My debit card keeps telling me to llamar al banco

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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731
113
Just recently I tried using my UK debit card in stores where it has worked countless times before.

Now every time I try to use it the card machine displays "Llamar al Banco". I've called my bank and they tell me that there is nothing wrong with my account or my card. They told me that I might have to do a verification transaction where the merchant calls a number and verifies that it is me using the card by producing identification. Then they issue an auth code which then completes the transaction.

None of the stores where I have been to know how to do this. I can withdraw cash from the ATM, so it's not the magnetic strip or communication with the banks.

Does anyone have experience with this?
 

Tiger18

New member
Mar 28, 2009
5
2
0
Try a different Bank... Some machines do this... I found BHD or Popular to work most times but Ban Reservas seems to have the most problems...

It seems that the problem is: the machine can't communicate internationally (Just like anything else in the DR)

Cheers
 
Feb 7, 2007
8,005
625
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Are you by chance trying to use a debit MASTERCARD through a verifone terminal connected to VISANET? It WILL DECLINE the transaction, because VISANET no loner is allowed to process Mastercard.

Make sure the terminal says CARDNET.

Also, your bank's authorization department HAS TO SEE whether the transaction gets all the way to them or is being declined before it reaches the authorization center of your bank. Meaning if they do not see the transaction, it's not getting to them. If they see the transaction, it's them who is declining it, and they CAN force the card to go through and FORCE set up to accept the transactions from the DR.