WTF?: The Backwards-Ass AIB Card Reader
Here in Ireland and throughout most of Europe, contactless credit cards are the norm. Chip technology is so 2007. My Leap card, which is what we use here for all public transit payments, is contactless. I can even put the card against my smartphone and use the Leap card app to top up my account in less than 10 seconds. It’s pretty amazeballs.
So imagine my surprise when I tried to send our landlord our first rent payment a couple of days before it was due. I had all her bank account details and was ready to initiate the transfer online. And then I got this message:
WTF is an “AIB Card Reader”? Why do I need it to transfer money? And what, I have to wait 3–4 business days to receive it?! (I ended up having to go to the bank to make the rent payment on time.)
Behold this gadget straight from the ’90s that looks like it belongs in a 3rd grader’s pencil case (do kids even use pencil cases these days?):
C’mon, AIB. It’s 2017. There are plenty of other, much more convenient ways to have your customers make secure online payments that doesn’t involve utilizing an archaic device like this. And if you force customers to use this card reader, then automatically give it to everyone when they open an account. It’s not really helpful when you’re trying to make a time-sensitive payment online and you discover you need this critical device that will take half a week to reach you.
Also, I better not lose or break this thing. It apparently costs €5.50 for a replacement. *eye roll*
4 Comments
Justina
Oh. I Came to Ireland like 04.07.2020 and is still same system. I really understand your pain. I am still in shock becouse this Solutions like from The Time before internet. I just ordered this stupid masxhine. And I really afraid if I dont need like old style PC and afraid it would be not compaltibly with my smartfon od even laptop.
Brendan
Ummmm its to prevent Fraudulent use of your account for transfers.
Archaic? when i lived in the US i could only pay my bills by fuckin check. Great system! let me just keep all that money in my account til my landlord decides to lodge it shall we?
stak
Not sure when you lived in the States, but I’ve been able to pay all of my bills online for years (without the use of a card reader or similar device) and never once had an issue with fraud. Thanks for your comment!
Jake
Just tried to make a paylink Euro payment to a Dutch account. Told me I required a card reader. Currently trying to figure out how much I am willing to demean myself in order to complete this transaction. Had a terrible experience with BOI so I’m slowly running out of banks. The best bit is that I’m a UCD student. One of the things that attracted me to AIB was their on-campus branch (so I would always have access to it). I wonder if they expect students to use card readers too LMAO