Solo (debit card)
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Solo is a debit card in the United Kingdom. It is a sister to the Maestro debit card. Solo was launched on the 1st of July 1997 by the Switch Card Scheme[1] for use on deposit accounts, as well as by customers who do not qualify for a Maestro (formerly Switch) card on current accounts.
Solo was formerly issued as a multifunction cash card by NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland to customers over the age of 11 and by HSBC Bank (formerly Midland Bank) to customers over the age of 13: however, the RBS Group[2] and HSBC both now issue Visa Debit cards in place of Solo.
Like its main rival, Visa Debit, Solo cards require all transactions receive electronic authorisation from the issuing bank. Such authorisation will not be given if there are insufficient cleared funds in the cardholder's account. Upon successful authorization, the funds are either immediately transferred or placed on hold for later transfer.
Acceptance is not as widespread as Maestro, but has increased substantially in recent years[citation needed]. Solo cards may also function as Maestro cards for use abroad[3].
Solo cards are linked to the Switch processing system (now re-branded as Maestro); however, some merchants differentiate between Solo and Switch through their numbering scheme to prevent under 18s from purchasing online. Due to their availability to minors, they can be used as a simple age-vetting mechanism; for example, when online grocers Ocado accepted Solo, they refused to sell razor blades or alcoholic beverages to those paying with the card (the service no longer accepts Solo[4]).
Solo cards are also issued to people with a bad credit history to reduce the liability for the issuing bank[citation needed].
Some companies that do not accept Solo cards include Mini IQ, Odeon[5] and Cineworld[6].
Many train operating companies in the UK, such as Virgin Trains[7], do not accept Solo due to their use of the Avantix Mobile railway ticket system[8] which does not accept Solo or Visa Electron cards. Some operating companies have recently started to accept Solo, including National Express East Coast[9] , although in some cases this may be only online and not at ticket offices and vice-versa.
[edit] References
- ^ "It's time to go Solo", About Solo.
- ^ "RBS Switches To Visa for Its Debit Cards", The Wall Street Journal, September 17, 2008.
- ^ "Can Solo be used abroad?", Solo FAQs.
- ^ "What payment methods do you accept?", Ocado help.
- ^ "What payment methods do you accept?", Odeon Cinemas FAQ.
- ^ "What methods of payment do you accept?", Cineworld Cinemas FAQ
- ^ "What Debit/Credit cards can be used?", Virgin Trains Customer Help.
- ^ "Virgin Trains Selects the Schlumberger AVANTIX* Mobile Ticketing Solution For West Coast And Cross Country Lines", Schlumberger press release, London, September 9, 2003.
- ^ "Which debit/credit cards can be used to purchase tickets at National Express Trains?", National Express East Coast: Help.
[edit] External links
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