Solo is a debit card in the United Kingdom introduced as a sister to the existing Switch debit card. Launched on 1 July 1997 by the Switch Card Scheme, it was designed for use on deposit accounts, as well as by customers who did not qualify for a Switch card (or, later, Maestro card) on current accounts.
Solo was formerly issued as a multifunction cash card by NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland to customers over the age of 11 and by HSBC Bank (formerly Midland Bank) to customers over the age of 13; however, the RBS Group and HSBC both now issue Visa Debit cards in place of Solo.
Like its main rival, Visa Electron, Solo cards required all transactions receive electronic authorisation from the issuing bank. Such authorisation would not be given if there were insufficient cleared funds in the cardholder's account.
Solo cards were linked to the Switch processing system (now re-branded as Maestro); however, some merchants differentiated between Solo and Switch through their numbering scheme to prevent under 18s from purchasing online. Due to their availability to minors, they could be used as a simple age-vetting mechanism; for example, when online grocers Ocado accepted Solo, they refused to sell razor blades or alcoholic beverages to those paying with the card )
Solo cards were also issued to people with a bad credit history to reduce the liability for the issuing bank.
The Solo card scheme was decommissioned permanently on 31 March 2011.
Famous quotes containing the word solo:
“All mothers need instruction, nurturing, and an understanding mentor after the birth of a baby, but in this age of fast foods, fast tracks, and fast lanes, it doesn’t always happen. While we live in a society that provides recognition for just about every life event—from baptisms to bar mitzvahs, from wedding vows to funeral rites—the entry into parenting seems to be a solo flight, with nothing and no one to mark formally the new mom’s entry into motherhood.”
—Sally Placksin (20th century)