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Credit Cards no longer accepted as online, nor automatic, payment. NOW FIXED.

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GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Credit Cards no longer accepted as online, nor automatic, payment. NOW FIXED.

Like last month, I go to make a manual online payment, like I have for the last twelve years, and over three years with the card I have, and again, it wouldn't go through.

 

 

So, again, I call to make the payment over the phone.  While waiting and listening to lovely, if not "driving someone to pull their hair out" elevator music, I decided to just go on automatic billing to save the five dollars per month and put an end to having to call up to make a payment.  Oops. NO CAN DO.  As it turns out, and this is more information than they had last month when I called, if you are using a prepaid Credit Card, like many of us who are on Social Security have, it can no longer be used to make online manual payments, nor can it be used for automatic payments. 

 

So, I guess those of us who receive our Social Security/Disability this way can no longer pay our Hughesnet bill online with a manual transaction, nor pay it automatically.  How peachy.  So much for saving $5 per month. 

 

Still, the customer service rep I spoke to took notes and is going to bring this up with her supervisor, as I guess this is starting to become an issue for other people, as well.  And, let's be honest here, it IS an issue.  Should I be penalized because my Credit Card is loaded with REAL money and not credit?  I say Credit Card only because it can be used as such (credit or debit).  Technically, it's not credit, but you know what I mean.  It's more or less a plastic checking account that I can't put money into, myself.

 

A payment is a payment is a payment.  It shouldn't matter.  It's absolutely no different than paying from one's checking account.  Plus, this particular card is ONLY used by Social Security, and it's the ONLY one they use, so everyone who receives Social Security or SSDI that doesn't have a checking account has this card, and no one who doesn't have SS or SSDI has it.  There is no other option for SS or SSDI.  A checking/savings account or this card.  That's it.  No more live checks (save for the first month or two after someone enrolls).  I have absolutely zero need for a checking account, which is why I closed it and went with this a few years ago.  It was never a problem, again, until last month.    

 

So, hopefully I will be able to resume my manual online payments in the future, or even save $5 per month if I can use it for automatic payments.  And that one irks me a bit.  I finally decide to bite the bullet, trust Hughesnet with my funds, and go on automatic billing, and I can't because I use a certain type of card.  No $5 savings for me.  I receive nearly thirty dollars per month off of my DirecTV bill through discounts I have gotten for being with them for so long, and have received some type of discount from them for more than half of the twelve years I have been with them.  I signed up with Hughesnet and DirecTV on the same day in late 2004.  I'm not asking for any "loyalty" discount with Hughesnet. I just wanted to get the $5 for finally trusting them enough to go on automatic billing.  Ugh.  Yeah, it takes a while for me to build trust when it comes to my money.  Such is life.    

       

Oh, and by the way, for the second month in a row, when I entered my phone number, I received the message, "Sorry, but it looks like multiple accounts may be assigned to this phone number."  This part would be completely comical, if it weren't a little unnerving.  Get off of my phone number, Deepa!  LOL. 

 

To add, I don't mind so much having to call every month to make a payment.  It's not like it's hard and I don't have ten or fifteen minutes once a month to listen to lovely elevator music.  It's just the principle of the whole thing.    

 

To add further, I don't know if prepaid CCs were EVER accepted for automatic payments.  I suspect, though, that they were, and that this changed when being able to use them for online manual payments changed.  I have no way of knowing for sure, though. 

 

Edit (7/1/2018):  I just went back through and separated the paragraphs. I don't know what happened, but for some reason the separations were deleted and it they got mashed together.  So, to make it easier for folks to read, I edited the separations back in.  

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Another success.  I'm going to assume that this is completely fixed, so I'll "Solution" this thread.  

View solution in original post

37 REPLIES 37
C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

At least you aren't Barb...

As for the change, I agree!  Many jobs around here will pay ONLY with a work issued pay card, which results in stupid fees to transfer money from that to a bank account...  I assume these cards might also be blocked from use.  Rather annoying not to accept such payments.

