Egg payments hit by glitch - BBC

NatWest Visa debit card holders have been unable to make payments to Egg credit cards via the latter's Web site for over two months because of a database glitch.

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Egg payments hit by glitch - BBC

Editorial

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community.

Egg's Web site has not been identifying NatWest Visa debit cards as legitimate because it does not recognise their Bank Identification Numbers (BINs).

The Citi-owned firm uses Experian Payments' bank data validation system, Bank Wizard, to receive BIN updates as cards are introduced and old ones become obsolete.

Experian has told the BBC that card issuers are responsible for keeping it up to date and that it has now been in contact with NatWest. Consequently, Egg says the glitch should be fixed in the next few days.

Database glitches affect payments to Egg - BBC

Update:

NatWest owner RBS has issued the following statement: "In line with Scheme rules, we provided all the necessary information to Visa to enable them to communicate changes to bank identification number (BIN) ranges for our new Visa Debit cards. Visa communicated these changes to acquirers in good time. It is the responsibility of the acquirer to inform their merchants of these changes, however, we are keen to resolve this problem for our customers as soon as possible, and we are working closely with Egg and all other parties to do so. This is an isolated issue, and our customers can pay their Egg credit card bill through our online or telephone banking service or through their local branch."

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Comments: (2)

Paul Penrose

Paul Penrose Head of Research at Finextra

A digruntled Finextra reader informed Egg of this problem in mid-December and received the following response from the online-only bank.

"Unfortunately there's currently a technical issue with adding the new VISA cards on to the system. Our IT are investigating the problem and aim to have a fix in place by the beginning of the week."

This letter was sent 18th December. Since then there has been further communication from Egg and the problem persists.

Maybe the BBC will have better luck generating a fix than Egg's long-suffering customers.

Keith Appleyard

Keith Appleyard IT Consultant at available for hire

I warned my own staff a few years ago about relying on BankWizard.

It doesn't seem to have a formal arrangement with any of the Card Associations for keeping up to date with BINs. One of their employees told me they compiled their list anecdotally by inspecting the Cards in their own Wallets and Handbags.

That would tie up with RBS Natwest saying they done what was expected of them with the Visa Acquirers - and Experian/BankWizard is not an Acquirer.

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