Stop Replacing Merchant Name with CRV* Prefix and Pass On the Original Information like Google Pay

#1

Why don’t you use stop using CRV* prefix in all transaction information and pass on the original information to underlying bank of which the card is being used?

Why don’t you replicate what Google Pay, PayPal (with their debit cards) and Apple Pay do? They pass on the original information to the underlying card. So whenever I use Revolut with Google Pay, it shows me correct merchant name like Burger King or McDonalds, or “Tesco Express”.

But if I use Curve card and say, Revolut card as underlying card, the Merchant name on banking statement or app is changed to: “CRV*Tesco Stores 351x Sac”. And in this case, Revolut fails to figure out which merchant is it and hence which category the transaction goes in; be it Groceries or Shopping etc.

This is the only reason I don’t use Curve card. Despite I love the idea of having Curve card and carry it around. But failing to pass on original Merchant information and replacing it with your “CRV*” format make the statements messy, hard to read, and hard to manage budgets.

I use Revolut or similar apps only because it allows me easily track categories I spent money in: Movies, Shopping, Groceries etc. automatically. Otherwise what’s the point of using it? It would be same as crappy traditional banking apps which has poorest form of statement record, very similar to starting with Crv*Etc.

#2

I do like that Curve puts CRV* prefix. Helps keeping track of purchases made with Curve. Yes, it does break Revolut categories. Not that important to me.

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#3

That’s Revolut’s problem, not Curve’s. I use Yolt and both they and Lloyds are able to correctly categorise the transactions.

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#4

Monese is also able to categorise transactions with Curve.
The only problem is that monese identifies the name of the transaction as Curve and only when I open the transaction I am able to see the full details with full name of the merchant.
The upside is that it enables me to easily find which transactions were made with Curve.
So, for me, it would be a nice plus but not that important.

1 Like
#5

Yes, I like the fact it does this.
Passing on fill info may lead to some credit card companies charging more (or cash advances)

1 Like
#6

For me, Revolut hides the CRV* prefix and categorizes Curve transactions properly.

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#7

Yes, for some reason Revolut hides CRV* prefix 99% of time. Recently I saw only 1 transaction with CRV*, but that also changed later without it.

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#8

Surely the Curve app does that?

#9

Wrong as this is based on MCC not merchant name,

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#10

True. Is there in fact any good reason for the prefix?

#11

I have to agree with keeping the CRV prefix statement - Reconciling back to my underlying card statements is much easier as I can ignore the prefix as I review curve as they happen

3 Likes
#12

Does anyone know how this impacts on loyalty/rewards programmes?

For instance, my HSBC Rewards credit card gives me extra points when spending at specific retailers. But I’m unable to determine if I’m getting those additional points due to the transaction info being modified by Curve.

#13

the only problem with curve is not that it adds CRV* prefix to the merchant name. it changes the merchant info completely. Unlike google pay which behaves exactly like as if the purchase was made with bank’s physical card.
see the screenshot below to see what i mean. if i make a transaction either using google pay or banks physical card, the merchant info is shown in the app (Revolut or other apps) under same Merchant name (and it is recognized, along with its logo and even its address location is correct). But if I make transaction using Curve, it modifies the Merchant info, and it is not recognized as known merchant (“Boojum”) and is shown as generic restaurant and even address location is incorrectly shown as London, GB - which is known problem: Stop reporting Curve Transactions on funding card statements as being generated in “London”

I would really hope to see, if amazing Curve team can do exactly what Google Pay or Apple Pay are doing. making it behave exactly like as if I made my purchase with bank’s original physical card.

Screenshot_20191204-185836
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#14

i’m afraid you may not get your rewards as Curve modifies the merchant info (see previous reply), and your bank may not recognize the transaction as one of those specific retailer.

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#15

I make use of this too. As I see all Curve transactions “in real time”, via notifications, I can skip those on my real card statements and just scrutinise the rest.

I don’t think they’d be able to avoid it anyway. It’s the same situation as PayPal, and is completely different to Google Pay (and Apple Pay) where the transaction is still between your card issuer and the merchant.

3 Likes
#16

This has to be an issue with the originl card holder/bank, I bank with Barclays and see all my curve transactions as CRV and then the merchants name on my bank statements , When used with my credit cards the cards dont show CRV but do show the merchant the transaction was made with

#17

This is the correct answer. Google Pay and Apply Pay basically clone your card, while Curve acts as a middle man and recharges the transaction to the selected card as if they were the merchant.

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#18

This is not true and based on speculation. First off, you can’t clone an EMV chip card. Only magnetic part can be cloned which is why it’s no longer used/preferred. And secondly, the Google Pay also sets up a virtual card number for each bank card and this is used when you transact at a merchant using Google Pay. The payment is still processed by Google much as Curve does. They both act as middle man and the bank’s card number is not even shared with the merchant at all for security, only virtual card number which is different for each added card. The app tells you this when you add the card to it. You can check it at the bottom when you tap a card.

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#19

The transaction is not between card issuer and merchant directly. The Google Pay sets up virtual card number for each bank’s card for security. This virtual number is shared with merchant not the bank’s original card. That means payment is processed much as Curve does.

If Google does it, that means it is possible. I’ll really like to see a setting that can pass on original merchant information to bank’s card. If turned off it will behave like it does now. But atleast there should be an option

1 Like
#20

It is, though. Google, and Apple, Pay are Token Service Providers (see EMV Payment tokenisation). They are an official part of the transaction, and your card issuer still receives all the data of the real transaction. Whilst Tokenization can (but does not usually, despite commonly held beliefs) involve a new token per transaction (to prevent de facto transaction profiling), your card issuer still completes the transaction via the merchant’s acquirer.

But Curve Involves two transactions: Curve acts as the Merchant to your real card, and the card to your Merchant. They are not an official part of the end to end transaction and they aren’t allowed to send just any old data: hence why the CRV* Prefix, and why PayPal have PP*)

It’s also why in the UK your purchases don’t qualify for protection under the Consumer Credit Act when you spend over £100 using Curve. With a Tokenization system they do.

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