Can I use Debit Cards for Recurring Subs?

[midi sordino]

My PT and Sibelius subs are set to auto renewal on my AVID account.

This month I got an email saying they couldn't process the payment for one of my upcoming subscriptions (Sib Ultimate). I checked the payment method and it's the same VISA debit card I've been using with them for many years (expiry date is valid, sufficient funds in the account and the card is in regular use).

When I queried this with Avid Customer Care I got a reply which said:

"Please be aware that we only accept Debit Card for one time purchase only. This is no longer applicable for subscription as this will be a recurring charge."

Accepted Payment Method Here: https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...des&popup=true

When you look at the accepted payment methods, there is no mention of not being able to use debit cards for recurring subscriptions. I queried again and was told that they would look into options. But in a follow up email they reverted to their original position: "Kindly be aware that we cannot accept Debit card for subscriptions or support plan renewal as this is a recurring charge."

Can someone tell me wtf is going on? When did this become a thing?

Thanks,
M

[midi sordino]

Just to clarify, this payment issue is now also occurring for the subscription (sotware update and support plan) of my Pro Tools Studio perpetual licence. All of a sudden the payment method (VISA debit) is not accepted.

Anyone??

[Mark Hampson]

Experiencing this myself, I dont have any other options to pay subscriptions but my debit/mastercard. Ive contacted Avid through facebook messenger with no reply back as of yet (Theyre usually pretty good helping on that)
Im on day 6 of not being able to renew, end of grace period is imminent!

[midi sordino]

Sorry to hear that Mark. But also good to hear someone else is experiencing this. I think you get 14 days from the renewal date in which to continue the subscription if it lapses. But that aside, wtf is going on? I've been using a business debit card for years to pay AVID (I don't have a business credit card) and now they're turning my business away? Afaik there isn't even any mention of this on the AVID website. This is seriously making me consider dropping both Sibelius and Pro Tools subs as Logic Pro is my main DAW anyway.

Can any mods please advise or comment on this situation?

Tks,

M

[midi sordino]

Avid customer care got back to me again saying "We no longer accept debit card as a form of payment". They are saying either use a credit card or an authorised re-seller. Can anyone else confirm this to be the case?

Thanks,

M

[midi sordino]

I switched to using my debit card via paypal and it worked, but Avid really need to be clearer about this. It was a real hassle with very poor communication from customer care.

[midi sordino]

In an unexpected twist Avid wrote to me and apologised, offering a 20% discount on my subscription. I believe they may have temporarily reverted to allowing the use of debit cards for subscriptions.

[albee1952]

FWIW, I always recommend you purchase from a dealer instead of directly from Avid. You pay the same price, but get better support(not a slam on Avid, but they just are not setup that way). In the USA, there are many(like Sweetwater, Dale Pro Audio, Alto Music, GSharp music, etc). In Europe, Thomann would be a good choice.

[midi sordino]

Thanks for the comment. I understand what you’re saying (I actually use Thomann pretty regularly for other gear purchases) but it irritates me when Avid can’t provide what they say they can provide on their website. Been subscribing for years without any issues until this happened. Fair play they owned it, changed their position, and gave me a discount. I hope they can learn to keep things simple for their customers going forward.

[marianna]

Originally Posted by midi sordino

Thanks for the comment. I understand what you’re saying (I actually use Thomann pretty regularly for other gear purchases) but it irritates me when Avid can’t provide what they say they can provide on their website. Been subscribing for years without any issues until this happened. Fair play they owned it, changed their position, and gave me a discount. I hope they can learn to keep things simple for their customers going forward.

midi

Apologies for the delayed response......

Moving forward, all subscription-based licenses will only accept payments from credit cards, Google Pay, and PayPal (if a credit card is linked to the PayPal account).

Only one-time purchases such as Avid Support Code, Service Transfer Fee, plug-ins, add-ons, and e-books can only accept Debit cards via avid.com.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause as we continue to improve and implement changes to our website and product offerings.

Marianna