Random RCBO Trip...What Next?

[THAIPHUKET]

What are the differences in usability of a SCB Mastercharge / Bkk Bank Visa Card?

Just tried to charge 90.000b to MC SCB and was rejected. Can't be a problem of lack of funds in that account.

Never had any problem with my German Visa Card.

[wayned]

If it a true credit card, not a debit card, there is a credit limit. You can nor charge more than that credit limit no matter how much money is in the account.

[CWMcMurray]

If a debit card... there is also a daily limit that is set by you and the Bank. I believe the default for BKK bank is 50,000 thb per day. I would assume the SCB may have similar policy.

If you want a higher daily limit, you just have to request the bank to change in their system.

[pomchop]

If a debit card... there is also a daily limit that is set by you and the Bank. I believe the default for BKK bank is 50,000 thb per day. I would assume the SCB may have similar policy.

If you want a higher daily limit, you just have to request the bank to change in their system.

on a semi related subject does anyone know the max you can take out of an AEON atm in one day assuming your debit card has plenty of money behind it?

[Pib]

on a semi related subject does anyone know the max you can take out of an AEON atm in one day assuming your debit card has plenty of money behind it?

You can do at least 30,000 baht per withdrawal and I think I've seen other posts where you can pull 40,000 per withdrawal. Don't know about any per day limit....I don't think an ATM would be tracking whether you used the card 1 time or 10 times per day for whatever amount. But the key limit will not be what the ATM is limited to spit out per each withdrawal or maybe per day, but the limit set by the bank that issued your debit card. Need to check with your bank on that. Usually, the limit per day is going to be in the 750-1000 USD ballpark for foriegn cards, but some cards allow higher amounts. I think all of my foreign/US debit cards have a daily $1000 limit....banks have these limits to help prevent fraud like where your card is skimmed, stolen, etc.

[Pib]

For the OP: are the cards you are talking about credit cards or debit cards. Big difference between the two. Debit cards are taking money from your bank account immediately and a transaction will reject if insufficient funds are in your bank account....and there will be a daily limit for point of sale (POS) and cash/ATM transactions...usually the daily limit for POS will be higher than the cash limit. With credit cards you have a line of credit up to X-amount with a partial or full payment due monthly. Then you have credit/debit cards that come pre-loaded up to a set amount...based on how much money you loaded against the accounts.

[THAIPHUKET]

the solution: it is a charge card, the daily limit was 30.000, I had to call call center to authorize a higher daily limit.

What I find irritating, that there is no visible difference between Charge a Credit Card, both show the same logos

[Pib]

I'm assuming when you say Charge card you mean a debit/check card. From looking at my U.S. debit/check cards they all say debit or check card on them and my U.S. credit cards don't say credit card..and both kinds have the Visa/Mastercard/American Express logo.

Now when I look at my Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card I was expecting to see debit on it somewhere, but sure enough the it did not say debit (or check) card. Can't say about SCB since I don't have an account with them.

[Crossy]

Now when I look at my Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card I was expecting to see debit on it somewhere, but sure enough the it did not say debit (or check) card. Can't say about SCB since I don't have an account with them.

My Be1st Smart (the one with the chip) DOES say 'Debit Card' next to the Visa logo on the front.

[THAIPHUKET]

Unfortunately your are right. I got myself tricked. Both, SCB and BKK Bank are debit cards, no use to buy my airline ticket.

Makes me mad, because using my German Visa card means, they charge THB in Eur plus fees.

I understand, as a farang on retirement visa I am not eligible for a Thai credit card, is that still so?

[Pib]

Now when I look at my Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card I was expecting to see debit on it somewhere, but sure enough the it did not say debit (or check) card. Can't say about SCB since I don't have an account with them.

My Be1st Smart (the one with the chip) DOES say 'Debit Card' next to the Visa logo on the front.

Yea, mine is just the standard Be1st card (no chip; magnetic strip only)....I just looked again on the front and back of the card and there is no mention of the word debit or check card. A person just has to know it's a debit card. I see on the Bangkok Bank web site they show a picture of the Be1st Smart card and you can see the Debit Card words.

