I had set up a Skype account for an old couple who are non tech so they could call relatives overseas who had no internet. Skype ended and so because she had Viber on her tablet I applied for Viber Out on her Samsung device but couldn’t make a payment from her credit card because it required payment via a wallet on the device and that was through Google which I couldn’t get it to accept. (I now know why).

Told her we would try via the Apple phone so they brought that over to my place and I downloaded Viber on the phone and proceeded to add her card to the phone wallet. It didn’t accept and showed it required authentication and to call ANZ.

I call ANZ and explain the situation and that I am trying to help an elderly person who has no tech knowledge and broken English. They wanted to authenticate her so handed her the phone, they asked for her card number, and what she had last spent on the card…that happened to be credit I had just added to her phone and was correct. They asked how much she had in her account she answered that.

Then I took the phone back and he told me he would not authenticate the card because she does not have internet banking. I asked him how they expected her to have this if she had no tech ability and English was her second language. He insisted again he would not authenticate the card for the wallet unless she had internet banking.

Am at an impasse and frustrated with the banks attitude in such cases and there must be many. The wallet with a passcode is safer than her having the physical card.

Was thinking to set them up with a Wise card online and add that to her phone for such payments but that will be a mission requiring photos etc. Any suggestions welcome.