# Bank says no debit card use on Web **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968 "2008-11-29T20:18:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/1 "2008-11-29T20:18:41Z")
My teenager has a debit card. It allows him to do things like pay his monthly World of Warcraft subscription or buy t-shirts online without having to use my credit card. We checked his balance on Sunday, and it showed seriously overdrawn. There was a $600 charge from Rosetta Stone. He was with me at the time the charge was supposedly made, so we know he didn’t do it. The bank says that debit cards don’t have the protection credit cards have, so we’re stuck with the charge. They also said that there are online charges on the card, and the agreement we signed to get him the card explicitly forbids use of debit cards online (according to the customer service rep at Wells Fargo, this is true of all debit cards). It’s been five days and the charge still shows as “pending,” his account still shows “overdrawn,” and they still say they’re “working on it.” We say that (a) They had no business authorizing a charge that would create a $600 overdraft. It should have been turned down on the spot. (b) We called them within two hours of the charge appearing (nice coincidental timing), and they should have been able to stop it. © When we got the card, we discussed using it for online subscriptions, and the rep never mentioned that their policy forbids this. Any thoughts? Any advice? Does the fine print in _your_ debit card contract forbid using it for online purchases? ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/2 "2008-11-29T20:22:06Z")
I’ve used debit cards online for years. I’ve never heard of this. I’ll try to find my paperwork and check. This is outrageous! I sent emails to every exec I could find when I had a problem with Comcast and I’ll bet a letter bomb would help in this case too. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/3 "2008-11-29T20:47:38Z")
A $600 charge from Rosetta Stone, especially if it is an online purchase, doesn’t sound like random fraud to me. Assuming you trust your kid 100%, I’d suspect he hasn’t kept his card secure enough from his friends, their siblings, etc. If you don’t get any luck with WF, that might be another avenue to pursue to get some money back. Can Rosetta Stone tell you what was purchased? Debit cards do have less loss protection than credit cards, which is a big reason I prefer credit cards. I think even debit cards typically cap fraud loss at $500, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/4 "2008-11-29T20:48:12Z")
Is it a visa or mastercard debit card? I ask because all “debit” cards over here are actually set up like credit cards, in that they have the 16 digits, the CCV number and are protected under either Visa or Mastercard’s own credit card protection schemes. Mine is a card with my bank’s logo on it, but it still has the Visa logo in the bottom right hand corner. There’s no line of credit attached to it, it’s in my savings account, but it still functions just like a credit card. If it has the logo, go over your bank’s head to Visa or Mastercard and let them know what the bank is trying to do/put you on the hook for. And also ask if you can get a copy of these terms and conditions in writing so you can see for yourself… ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/5 "2008-11-29T20:49:55Z")
I use my debit card online all the time. Is your son’s perhaps an ATM card, not the kind like **Sierra** mentions? Also, my son’s debit card was stolen (well, his entire wallet) when he was carjacked in '07. The charges which the thieves made with his debit card were all reversed by the bank, along with the forged checks etc. (he had left his checkbook in the glovebox :smack: ). It may have helped us because we had a criminal case against the person(s) using it, though. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/6 "2008-11-29T20:52:31Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > (a) They had no business authorizing a charge that would create a $600 overdraft. It should have been turned down on the spot. Oh, BTW, even though one would think that a debit card can’t be used once the account gets to zero, it can. The thieves used my son’s card repeatedly that night even though the balance got into the negative (by several hundred dollars). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/7 "2008-11-29T20:59:49Z")
I’ve been using a Visa debit card online from Wells Fargo for years without a problem. I use it to pay all my monthly bills rather than giving my routing and account numbers as with a check. I was never aware of this restriction. In fact, according to the Wells Fargo website, a Visa check card (debit) is authorized for online purchases. Quoting: Use your Check Card for purchases You can also use it at millions of locations where Visa® debit cards are accepted including grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations — **even for Internet and phone purchases.** - bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/8 "2008-11-29T21:07:33Z")
> [@](#): > > What if your debit card is lost, stolen or misused? > You must act quickly. The most you can lose is $50 if you report to the bank or credit union that your card is lost or stolen within two days of when you discover the loss. However, your liability increases to a maximum of $500 if you report within 60 days after you receive your bank statement. > > If you don’t to notify your bank within 60 days after you receive your bank statement, your liability is unlimited. You could lose all the money in your account. Check your bank statements carefully and promptly for charges you didn’t make. > > Some major debit card issuers provide more protection. Some state laws cap your total loss at $50. see [Understanding Debit Cards](http://www.aarp.org/money/credit_debt/a2002-08-14-ManagingMoneyDebitCards.html) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/9 "2008-11-29T21:08:19Z")
Lost the edit window. Maybe they refuse to let him use the card for online purchases since he’s underage? Since you had to cosign with him. But that doesn’t explain why they allowed a $600 charge to Rosetta Stone. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/10 "2008-11-29T22:32:22Z")
It is a Visa debit card, issued by Wells Fargo bank. We reported the problem within two hours. They claim that we have the full liability and that our son violated the debit card agreement by using it online. I haven’t dug out the agreement yet because I thought this was going to go away. We have canceled the card and reported it stolen. I can’t figure out who would use a debit card to buy language tapes. Especially $600 worth. If we don’t hear something on Monday from Wells Fargo, I’ll contact Rosetta Stone directly and see if we can get the shipping address on the product. That’ll tell us quickly if it was a friend of our son. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/11 "2008-11-29T22:42:19Z")
