Of cards and stores...

So before we left, we changed our account type with NAB from a basic type, to a Gold - basically, we pay 10$ a month, and get no atm fees or anything like that, and it's linked to the visa plus network, so it's all good to go, no problems, etc etc. At this point, I should mention, it was NOT a visa debit. We don't have a visa debit.
Combine this above, with our afore-mentioned VISA problem. So here we are, in London, with no credit card, and a Plus debit card.

So first time we were at the store, we tried to use the debit card, thinkin "well, this is how we always do it, it's a global network, should be fine"
nuh uh, no way, not no how. Our debit card does not work at stores, or anywhere except ATMs. this is no major deal, except we're used to living off cards, one way or another.


WE had to go into a bank here yesterday anyways, to create accounts, so we figured we'd ask about thiss... turns out every single card here, has a chip on it, similar to our visa card. So we now have a UK bank card, (but no PINs) with a chip on it. And they are going to issue us a visa debit card.
We spoke to NAB, they are also going to issue us a visa debit card, since it seems our current debit card is, more or less, fucking useless.