Get the goods when you shop with Visa Debit

Visa Debit is accepted at millions of merchants worldwide and can be used for purchases made in store (excluding Virtual Visa Debit), online, over the phone and by mail. When shopping outside of Canada look for the Visa acceptance mark. Acceptance experience may vary from one country to another, and will typically require either a PIN or signature to process transactions at point of sale.

Phone and mail-order transactions are processed the same way as other card-not-present Visa transactions. The account holder provides necessary account information such as the card number, expiry date, and the 3-digit security code (CVV2).

In Canada

Yes, where Visa Debit is issued on a bank card that also supports Interac^TM transactions, Visa Debit works at Canadian ABMs but the transaction will be processed by Interac^TM. Like with other debit cards, you simply insert the card into the ABM, enter your PIN, and select the desired function (withdraw cash, make deposits, transfer funds, check account balances). Transactions processed through Interac are not protected by Visa's Layers of Security.

Outside Canada

Visa Debit (excluding Virtual Visa Debit) can be used to withdraw funds directly from your bank account at more than 2.2 million ABMs around the world where Visa is accepted. Just look for the Visa acceptance mark. 

Yes, the same PIN is used for both point-of-sale purchases and ABM transactions.

When making a Visa Debit payment, funds are debited from your primary chequing account. This is the same account that you access by selecting "Chequing" when you make a debit purchase with your bank card.

Visa Debit can be used to make hotel reservations and other types of advance payments made prior to using a good or service. The amount authorized at the time of the reservation is deducted immediately from the account holder's account. A hotel room, for example, is paid for at the time of booking, regardless of how far in advance the room is reserved. A hotel may estimate the deduction based on:

• the account holder's intended length of stay at check-in time
• the room rate
• applicable taxes

At the end of the stay, when the final cost is calculated, the hotel may adjust the total, with funds either paid by or refunded to the account holder. If a reservation is cancelled, refunds are credited back to the account in accordance with the individual merchant's return/cancellation policy.

Merchants have a variety of mechanisms available to execute refunds for unwanted merchandise, and refunds are at the discretion of the merchant. Typically refunds are not instant and can take several days to be credited to the account holder's bank account. There are also a variety of ways to offer consumers value in exchange, instead of refunds, depending on business needs, such as gift cards, store credits, etc. If a consumer decides to visit a physical location and return/exchange an item purchased online, there are limitations on electronic refunds for debit purchases. Merchants should consult their company's return/exchange policy. The way refunds work may vary depending on the merchant's return/exchange policy.

Yes. Shortly before your card expires, your financial institution will provide a replacement card with a new expiry date (in accordance to their individual business practices). The expiry date is used to process purchases online, over the phone, and for mail orders.

No. In the U.S., selecting the "Credit" option simply indicates a signature-based debit transaction. The purchase amount is still deducted from the account holder's bank account the same way it would be for other Visa Debit purchases.

Yes. Where Visa Debit is issued on a bank card that also supports Interac^TM transactions, it can be used to get cash back from merchants who offer this service within Canada. The cash back will be an Interac^TM Direct Payment transaction.

Many merchants in the US still use magnetic stripe technology "not chip & PIN terminals" to process Visa transactions. Transactions at these merchants may require a signature. In locations where PIN pads are available, account holders may be asked to swipe their card and enter their PIN. Increasingly, cardholders may find Chip terminals and may be asked to PIN the transaction or sign.

Some merchants offer Visa's "No Signature Required" service, which helps speed up checkout by allowing Visa Debit account holders to make purchases of up to $25 US (including taxes) without having to sign or enter a PIN.

Card-not-present purchases using Visa Debit are also completed without a signature or PIN.

The Visa Zero Liability* policy provides Visa Debit account holders with protection against fraud for purchases made online, over the phone, by mail or internationally. Under the Visa Zero Liability policy, cardholders pay $0 for purchases made through unauthorized account use. Account holders should report unauthorized transactions to their account issuer immediately. Within two business days, the issuer is obligated to provide provisional credit and replace the amount under dispute, in most circumstances. Account holders should be aware that transactions in question must be posted to an account before provisional credit is issued. For details, account holders should consult their issuers.

*Visa account holders must establish that the transaction is not their responsibility as per all applicable agreements of the issuing financial institution. Individual provisional credit amounts may be withheld, delayed, limited, or rescinded by an issuer based on factors such as gross negligence or fraud, delay in reporting unauthorized use, investigation and verification of claim, and account standing and history.

There are a number of relatively simple ways to help prevent fraud:

• Sign the card (other than the Virtual Visa Debit reference card)   
• Protect the PIN and don't reveal it to anyone, not even the card issuer
• Protect the 3-digit code on the back of the card. The code should only be provided to merchants to authorize transactions when the account holder has initiated the sale.
• Report lost or stolen cards to the card issuer immediately.
• Review monthly statements and report any potentially fraudulent charges to the card issuer immediately.