So, I try subscribing to the SDMB, using my MasterCard-branded debit card.
Name is correct.
Address is correct.
Credit card type is correct.
Credit card number is correct.
Expiration date is correct.
Balance is … well, a lot. Definitely not negative, or under $4.95.
Unfortunately, I get the following:
Unable to charge credit card
Well I just got a blank screen after entering all the information correctly. How can I tell if it went through or not? I had to click the reminder screen so the software obviously does not recognize me…grrrrrr
Okay … a different card worked. Apparently, my debit card doesn’t like the SDMB.
Mine does the same thing. I suspect a bug in the CGI. If your credit card expiration date is in December, (month=12), it won’t work because the CGI only accepts months numbered 0-11, but your credit card company is expecting a 12. :smack: Clean up on aisle 9!
I couldn’t use my debit card either. But it liked my electron visa card.
My debit card went through fine.
Those having trouble with debit cards-- do your debit cards have a Visa or MC logo on them, and can they be used in restaurants & stores like credit cards? Or are your debit cards more like ATM cards?
Me, too!
all better now, Thanks!
I tried again using a different credit card (expiring in Nov instead of Dec) and it went through OK.
I just talked to Visa/MC about this. They say that the decision to accept debit cards is up to SDMB. They can reject them, as they apparently are doing now, or accept them exactly like credit cards. The cust rep couldn’t think of a good reason why they might be rejected except the processing prg might be ignorant of this option.
I would seem to me that debit cards would be BETTER than credit cards. The money is already there, and chargebacks are next-to-impossible.
And Bordelond, my card has a MC logo. I never used it before, so I don’t know if it works like a credit card, but MC said it should.
So how 'bout it, Ed? Can you turn on the debit card acceptance feature?
It’s a MasterCard-branded debit card from my bank; it ties ito my checking account. A regular credit credit card worked for me, but not a debit credit card.
My card expires in December & I too get the message:
And there’s no link to click on to report it as a bug, no support/helpline number to call, it’s insane. Approximately 1/12th of your members could be locked out of here by this.
Like me 
Guess I’m transferring funds to my paypal account instead.
Dammit. What the hell is wrong with December? If there’s an entry for it in the field, it should work!
Hmmm… I got the “Unable to charge credit card” message too, but my expiry date is not December.
It’s a regular Amex card, and although I haven’t used it in a few months, according to my statements I have well in excess of $4.95 US credit available.
Being in Canada doesn’t make a difference, does it?
Please make that nag screen go away!
My Wachovia Visa check card worked just fine. So, it isn’t ALL debit cards it’s rejecting. I suspect a bug. From the sound of it, it’s counting all December expires of this year as passed.
So are you saying we should subtract one from each number? Exp date 01/11 becomes 00/10? Then why is this happening only with debit cards?
If December is the only bug date, that isn’t the case for me; my exp date is not December.
I think the problem with the credit cards expiring in December has been fixed. I just registered with one, and it seems to have gone through OK.
No, my expiry year isn’t this year (nor last year or prior before any of the wise asses around here jump in ;)). It’s an error in the setup - the error message specifically says that it’s expecting a value 0-11 sent back from that Month drop down. Now, a lot of things in computing start counting at 0, so that would be plenty for a 12 month year, but it seems to have been buggered up* somewhat in the implementation (for one thing, there’s 13 things on the list, if you count the mm indicator at the top).
You’d think there would be a standard package to do this that would have been carefully selected & debugged beforehand (or at the very least offer the Chicago Reader decent support to fix errors).
*technical term, frequently used in computing :p.
Well fry my boots and serve 'em with ketchup. After three bad tries (yes, I checked the name, number, date VERY carefully), it went thru on the fourth with a debit card.
So my guess is either a bug was fixed, or Mister Ed flipped a switch.
Now if only the “Charter Member” label would show up like the post count line does, I’d be happy. Oh, I forgot, the smilies are still wacky-wonky, too.
And having seen this, I just tried again & it does seem to have been fixed. I guess they did get decent support :o.