[Pib]

Unfortunately your are right. I got myself tricked. Both, SCB and BKK Bank are debit cards, no use to buy my airline ticket.

Makes me mad, because using my German Visa card means, they charge THB in Eur plus fees.

I understand, as a farang on retirement visa I am not eligible for a Thai credit card, is that still so?

Generally Thai banks require a farang to have work permit to get an unsecured credit card, but I've seen posts on ThaiVisa where some have apparently got an unsecured card. I expect those folks are the exception or they really had a secured card and just didn't want to admit it. But for those who did get a unsecured Thai credit card without a work permit I expect they are the exception, got lucky, new someone at the bank, etc.

Now, most anyone can get a "secured" Thai credit card, but you have to deposit X-amount of funds with the bank issuing the card to get X-amount line of credit. Effectively you are using your own money to provide the credit line...and you can't get the money back until you pay off the credit card balance, cancel the card, and generally wait around another 30 days in case any late credit card transaction shows up.

Here's the BBangkokBank WebLink showing the requirements for an "unsecured" credit card.

Now you can still use a debit card to purchase a ticket...but you gotta have adequate funds in your bank account to immediately cover the transaction or it rejects.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Pib

[THAIPHUKET]

Pib, thanks, perhaps I miss something, don't find an unsecured credit card under the lnk, perhaps a different term of their many fantasy name credt cards? otherwise, nothing goes without work permit/income.

What I don't understand, I do maintain more than sufficent funds at both banks in current accounts. As soon as I do the online purchase the Bank within milisec can debit my balance. So, what's the deal??

Might be willing to block a share but that requires more consideration because than it may no longer pay to have a THB card, if I give up the freedom of disposal over my cash.

[Pib]

Pib, thanks, perhaps I miss something, don't find an unsecured credit card under the lnk, perhaps a different term of their many fantasy name credt cards? otherwise, nothing goes without work permit/income.

What I don't understand, I do maintain more than sufficent funds at both banks in current accounts. As soon as I do the online purchase the Bank within milisec can debit my balance. So, what's the deal??

Might be willing to block a share but that requires more consideration because than it may no longer pay to have a THB card, if I give up the freedom of disposal over my cash.

The link is talking about a "standard" credit card with a certain credit line which I was referring to as an "unsecured" credit card. But a secured card would be one where you have to have a deposit amount which acts like collateral.

If you have sufficient funds in your account to cover a certain charge against you debit card I expect there is an upper limit set for any point of sale transaction (i.e., like buying a ticket, a case of beer, etc) and another limit set for ATM withdrawals. You need to call the bank, see what that limit is, and raise it if necessary. Banks have debit card upper limits set to help prevent fraud like some one stealing your debit card, you losing your card, or the card information getting skimmed where they can make an identical card...and then crooks use your debit card to empty your account through purchases and/or ATM withdrawals. As far as I know banks worldwide have certain debit card limits to help protect the customer and the bank. And in Thailand if your account gets fraudulently robbed so to speak via your debit card unless "you" can prove beyond a shadow a doubt it was not your fault then you have just lost your money...the bank will not reimburse you. Same goes for a Thai credit card if fraudulent charges get rung-up--you are on the hook to pay.

And please note that Thailand basically does not have any effective/enforced consumer protection laws...in the banking arena the banks set their own consumer protection policies and their polices seem to be written to protect the bank versus the customer. Guard your Thai debit card or credit card like it's a brick of gold. In Thailand you don't have the consumer/customer protections like you have in Europe/U.S. This is why I use my no foreign transaction fee U.S. debit and credit cards since I will be covered under U.S. Consumer Protection Laws; I do use my Bangkok Bank debit card for some ATM withdrawals, but otherwise I have stopped using it for point of sale transactions. Yeap, guard your Thai debit and credit cards like they were gold bars.

Edited January 29, 2012 by Pib

[THAIPHUKET]

The protection issue is more important than some fees, really grateful for this hint. Will reduce my SCB debit card limit tomorrow.