AusPost shop's POS terminal Design-Fault costing ING Direct users -loss- of 5% Wave & Save bonus!

If your -total- purchase amount goes -above- the "Wave & Save" max of $99, what to do?

At OfficeWorks' & -most- other vendors' Wave & Pay points-of-sale (POS) terminals, you'd just pay by using your ING Direct [Visa debit] "Pay & Save" card -multiple- times (most times to make a $99 debit partial payment each, & [possibly] a last debit - under $99 - to pay the rest)

For example: OfficeWorks price-matched BingLee (earlier on, not now):

So, an ASUS VivoTab Smart could cost $362.xx at OW (at the time)

How to get 5% instant cash back from ING Direct on the entire $362.xx?

At OW, you'd just ask that your "Wave & Save" capable ING Direct Visa debit card be used 3 times to debit $ 99 each time (paying $ 297 of the $ 362.xx) -and- once more to debit $ 65.xx (paying the unpaid amount).

Of course, OW's POS terminals - like most others - are designed to -enable- staff to do as you've asked, just as thry would if someone needed to pay for a purchase using -several- [nearly-max'd-out] credit &/or debit cards.

Since each debit was $ 99 or less, ING Direct would pay you 5% of the -total- spent at OW… about $ 18

By contrast, AusPost's shops currently -refuse- to enable you to make Wave & Pay payments whenever the purchase amount is -above- $ 99, & this design-fault is -enforced- by AusPost's POS terminals.

Their Wave & Pay device gets -disabled- in such cases.

Now, let's wind back the scenario tape… and suppose AusPost was to be paid $ 362.xx for some goods or services:

If you're lucky, you can buy all those things in several -smaller- batches, ie, if enough items have prices below $ 99.

But you'll -lose- 5% from ING Direct of each & every item whose price is over $ 99, & for a school or business those losses can add-up quickly.

The -loss- of ING Direct's 5% refund occurs - at AusPost - whenever you buy an item costing -over- $ 99. (Eg, a $129 7" Pendo Pad, or a lot of their other computer products), but such losses can add, eg, for schools & lower paid individuals… & anyone else in a similar situation.

If it happens to you:

Let 'em know - in a polite, but slightly elevated voice that lets others in the shop hear - that you're not happy about losing the 5%, that your bank wants to pay you. :-/

Maybe complain to AusPost & request an eMail reply explaining why AusPost should accept an unduly -restrictive- POS - unlike most others' - that can (and, in fact, has) cost its cutomers 5% in lost refunds, at a time when money is hard enough to hold onto, in these uncertain times.

I trust you'd -know- what to say or write, when the time comes. ;-)

Since ING Direct are still encouraging people to sign-up for

  • "Instant 5% cash back on your everyday purchases"

it's not toolate for AusPost's IT people - if they're quick - to fix the fault, & enable folks to start saving 5% even at AusPost shops.

Poll Options

  • 4
    AusPost needs to fix this design fault - urgently :-/
  • 39
    I can afford to lose $5 out of every $100 I spend ;-)

Related Stores

Australia Post
Australia Post

Comments

  • +5

    The majority of retailers don't have Paywave, so if I have a purchase over $100 from Aus Post then I treat them like a non-Paywave business and just use my other rewards card. The promotion is only active until June 30 so not sure it's worth it. Australia Post has a lot more things it needs to fix before their dodgy EFTPOS terminals. E.G. Reviews of my local post office :)

    • +1

      do you think they could find my parcel in that homeless shelter they call a Post Office? She was literally kicking down the small city of crap they've built there behind the counter. Eventually they found it, all screwed up and damaged. Just last week she screamed at my missus for getting too many parcels.

      "Stop keeping us in employment!" Lol…

    • +2

      They changed the promo to "new Orange Everyday customers 5% cash back on contactless purchases under $100 for 6 months from account opening".

      So far us early birds it does end on june 30 while the others not.

      • +1

  • +12

    I would assume the $100 limit is a security feature to stop someone making a large transaction without a PIN if they obtain your card.
    It seems to me that by circumventing this security measure the shop keepers may be committing or abetting in some kind of offense.
    At a minimum they are reducing the security built into the system.

  • +19

    Whats -with- all the unnecessary -hyphens- —- — - — O.o——

    • +9

      Every time I try read a post by IVI I just give up and add another "-" to his/her collection in the form of a neg lol.

      Not -quite- sure why -one-
      must - type like -this-.

      • +2

        And every damn sentence needs a new line…

      • -5

        So, how else to show…

        -emphasis- ? ;-)

        • +4

          italics bolding ?

          The hyphens -just- makes it harder -to- read, sort of -the- opposite of emphasising -to- me.

        • +6

          You -don't- need to -emphasise- every second -word- buddy.

          95% of -your- -emphasized- words -don't- even -require- it.

          You -also- don't -need- a new paragraph -every- sentence.

          -Learn- to -type- please.

  • +7

    You lost me about halfway through. Easy solution. Don't buy at Aust Post.

  • +5

    Haha… cool story bro.

    I wonder how that will go, telling Australia Post that their POS doesn't allow multiple part payments so you can't utilise a temporary 5% discount.

  • +6

    Arguably, Officeworks (and the others that allow the practice) is the irresponsible party here..
    They're authorising a blatant violation of Paywave's $99 limit which is designed to protect card owners and issuers from being heavily exposed if a card is lost/stolen.

