# Online shopping with AIB Laser card



## berry87 (28 Dec 2010)

I've got a Maestro laser card with an AIB student account and as far as I can gather you can't buy things online with it, is there any way to sort this out? Is it a matter of getting a different type of card or switching from student account to a big boy account?

Or is it better, security wise, to buy things on online with credit card?


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## Paddyman (28 Dec 2010)

Get yourself a 3V card from 3V.ie. It costs nothing for the card - a small charge for your Visa Voucher and is ideal for shopping online. It is safe and cannot be cloned. Read up on it. 
It is a prepaid Visa voucher and means you will not stack up big bills.  The cards are brought to you via Permanent-TSB and Visa.


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## berry87 (30 Dec 2010)

Thanks Paddy, i might sign up for one of those.

I asked in AIB today and seemingly a lot of retailers refuse to take AIB laser cards as payment... no idea why, some do but most don't as far as I can see.


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## pudds (30 Dec 2010)

*3v*

I started off with these yokes...but after a while it became a bit of a pain.  

Two of the banks (Ulster Bank & Permanent TSB) have gone over to the Visa Debit card which is a godsend by comparison.

I would try to open a fee free a/c with one of them in order to get the card and you can use it *anywhere* you see the Visa sign.


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## Time (31 Dec 2010)

Laser like AIB is now dying a slow painful death.

All the big players are using Visa Debit which is a good thing. Only the dinosaurs are stuck in the past with their antiquated cards.


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## pudds (31 Dec 2010)

Time said:


> Laser like AIB is now dying a slow painful death.
> 
> All the big players are using Visa Debit which is a good thing. *Only the dinosaurs are stuck in the past with their antiquated cards.*




ooh I like that and too true, so much for Irelands smart economy!


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## Drebbin (4 Jan 2011)

*[FONT=&quot]Laser Cards offer everything that Visa Debit Cards do. 

The Maestro function on Laser cards allows cardholders to use the card at ATMs and in shops abroad. Where there might be a difference is where some Irish banks don’t always allow cross-border shopping on the internet for all cardholders. 
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The function is there on Laser, it is just up to each card issuer to allow their cardholders to use it or not, depending on the potential fraud risks. [/FONT]*


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## Time (4 Jan 2011)

> *[FONT=&quot]Laser Cards offer everything that Visa Debit Cards do. [/FONT]*


Not true. Simply not true. Not many websites accept Maestro. 

Laser is a dead brand and the sooner the better it is buried the better.


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## Willy Fogg (4 Jan 2011)

Indeed, not true at all. Laser cannot be used in many retailers abroad for POS purchases, where Visa Debit is much, much, much more widely accepted. It's nothing to do with the banks "allowing" people to shop online or not - it's simply a non-standard card format that most online stores won't bother adapting payment systems for and/or have credit card processors who will process Laser transactions


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