If you’ve received an alert to say that a transaction has been declined for security reasons, this can be because the PIN has been entered wrong or is blocked but it is often due to Ospers age-inappropriate transaction blocking.
Before completing a transaction, we check how the retailer classifies themselves to see if it is appropriate for Ospers market of 6 - 18 year olds. If the retailer classifies themselves as a certain kind of business, Osper will decline the transaction and text the parent or guardian instantly letting them know it has been declined.
What kind of transactions do you block?
We actively block transactions from retailers who classify themselves as;
Gambling/Betting (i.e. casinos, betting shops, betting websites)
Alcohol Establishment (i.e. pubs, nightclubs)
Dating/Escort Services (i.e. dating websites)
Inbound Teleservices
Automated Fuel Dispensers. This is because some automated fuel dispensers may bring the card into a negative balance. It is still possible to pay for petrol inside the petrol station, just not using the automated machines
Off-Licences
Tobacconists
Pornography
Genuine transaction being blocked
Because we rely on retailers classifying themselves correctly, it’s possible that an age-appropriate transaction is being blocked mistakenly.
An example could be if a young person is attempting to purchase a coffee from a cafe but the cafe has classified themselves as somewhere that sells alcohol, this will cause the Osper card to be declined.
Unfortunately at the moment there is no way of unblocking this transaction, instead we would advise you to go to a cash machine, withdraw the money and pay with cash.