Is anyone doing cash advances on H&R Block Prepaid Credit Cards?

There is a similar discussion about the Tax refund Stored Value cards in General Discussion, just not sure how to link to here.

http://www.bankersonline.com/forum/ubbth...ge=1#Post664823

Here it is...

Here is something though....Since they do not have the customers name on them, how can we be forced to do a cash advance on them, regarless of the card issuer?

How do I know that the guy in front of me actually owns that card?

This is my question about it...

I worked at a bank for several years that sold Visa Gift Cards (like you mentioned, with no name even on the cards), and they didn't have the functionality to even have cash advances attempted. It was spelled out in the agreement we gave them when the purchaser bought the card. Cash advances simply weren't part of that type of product's functionality.

Maybe the H&R Block's cards are the same way and people aren't reading their agreements??

From H & R's Web Site:

I want to get cash from my card. How do I do that?

Many merchants, like Wal-Mart® will allow you to get cash back at the point of sale free of charge. You can also get cash 24-hours a day at more than 1 million ATMs worldwide displaying the MasterCard®, Cirrus®, or Maestro® brand marks. The fee is just $1.50 per transaction when using ATMs in the U.S. and $2.50 per transaction when traveling abroad. With a personalized Emerald Card, and a fee of $15, you can go to any bank and request a withdrawal of funds from your card.

Thanks to H&R Block....for helping the unbanked remain that much more leary and ignorant of banks and the help we can offer.

"Here is a great convienent card that you can use at stores to shop and use up your refund on stuff you may not need, instead of taking that money to a bank/cu to establish an actual rewarding and free/cheap banking experience. Look at how great we are to you, and look at that bank who you need in order to actually get your refund in cash form...and look how they fee you!! Just go to Walmart, and they will help you get cash back from your PURCHASE for FREE!"

Big Grrrrrrr!!!!

Ok, vented, all better now

Notice it says with a PERSONALIZED Emerald Card. The customer has the option of turning their card in for a personalized card. This would allow us to verify cardholder name and signature, as required for a cash advance. To me, this reads we only have to do a cash advance if they present a personalized card. I'm also trying to find our MC/Visa agreement to learn if our bank accepts DEBIT Mastercards or not and what rules apply to those. Not having much luck so far.

Yes, check back on the link above to my follow-up reply.

A cash advance is an issue-enabled program. As a card issuer, you don't have to allow cash advances at all. This particular program does not allow manual cash advances on un-personalized cards. As an acquirer, you can think of it like a Visa Gift Card. You don't give manual cash advances on those cards either - not because you don't want to (though you probably don't) but because it's not allowed under the Visa Gift Card program.

Under a Sales Alert issued yesterday (Jan 24) by MasterCard, it looks like we HAVE to allow cash advances of both personalized and non-personalized cards.
The only exception is a card with a notation "no cash access".

And in a further update from MC

If a card is NOT embossed and the magnetic stripe cannot be read we are within our rights to decline accepting the transaction.

The only acceptable evidence that the card was present is the Banknet authorization record documenting the magnetic stripe was read, or an imprint of the card on the TID.