# National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day one.



## hansov (5 Oct 2009)

This may be useful for others to know.

About two months ago I signed up with the National Lottery in order to be able to play the Lottery without having to rush out to the local shop at 7.30PM on a Wednesday evening. I opted to top-up my Lottery wallet using my Tesco Visa Card. Everything was going fine but I didn't win anything. However the shock came when my next Visa bill arrived and I noticed that despite my having paid my balance on time - there was interest charged. After some delving I discovered that Tesco Visa (and perhaps other cards) has the following in its T&C:

*"Advance* - a transaction where you get cash, foreign currency or travellers' cheques or carry out a gambling transaction by using the card."

My top-ups to my Lottery wallet accrued interest from day-one!!

The National Lottery does not allow topping-up by Laser so I'm afraid its back to rushing out to the shop at 7.30PM on Wednesdays.


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## frash (5 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

Thankfully not an issue with my BOI credit card


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## oysterman (5 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

Do bear in mind that banks are now negatively credit-scoring people with gaming transactions on their credit cards...


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## hansov (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

I will be using what is left in the Lotto wallet and closing the account as I am not prepared to pay interest on what essentially is a purchase albeit to a Lottery company.
 Tee hee bet Tesco will still want my business tho'!


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## Crunchie (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*



frash said:


> Thankfully not an issue with my BOI credit card



Nor AIB Visa.


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## brendanyumo (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

I signed up to play the Lottery Online only to find the Monday million game can't be played online.Only in Ireland!


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## 180girl (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

Thanks for info - had the form filled out and was going to send it all off to register this week - won't be doing that now! Good excuse to stay clean


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## Crunchie (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*



brendanyumo said:


> I signed up to play the Lottery Online only to find the Monday million game can't be played online.Only in Ireland!



Nor the Euromillions Plus draw (though you can play Euromillions)


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## spreadsheet (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*



oysterman said:


> Do bear in mind that banks are now negatively credit-scoring people with gaming transactions on their credit cards...


 

Is there anything in writing about this?


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## JoeB (6 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

I think this is bad.. same thing happened to me. Transferring 50 Euro to an online poker site.

I've rang Tesco and yes, a transfer to a gaming site is considered a cash advance. I asked how this works?, how does Tesco determine that a transaction is to a gaming site rather than a normal site. Keep in mind you can buy dinner as normal in a casino, and so all purchases in a casino aren't cash advances, just some of them.


So it turns out that the casino or site  has to report on whether or not its a cash transaction.. so there is an incentive for the gambling sites to lie to the credit card companies.

Even in Tesco shops it's possible to buy lotto tickets, buy one on the card and it's a cash advance (reported as such by the store).. buy one WITH your weekly shop and the whole transaction is a normal product purchase. (unless the card is swiped twice)

So when buying 100 lotto tickets for 200 say, always buy a chocolate bar and the whole order may go through as a product purchase, instead of a cash advance... (acamedic interest only,would never happen in real life)

On the banks negatively scoring gambling transactions.. I have heard of it alright with big gamblers refused mortgages... however in Tescos case there is no way the Bank of Ireland could find out?.. I don't think so as Tesco  CC claim that the only info that's released is info on payments, late payments etc to the ICB, no info on individual transactions... so it seems the only bank that can negatively score you due to gambling is the same bank as issued the card..

So gamblers would be advised to never get a credit card from the same ban they intend to get loans or mortgages from...

Cheers so
Joe


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## Conshine (8 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*



Crunchie said:


> Nor AIB Visa.


I take it visa debit cards are ok though?


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## hansov (9 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

An update on this:

I just received a "letter of Variation" from Tesco making some changes to the agreement on the Tesco CC. All changes effective October 31, 2009. 

Advance now reads:
"means a transaction where you get cash, foreign currency or travellers cheques by using the card"

No mention of gambling there! Let's see.............


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## hansov (9 Oct 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*



JoeBallantin said:


> I think this is bad.. same thing happened to me. Transferring 50 Euro to an online poker site..... I've rang Tesco and yes, a transfer to a gaming site is considered a cash advance.


