Interesting banking industry practice uncovered.

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › Interesting banking industry practice uncovered.

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richms

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#3474336 27-Mar-2026 10:52

Will be interesting to see if it is any less hassle than using paypal for it. As it stands I will always use paypal if its an option for the ease of cancellation and fall thru to other cards if one is not available. To me this is 20+ years too late.

Richard rich.ms

MikeAqua

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#3474381 27-Mar-2026 13:33

I use a debit card attached to an account I don't have much money in for subscriptions and purchasing from overseas vendors of unknown trustability. If I want to end a subscription and the vendor isn't complying or want to prolong the process (e.g. Netflix), I change the payment authority to the debit account and make sure there is no money in the account. Problem solved.

Mike

mudguard

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#3474405 27-Mar-2026 13:51

MikeAqua:

I use a debit card attached to an account I don't have much money in for subscriptions and purchasing from overseas vendors of unknown trustability. If I want to end a subscription and the vendor isn't complying or want to prolong the process (e.g. Netflix), I change the payment authority to the debit account and make sure there is no money in the account. Problem solved.

It might be tested if you're not careful. You have to see what happens when your account's at zero and they try pull a payment. Depending on your general account conduct (say money in other accounts) they might allow the payment, put you in temporary unauthorised overdraft and then sting you a fee for the privilege.

MikeAqua

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#3474424 27-Mar-2026 14:20

mudguard:

It might be tested if you're not careful. You have to see what happens when your account's at zero and they try pull a payment. Depending on your general account conduct (say money in other accounts) they might allow the payment, put you in temporary unauthorised overdraft and then sting you a fee for the privilege.

Seems to work OK. There is no overdraft facility in place. That particular debit card is with a bank I have no other accounts with. When internet shopping, I'll move money in, then immediately make a purchase.

Mike

rugrat

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#3474449 27-Mar-2026 15:46

I use debit card too, for overseas transactions. I have it locked most times and only unlock when using, do not know if having it locked will stop recurring subscriptions as haven’t tested. And if get stuck without being able to cancel a recurring subscription, now know to not replace card. A debit card doesn’t have hassles like credit card to get a new one. If they don’t get payment for a subscription they just stop providing the service, and as pay in advance of service no debt incurred.

I’ve also had a debit card overdrawn by about $15, so zero balance may not be protection. Though I made deposit, but bank used USA date for transaction, so on statement deposit was made day after showing negative balance for day and small interest charge. Complained to bank, they didn’t care, as only small charge didn’t take it further.

If get card replaced because of it being lost or fraud find it concerning there is currently no easy way of canceling VAU’s, as someone could have set up an account where you don’t have details to cancel.

A few years ago, my parents were trying to cancel a subscription service and the subscription service wanted the transaction reference of original purchase. My parents hadn’t kept the receipt given at sign up so had no idea of number and they wouldn’t cancel without it.

The new service where you can manage subscriptions in banking application can’t come soon enough, hopefully not years away. I may look at getting Revolt card until it comes.

So all these years where I was updating my new credit card expiry dates for likes Youtube premium I didn’t need to…

MadEngineer

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#3477618 3-Apr-2026 12:48

Here's an odd one, in similar vein - just found that my Afterpay was successfully still using my old and long replaced credit card number. The bank transactions show the new credit card number

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OldGeek

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#3477628 3-Apr-2026 13:14

MadEngineer:

Here's an odd one, in similar vein - just found that my Afterpay was successfully still using my old and long replaced credit card number. The bank transactions show the new credit card number

That is exactly how the Visa Account Update (VAU) works. 'Trusted' payment providers (the one used by Afterpay in this instance) are advised when a new card is issued to you to replace an old one. That payment platform can then substitute your new card number for the old one, allowing the transaction to be honoured with the new card number.

As you will see earlier in this thread, I took issue with the fact that the VAU operated without disclosure to the user. My bank simply said that is how we operate and cited questionable clauses in the cardholders agreement that allows it (without ever naming the VAU). The Banking Ombudsman declined to intervene. I have chosen not to explore Privacy Commission options.

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