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Hi All,

I plan to pay for my BC application (£906) by Lloyds VISA debit card. I am worried that the bank may block the payment for security. I was thinking to call the bank to allow payment but I do not know the exact date that the Home Office will take the money from my account.

Did anyone pay with debit card (especially issued by Lloyds bank) and had problem with payment?

Thank you in advance.

You don't need to know the exact date for payment to be taken.

Just inform your bank that you are intending to make a transaction of £906 via your debit card and the recipient will be the Home Office. As long are the bank is aware, there shouldn't be any problems.

Or if you are that worried, then opt to pay by cheque or another form of payment.

Previously when I was applying, I tried to call the bank to inform them about the up-coming transaction. The call centre stuff told me it is not possible to pre-approve the transaction, there was no any sort of note they can put in the system and I will have to call them once the transaction is rejected, so they lift the blocking, and then the payee can try again...

Luckily, my transaction went through ok.

why do they block it in first place ?

It's about about blocking it. Banks will have a fraud prevention measure in place and a large transaction can trigger this, especially if you are not normally use to making large transaction on a regular basis.

Say you're normal transactions is around the few hundred pounds mark and you are trying to pay for a ILR with PEO appointment with dependents, that a few grand in one go and the security measure will pick this up.

Some banks may be happy to take note of the per-transaction, while other do not have a system in place to do so or will not do so.

This is why on the application form, the Home Office state to contact your bank/credit card issuer prior to making payment, so that payment is not rejected.

Thank you all for your help.

I called the bank and they told me that it is not possible to remove the block in advance (as Ken218 mentioned). However, they think the payment should be processed without any problem.

Thank you again.