    • +1

      requiring a signature is not going to make any difference to the store or card owner's exposure to fraud.

      and even if they didn't permit split payments, i could just buy several gift cards separately and use them to purchase my big dollar item.

    • -3

      We'd need to read the rules of the Pay Wave game to know for sure.

  • +1

    Not sure why you couldn't do multiple payments at Auspost?
    I recently paid for my $240 electricity bill in 3 separate payments using ING paywave with no problem at all. Just had to give a friendly smile to the staff and asked if he could please split my payment. I am in Melbourne BTW, might be different in other cities.

    • i always thought you could do partial payments for a bill, but i have never tried.

      i didn't even realise they had paywave until recently. could be handy for rates/electricity etc, even if you get hit with a cc small surcharge.

      it's all rather academic for many people, as the offer is going to expire in july. arrrrgggh!

      masters has no paywave which really annoys me. if i'm going there to buy something i stop off at a woolworths on the way and stock up on gift cards.

      • Yes, can def. do split payment, just have to ask nicely because sometimes the staffs there could be very lazy and unhelpful.
        The guy at post office told me they've only recently installed paywave facility, maybe couple of months ago. I didn't have to pay surcharge when paying my red energy bill :)

    • -1

      Xorporate or agency Aus Post shop…?

  • Also did 3 separate payments for my Australian passport renewal recently at a different post office using ING paywave.

    • -1

      Sorry, my prev comment was a reply to you, lucicul.

      • Hi IVI, sorry I am not too sure how to tell whether it's a franchise or not. I am in Melbourne and used paywave at these 2 post offices:

        1. Collins street west
        2. Flinders Lane

        My colleague also had no problem using paywave at aus post Forest Hill to pay for his electricity bill

  • +4

    Really? You had time to write this rant… the whole point of the pay wave is to save time for people paying cash or entering a pin/sign (anyone working in the CBD buying lunch will know this) or the hassle of carrying heaps of change.

    What we do with the multiple transactions under $100 bucks is essentially an exploit and we should be grateful it exists and not expect it to be mandatory with all providers so we can get 5% off life.

  • I have also managed to split paywave payments at my local Aus Post. I paid for a 10 pack of prepaid satchels in two lots, one $99 and the other the remaining cost. Perhaps it just comes down to the operator.

    I must say that I always seem to get a different answer every time I go to a different Aus Post. Things that one Aus Post lets you do, no worries, you get told off for trying at another. Drives me mad!

    • -1

      ibid (corp. or agency?)

    • I also split my payments with paywave for my $260 electricity bill on the Gold Coast - no problem

  • +2

    Don't know why - you need to be an dill and - raise your voice - so people can hear - you being an dill - making a scene - out of nothing - wow… - !

    Hate to have you - as a customer - !

    Do you also - make a scene - when a shop doesn't have - a pay wave EftPOS - machine??

    Clearly - they are denying you a - discount as well !

    However - I got annoyed at myself - I didn't have enough money in my ing acc last week and - missed out on about $10 worth of - savings…oh - well - !

    • -2

      ING Dir helps you out in similar situation, ie, if you can't cover a direct debit (eg, periodic phone bill)… in the latter case, they'd pay your bill & ask you to balance your account (fee-free for 1sr 3 days, then you may be charged a % interest rate, like a small Line of Credit).

  • +4

    i don't think complaining in a raised voice will get you anywhere. if i was waiting behind you i'd just think you are a prick and be annoyed you are taking so long :)

  • +4

    I love the bargains here, and appreciate you guys love them even more, but this post is shameless in its greed and sense of entitlement.

  • +4

    Sometimes when I read these posts and threads, I wonder if we're part of some social or marketing experiment. This post and the shoe store dude buying online post.

  • I had the same problem with kmart, wanted to purchases 2 wii u, units, and needed to seperate the transaction 8-9 times, after the 4th time I tapped, there system froze, manager came and I was told that they are not meant to do this for security purposes, I didn't mind that, showed them ID, that's all that was needed, but NO, they still wouldn't allow it. Until she realised that it already went half way and did the rest, just was a hassle to refund.
    howing a simple I license or ID should be good enough, don't know why make it so complicated, pretty darn stupid in my opinion.

    I do seperate transactions at, coles, Myers, woolworths, Officeworks, JBHIFI, HN, etc, no issues, with auspost, haven't purchased from them, hopefully don't have to I. The future, but might have to as a ebay seller for postage costs, hopfully nothing above $100 occurs.

    • Just was a hassle to refund lol

    • +1

      if it is a hassle just buy some gift cards immediately prior to the purchase and then purchase using gift cards.

  • +2

    Why does the subject heading assert it to be a "design fault"?

    There can be numerous valid reasons why it was decided to implement that process restriction.

    Get over it.

    • And surely the "design fault" is with ING for restricting the rebate to $99?

      Queues in post offices are long and tedious enough without people having a windbag discussion with counter staff about splitting up payments or buying giftcards instead and then using those to purchase the items.

  • -4

    Auspost shop's Piece of Sh(t is that what you meant?

  • used to sit next to the project team that is working on the deployment of the POS system. They skimped on hiring and used internal people and gave them a title. The place has 0 capability to develop people to deliver these kinda of projects and on going support. sucks for the customers… and the customer facing staff (most of them are really nice)

  • so I assume this affects all post office

    • Yes, whingers coming in and slowing up sales by trying to split the payments. You can find them anywhere.

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