I’m sure this is not funny to you now, but the scenario that comes to my mind is from this Rosetta Stone ad. [http://www.summitlake.com/WP/?p=177](http://www.summitlake.com/WP/?p=177) Have any of his friends met any foreign supermodels lately? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/12 "2008-11-30T02:10:38Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > It is a Visa debit card, issued by Wells Fargo bank. We reported the problem within two hours. They claim that we have the full liability and that our son violated the debit card agreement by using it online. I haven’t dug out the agreement yet because I thought this was going to go away. We have canceled the card and reported it stolen. > > I can’t figure out who would use a debit card to buy language tapes. Especially $600 worth. If we don’t hear something on Monday from Wells Fargo, I’ll contact Rosetta Stone directly and see if we can get the shipping address on the product. That’ll tell us quickly if it was a friend of our son. Is this some sort of special “kids” card because I can’t imagine a debit card so restricted relative to general shopping needs that it’s restricted from being used online unless it’s specifically for kids or non-adults. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/13 "2008-11-30T02:22:28Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > It is a Visa debit card, issued by Wells Fargo bank. We reported the problem within two hours. They claim that we have the full liability and that our son violated the debit card agreement by using it online. I haven’t dug out the agreement yet because I thought this was going to go away. We have canceled the card and reported it stolen. I use my debit card when I make online purchases. If it has a Visa or Mastercard logo, you have the same protections as if it’s a credit card. Find your card agreement or bump this up the Wells Fargo food chain. Something about this doesn’t sound right. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/14 "2008-11-30T03:22:52Z")
The use online by your son, is a completely different matter from the theft somebody committed. Don’t let them confuse the first issue with what they say is a second issue to blow you off, and try to convince to to drop the theft issue. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/15 "2008-11-30T03:26:32Z")
I can’t find anything more specific at the moment, but [this](http://usa.visa.com/personal/student/debit_101.html)relates directly to the Visa “Check” card that comes up when you do a search for debit cards through their site… > [@Visa Website](#): > > Tired of carrying cash or writing checks all the time? Try a Visa check card. **You can use it to shop at bookstores, supermarkets, restaurants, gas stations, online—anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted** —and to get cash from ATMs around the world. IOW, similar to what \*\*cochrane \*\*has already posted, but worded slightly differently. [ETA] is it the WF “Check Card” or something named/labelled differently? [https://www.wellsfargo.com/checkcard/protect/](https://www.wellsfargo.com/checkcard/protect/) - shows it’s part of the “Verified by Visa” program, which means that it is \*intended \*to be used online, because they’ve signed up with this extra verification programme that Visa runs for online shopping. ---
**Author:** ![hekk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@hekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hekk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/16 "2008-11-30T04:04:31Z")
Did you talk to a banker, manager, or teller? No offense to any doper tellers, but some of those people are minimum wage skunkbutts who don’t know crap about bank policy beyond withdraws and deposits. Not that I’m bitter… Call up the number on the back of the card to get corporate Wells Fargo, and reverse the charge. They’ll do it in a heartbeat, and send a new card immediately. No fuss, no muss. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/17 "2008-11-30T07:21:29Z")
I have a feeling that this issue is tied to the financial crisis. (I had an account which kept getting overdrawn, even though I assiduously made sure I had enough money in my account before writing checks. Some years later, I noticed that the bank president, who’d been in charge of the bank when I was having my problems, went to jail for embezzlement and other assorted fraud charges.) I’d not only kick this up the food chain, but I’d file a complaint with Visa, the state attorney general’s office, and any other applicable government agency. You might also contact Rosetta Stone to see if if they can/will give you any information on the transaction (it being software, the thief probably just downloaded the software, but you never know). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/18 "2008-12-01T10:37:52Z")
UPDATE: The bank has agreed not to stick us with the original $600 charge, but they said we’d have to pay a $35 overdraft fee. We have an appointment with the branch manager to discuss it. I expect to get that charge reversed. And **hekk** , that _was_ corporate Wells Fargo that told us that. We didn’t even bother with the local branch when this happened. We went straight to the 800# on the back of the card. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/19 "2008-12-01T15:20:26Z")
> [@hekk](#): > > Did you talk to a banker, manager, or teller? No offense to any doper tellers, but some of those people are minimum wage skunkbutts who don’t know crap about bank policy beyond withdraws and deposits. Not that I’m bitter… Hey! :mad: My younger cousin in a teller! Wait, “minimum wage skunkbutt who doesn’t know crap”?.. Yeah, actually that pretty much describes my younger cousin. It amazed me that the bubblehead got a job at a bank. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968/20 "2008-12-01T17:32:52Z")
Not to kick anyone while they’re down, but safe online shopping rules include using only a credit card, using only a low-limit credit card, and keeping a very close eye on it. If my agreement said my debit card could be used online, but every source I’ve ever seen says use only a low-limit credit card, I’d be using a low-limit credit card (which is what I do). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bank-says-no-debit-card-use-on-web/474968.md?page=2)