CSNA in response to a question from a member on the rights and wrongs of acceptance of credit and debit cards sought responses to queries posed to the Irish Banking and Payments Federation.
A member queried with the Association after a 12 year old tried to purchase goods with a card belonging their parent, the cashier told the child that they could not accept payment using the card after this the parent came to the store and created a scene suggesting that her child should not have been refused the purchases using her (the mothers) card.
There are very clear and specific Terms and Conditions for Debit & Credit cards, all of which are underpinned by the safe and secure storage of the card to protect against unauthorised use, equally where there it is proven that there has been inappropriate/misuse/fraudulent of the card the cardholder, pending investigation, has the right to refund.
| Question | Response |
| Are there any circumstances where presentation of a card by anyone other that the cardholder is permissible? | No, as specified in the terms and conditions, all cards may only be used by the authorised signatory; on the reverse of many cards there may be printed text that reminds cardholders of this.
Additionally, PIN codes should remain confidential and not be shared with anyone.
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| Are there any differences between a credit or debit card in terms of allowing acceptance by someone other than the cardholder?
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No – see above. |
| Can a minor use a credit or debit card to pay for products or services?
What is the minimum age that a person can obtain a debit or credit card? |
Yes, a minor may use their own debit card to pay for products or services.
It will vary by bank however, minors from the age of 12 upwards can have their own debit card that enables payment for products or services. Parental consent may be required, and transaction limits may be set at account opening.
Credit cards can only be issued to those over 18 years of age or over.
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| Does a cardholder have any right to seek a Chargeback from a store if they assert that a card was used with their permission?
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Yes, a cardholder has the right to a refund for an unauthorised transaction due to loss, theft or misuse providing the cardholder has not acted fraudulently, was not negligent in keeping the card safe and secure or failed to report the loss/theft/misuse without undue delay.
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| If a person used the contactless payment facility in a store using a card that was not theirs, can the cardholder demand restitution from the card issuer or ultimately the store if the purchaser was a minor?
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Yes, a cardholder has the right to a refund for an unauthorised transaction due to loss, theft or misuse providing the cardholder has not acted fraudulently, was not negligent in keeping the card safe and secure or failed to report the loss/theft/misuse without undue delay.
This applies for all cases regardless if the purchaser was a minor. |