That bank cards should fit our names on per our preference

[RainbowTash]

Just set up bank accounts for the children. They have a double-barrelled surname (but no hyphen).
The cards have just arrived, but the bank has chosen to format the names on the cards as first name, initial of first part of surname, last part of surname.
I can’t stand the surname being chopped up like this; it’s not their name. I’ve asked for new cards with First name initial, then full surname, but bank computer says no.

The names aren’t crazy long, but fitting first name plus both parts of the surname exceeds the allocation of letters the bank allows on the card. I know people with longer surnames than we have.

e.g. name is Amy Smith Jones
Bank card reads Amy S Jones
We want them to read A Smith Jones

AIBU that I think the bank should print the cards with the names on correctly?

YABU - it doesn’t matter
YANBU - yes, banks should be more flexible/accommodating.

In general, a name such as Jane-Marie Sybil Scorcese-Scott should appear as follows on a credit card

Jane-Marie S Scorcese-Scott.

Sounds like they’ve got the first part of your name as a “middle” name.

when I divorced from a double barrelled surname it was an utter nightmare to sort, banks are good with user incompetence crossed with really old crappy systems.

*As for why it’s a problem.

1. it’s plain incorrect, and why should they have their incorrect name on any of their ID
2. their father and I aren’t together. He has their cards for their use when they are with him. Mine are for when my children are with me. The youngest is too young to carry a card around with her all the time.
3. the dropped name is my half of their surname. Their father's surname is the only one being represented. This pisses me off! Plus, equality.
4. it really feels wrong. Like part of their identity is erased.
5. I like things to be done properly.*

These are all emotional reasons, not practical ones. A child who is too young to carry a card doesn't need one as ID.

Banks don't do emotion.

It is ridiculous that they can't just change it as requested though. Are they saying that the problem is that the card must show the full first name, not initial, and having all three parts of the name in full exceeds the character limit?

It must be that, otherwise your offer to have first initial only would be fine.

What about if the surname were very long, what would they do then?

Eg Josephine Balasubramanian

I've just opened by kids' accounts with Nationwide, we had to approve the name layout before we opened the account.

Well, that is indeed why I came to ask if IABU. Currently at 60% saying I am. So not overwhelming. I don't feel I am an entitled best, I really just feel this is not their correct name, surely this affects lots of people, not just us, so why aren't banks more flexible. Other people have commented that they asked for changes and they were granted. I don't really understand how it's a big deal.

100 percent this. My kids have double barreled last names and i wouldn't give 2 shits if this happened. Neither would they.

It can cause problems so better to sort out. I've had cheques that I wasn't able to deposit as they had one of my surnames on, not both. I've had direct debits and onlnie payments not go through because the name hasn't matched.

With regards to hyphens, in general they will simplify things like this but not air travel. Ticket systems won't accept symbols so I frequently have to enter JustcannotJones as my surname, which is then queried and rejected by automatic passport scanners such as in self-check in stations.

So in reply to a precious poster, yes, double barrelled names are a pain, but it's my name, I love it, and the systems should change, not my identity.

Exactly
There are bigger fish to fry than pretentious naming on bank cards
Get a grip

You could end up with something like this...

I definitely did not. They have middle names (lol, yes, two!) and I was not asked for these.

They are not identifications documents. YABU.

They don't seem to be able to say why the first name must be in full, or why they can't be flexible. And exactly re a long surname where it's not the result of two parts. I don't know!

Mine says

Mrs X X XXXXXXX

So Mrs, first name initial, middle name initial, surname

Maybe they misread it or there was a computer error and thought the double barrel surname was a middle
Name and surname?

Just ask them if it can be printed how you'd prefer

I totally agree; these are our names, systems should be able to work with longer names, hyphens, no hyphens, apostrophes, etc.

And yes the potential problems with things not matching.

I have asked. Customer Support can't action anything.

Maybe not, but it's still their identities, and they are misrepresented.

Ok.

Do you get a card with Nationwide? It's a building society, yes?

I remember having a problem of this sort with a bank card more than 30 years ago. "Surnames can't have spaces in" - well, mine does, and it is only one name. Without the space, it is wrong, and is not my name. It infuriates me on genealogy sites as well - there have been several variations on the name over the centuries, some putting an apostrophe in the middle of the first bit and running them together, occasionally dropping the first bit - but never running it all together with no punctuation, that is no-one's name, but what genealogy records seem to end up doing.

Basically, it is essential that computer systems allow spaces, apostrophes and hyphens in surnames, as they exist in surnames in English!

Hope you can get it sorted.

Chase bank let you pick from few options...

Farm Girl
F Girl
Farm G

That might give you what you need.

Many people who are dismissing this an issue but when I changed my name to double barrell I had a similar issue. I had to leave the bank and complain to fos. The bank was also reporting my name incorrectly to the credit reference agencies which caused many issues.

It was staggering amount of hassle which I could not resolve by "talking to the bank" because not one person seemed interested in actually solving the problem.

So Yanbu and I think it may be a case of change banks because I haven't had any problems with my new one.

Thank you. And yes, exactly. My mother's maiden name generations back used to be a d' name, then a de name, e.g.
d'Bussey then de Bussey (might have been de then d') before anglicising to Bussey. But if they'd kept the de space Bussey, then what!
Computers/banks/airlines need to be more accommodating.

You've had a name change fail OP. Ironically!

One of my banks did this. I contacted them and explained that the name they'd put wasn't the name I used.
They reissued the card with the name as requested.
However, given that my account is set up Firstname Initial Surname Surname, it should have been issued correctly in the first place.

lol! Damn!