I cannot begin to list how much time and money it has cost me over the past year for the immortal sin of not possessing a credit card and expecting my black, Premium Barclays visa debit card to be all i should need for a transaction with any company of any kind anywhere in the world - which has mostly been true.

I even paid for a cheesy (and best forgotton) picture with a “long neck woman of long neck tribe” on the borders of Burma 10 years ago as a backpacker - with my debit card – so to say the visa debit is not a universally accepted card would be untrue

Thats's apart from Swiss. The airline. The one to whom the concept of Visa Debit is completely alien.

From having to regularly pay in excess of 100CHF more over the phone than the advertised web price (they reserve it then you pay at the airport .. with the SAME debit card they cant process on the web) to being made to turn up 2 hours before the flight to pay for and pick up the ticket when it would otherwise be 30mins...

I never understood why the concept of debit cards in general was never understood in a country known for its advancement in Finance but at least it seemed to work in shops and everywhere - as long as you didn’t draw attention to it. But Swiss Air – no – and I sure have moaned about it over the past year – and guess what – it now works and I have just booked a return flight 5 minutes ago!

One really shouldn't be this happy for such a fundamental facility to exist but hey, they have finally done the right thing and one is strangely grateful!

Now Cablecom et al .. I don’t really have the time to go and pay my bill over the counter at a post office in this day and age because you don’t understand debit cards….Your turn!

cablecom et al understand perfectly "lastschriftverfahren". not one click or step needed.

Hmm. Why don't you just get a free Coop or Migros credit card and be done with it? Welcome to 2010 ...

Someone steals your debit (ATM) card & finds out your PIN -> account empty -> no recourse

Some steals your credit card -> full refund (yeah, some conditions apply)

misconception and utterly untrue!

When I was last with Cablecom, they would not accept this card on the phone and I did have to go to the post office to pay.. (where incidentally after queuing up for 10 mins I was told I could only pay with cash - so there's another debit card -unfriendly institution.). I actually logged in to post a positive thread

Tippy: It might (is) sometimes (always) be cheaper to book the exact same flights usign Lufthansa's German website and pay in Euros.

Actually my Barclays Premium debit provides me more services, protection and peace of mind than my Platinum Credit card could ever provide when I had one – without the added debt and interest.
I don’t want to go into private reason about my choice but I have been more than happy with it apart from flight booking with Swiss. And I actually prefer in principle (no matter how little) to get paid for money I have than me pay interest on money I don’t need to borrow (credit card) given my debit card is a fully fledged VISA card (that’s the bit that counts) and rewards me more than a credit card could ever do. We digress from why isn’t a universally accepted card not so in ch in 2010 J

Mike - I fully understand your motivation - but since I never carry a balance on any of my credit cards I also use it like a debit card and pick up various benefits along the way.

Thanks for the professional and detailed analysis. I tend to disagree based on the little bit of time I worked in that industry.

You are at fault if you disclosed your pin, or caused your pin to be discovered.
Most T&C's say you must not write your pin down. Therefore it is committed to memory. If you were observed entering your PIN, without your knowledge you are not at fault. If you used a fake ATM, you are not at fault, as long as due care and attention is applied, you are not at fault. If you are not at fault, the bank must make good on all your losses.

Proving either way is very hard, and your bank will always argue negligence on your part. It's a hard fight, but one a good law firm will always win in your favour.

At fault cases involve divulging your PIN, writing it down etc...

May or may not be relevant in this case, but as well as LSV (which I try and avoid as I don't like the lack of control), Cablecom also use the e-billing system, (notification and payment through online banking). I find it very convenient. One way or another I've haven't had to pay a bill at the post office in over five years.

you stated a general statment and got one back... and now you say you worked in the industry... all I can say is my debit card was used without my knowledge -> bank refunded money in due course...
So I guess that makes my argument based on personal experience? if that counts for anything

Hey thanks, I just checked this - but not sure this theory works for Zurich->Manchester. On the German website of Lufthansa, the Zurich -> Manchester flight is indirect (via Munich) as opposed to direct on Swiss, takes 4:45 as opposed to 1:40 on Swiss and costs twice as much.... where's the good part?
Guessing its a London thing..as your name suggests rather than a Manchester thing - as mine does! - thanks

Zurich Manchester is a poor example because Easyjet flies this route. Thus the Swiss International flights are very cheap.
Try Zurich Birmingham.

I have used my Lloyds visa debit card to pay for swiss flights for the last 3 yrs ?

I use my visa debit to pay for swiss flights online all the time. print out boarding pass at home. easy peasy.

This is very strange because it's something I have tried with both my Barclays and Halifax debit cards over time and has always been confirmed by Swiss when subsequently resorting to phone reservation that it is a known limitation that they only accept credit cards. That was until the morning of this original post when I made a similar call and was told they believed there was an announcement that Swiss now accepted debit cards and was asked to try the website... and lo and behold, it worked. Last time I attempted the debit card and failed was only 6 weeks ago. (Error has always been something like "the type of card entered is not supported please ring customer services or try another card") Surely it hasn't been just me that's had this problem for the past 18 months?.

When you say "debit card" are you talking about a Visa Debit or a Maestro?

I'm hoping that sometime in the next decade or two I'll be able to view my Credit Suisse issued not all that Cooperative not so much Supercard Mastercard online in the way that I could cards issued by banks of banana republics 13 years ago. Until then one has to call non-free number and speak to a human being after listening to hold music. Not so Swiss-efficient!

All along I have been talking about U.K-issued Visa Debit cards.
Cheers