No, I don't have that situation as it's another family member with a credit card making payments, but if I was making the payments, I would be increasingly upset over the hassle of having to re-open a bank account just to pay one bill with a debit card.
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Agreed.  And I find it ridiculous that they can accept it as a form of payment when you call, but not online.  Is their input of my payment not electronic?  LOL. 
Reggie
Teaching Assistant

Gabe do they accept a debit card?
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

If it's a regular bank card, as in connected to a checking or savings account, then I believe so.  Don't take my word for it, though.  The option to pay with debit is there, so it's probably available for automatic, too.  With that, it's really no different than paying with the checking account itself, which I know they accept. 

 

Regarding prepaid cards, though, I didn't ask the rep if I could set it up for automatic payment using it that way, though I think if that would have been an option she would have suggested it.  She seemed to have more knowledge about the situation than the person I spoke with last month, who suggested it was some screw up regarding the credit card system.  It was at least a relief to finally find out what the actual problem was.   

 

Edit (7/1/2018):  Same reason as listed in original post.

Reggie
Teaching Assistant

Thanks..
maratsade
Distinguished Professor IV

I ran into that same problem with Netflix. I had it set up to debit a pre-paid cash card, but one day I got an email saying the card was not accepted.  Now they require a credit card.  I dislike that very much.  I'd rather pay with real money but I also don't want to give them access to a bank account, so the prepaid card seemed ideal until they nixed that system. I wonder what the issue is with these cards.
Amanda
Moderator

Hello everyone,

I know this was brought up last year as a permanent implementation, it was only lightly enforced before. Prepaid cards are no longer accepted as they are easy to use as a way to avoid automatic or overdue payments, avoid termination or unreturned equipment fees, etc.. you see where this is going, I hope.

It is not meant to penalize our loyal customers or customers who may receive SS or other benefits on a prepaid card. It is meant to avoid  driving up costs for everyone else. In any case, it would be beneficial to everyone if we had a conversation with upper management about the impact this has for customers who need to use cards which are not Green Dots or Visa pre-paids from the store - perhaps a way to differentiate between them. We will bring this up and see where it goes.

Thank you,
Amanda
GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Woo Hoo!  My payment went through this time without having to use the old site.  

 

Used the "View/Pay Bill Without Logging In" option and it worked.  

 

Now, if everything goes well for a while, I will attempt to use this card to set up automatic payments.  Whether that will now work is an entirely different story, but I will give it a try in a few months.  

 

The Gen5 install went great.  Gen5 is going great.  I was able to make my first payment through the "new" site.  Hopefully this track record keeps going!  

 

Ricky
Tutor

So are Green Dot or Visa pre-paid cards still accepted?
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Might be wrong but I think she is saying those are the ones they're eliminating and will see if they can still allow the government loaded cards.
Ricky
Tutor

Oh!
BirdDog
Assistant Professor

Being old also, my wife and I get free checking at our local small regional bank. Is nice to be able to write a check every so often where we live as believe it or not some folks here still want cash or a check, no way to process a card. I don't like carrying lots of cash and being able to write a check does come in handy.

I do totally understand where you're coming from Gabe and hope there is a way they can at least accept cards that are loaded every month from SS, SSI or other government agencies.

Well, well! That is cause for celebration. Where is the Jupiter 2 popcorn popping modem?

~Amanda

Gwalk900
Honorary Alumnus


@Amanda wrote:
 Where is the Jupiter 2 popcorn popping modem?

 

~Amanda


Alan has it 🙂

 

C0RR0SIVE
Associate Professor

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

It worked again!  Second month in a row.  I think it's safe to say that it's "fixed" and will work from now on.  A small victory!  🙂 

GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Ding Ding Ding!!!  Success.... for the third month in a row!  🙂 🙂 🙂

 

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GabeU
Distinguished Professor IV

Another success.  I'm going to assume that this is completely fixed, so I'll "Solution" this thread.  

Still can't use for auto pay.

Reggie
Teaching Assistant

My bank offers free banking to anyone on SSI or SSDI. I'm on SSDI & use a bank debit card for most of my bills. If your bank offers free banking it might be something worth checking out.