 
Joe: I am 'fighting' this having paid interest on a 'cash advance' of €20 to the IRISH National Lottery. Mere cents but a principle at stake!

I have been doing a bit of digging into this as I got the same answer from Tesco Finance (TF). When I went online for T&C, those T&Cs specfied the reference to gambling which I highlighted above. Those T&Cs were for the UK and it appears that is the document that the guy on the HelpLine was reading from.

HOWEVER, I have now discovered that the Irish T&Cs do not have any reference to gambling; and in fact the glossary of terms is quite different to the glossary for UK-held cards.  I am now waiting for a copy of my original T&C which TF promised in 7-10 working days. I reckon I will scour through my filing cabinet this weekend to find my originals.

Have a look for your own T&Cs and we may be able to compare on Monday.
hansov


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## hansov (3 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing*

Updating this as it may be of interest to Tesco Visa card holders.

Tesco Visa card has repaid me all the interest charged on my payments to the National Lottery (which was merely cents). Apparently their sysytem interprets transactions to the (Irish) National Lottery as Cash advances. The Irish T&As are different to the UK T&As where this is a legitimate intrepretation. If you have been charged interest on your Tesco Visa card (for National Lottery transactions) you should look for a refund.


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## Gervan (3 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day on*

Well done for your persistence and attention to detail.


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## JoeB (3 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day on*

Hi Hansov

Well, I have the same problem with Tesco.. I have the terms and conditions from Oct2009... no mention of gambling on it... so I rang Tesco and asked where the clause was.. they said they'd check and send the terms to me by post with the clause high lighted.. that was over two weeks ago..


So I rang them yesterday... they said they sent it on the 17th Nov, but it may have got lost in the postal strike..


Originally when it didn't arrive I assumed gambling wasn't mentioned in the terms, but then when they said it had been sent, and they're sending it again I'm not so sure.. however now with what you say it's all up in the air...


I will ask Tesco if they intend to refund everybody who is affected.. that's my standard question.. they will get upset.. but really they should be refunding everybody.. not just those who complain. 

Cheers


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## hansov (3 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day on*

Joe:

When first I called them they insisted that gambling was in the T&Cs. Then they said they would send me the T&Cs which they did. Those T&Cs - the same ones that they will send you - will have no reference to gambling/lotteries. So there is nowhere to highlight - unless they send you the T&Cs for UK cards!

I am sure that the powers that be (Financial Ombudsman or whatever agency controls banking in this country) would be interested  in this hidden interest charge.


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## JoeB (10 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day on*

Hi Hansov

No luck yet receiving my terms and conditions. I've just been back on to them.. they will send them to me again, by post, for a third time, this time by both normal post and registered post. The Manager has also agreed to ring me back and read out the appropriate clause over the phone tomorrow.

They are very unhelpful on the phone to me to be honest... as evidenced by the fact that it was around the 16th of November I first raised this issue with them, and they haven't helped or clarified anything so far.

I have the T & Cs in my hand.. all of their people so far, including Managers, claim that they don't have a copy of their own Terms and Conditions, and they have so far refused to get a copy. So the continually deny what I say, but they refuse to demonstrate that what they say is true... when I quote from my T & C's (supporting my view) they just clam up and repeat a mantra, 'I must write in', or 'we will look into it (for the 3rd time)' etc etc..

Very frustrating to be honest... one needs to be very persistent to get anywhere.


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## hansov (10 Dec 2009)

*Re: National Lottery - Online playing: Tesco Visa Card , interest accrues from day on*

I think you have to play the ace card (pardon the pun with gambling!) and get the Ombudsman man involved or at least when you next call them mention that you will be copying any future correspondence with Tesco Visa Card to the Ombudsman. You are on very solid ground BTW - the Irish T&Cs do not specify lotteries/gambling sites as cash advances.  Good luck!


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## munsterman25 (19 Apr 2010)

So when they term a cash advance occurs when you get foreign currency.....does this apply if you buy something ina  foreign currency or just if you withdraw at an atm abroad.?


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## Conshine (3 Jun 2010)

Does anybody know if the Ulster Bank Credit Card charges when you top up your online lotto account? Their Visa Debit card is not allowed to be used!


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