a bank account with limited funds, for debit card payments. This account is held with a separate bank from accounts which hold larger amounts. My banking app alerts me when money is deposited or payments made. I also have not used a credit card for years. Thank you for the information on Chargeback.