Posted on 10/19/2022 5:41:06 AM PDT by LouAvul
My USAA credit card was hacked. The only out-of-the-ordinary purchase was to a specialty holster manufacturer in Alaska. The company has a solid reputation and my new chest carry/large revolver holster is top notch, but maybe their CC processing company got hacked.
That's happened to me once before with a fly fishing guide company in Vail, CO. Note: I never use the card for everyday purchases. Whenever I eat out, for example, I always pay cash. Etc.
I'd like a card that requires me to reload it and it will have credit limit only of whatever I put in it.
Any credit card company.
All you have to do is tell them to put a limit on purchases of whatever amount you wish...................
You can tell a credit card company what kind of purchases that you do not do, so they can put a halt to the process.
Sounds like a gift card to me.
All of the major banks will service one.
Reducing your credit limit might not be a good idea. What if you need it in an emergency situation? Such as having your car breakdown in the middle of the night in a rural area where there is no access to ATMs. A credit card will get you a tow, a repair and a hotel room for the night.
Also, I think your credit score suffers when you don't have a lot of available credit, as they do a calculation on what you have charged vs your available credit. The lower that ratio is, the higher your credit score goes.
Yes, you’ll want a reloadable gift card. It is terribly inconvenient, though. I would get a debit card and tie it to a specific bank account where you can move money to it when you need it.
Where do you shop?
If it is a retailer that has its own gift cards, that would be a good way to not use cash or credit card.
Many gift cards function like cash ona card.
Most cards have a feature by which you can lock and unlock the card, to control its use. Or you can call them.
There are CC companies that do “Virtual Credit Cards” with settable limits...Capitol One is one I think...but I don’t have their card. I got tired of the “replacement card”/”change all monthly auto-pays” routine after an unauthorized charge too. I found a company that gives you “Virtual Credit Cards” tied to a checking account via ACH transfers (for free with a “basic” account)...biggest downside is no cash back/points like other cards. Working good for my more “sketchy”/more easily hacked monthly payments. See:
Also:
https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/best-virtual-credit-card/
https://enterpriseleague.com/blog/virtual-credit-cards/
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/virtual-credit-card-numbers-guide/
My card wasn’t hacked when I bought holsters from a top of the line shop in Alaska. There’s really no way to know what purchase might have been vulnerable to hacking, or if it even was a purchase that got hacked.
What you're describing is a secured credit card, an account with a credit limit backed by a security deposit. This is usually offered to new banking customers to establish credit, or current bad actor customers that need to fix their credit score. Check with your banking institution. If you bank with USAA, they offer this in American Express and Visa flavors:
Capital One offers a virtual number when ordering online. The number is good for only one purchase.
“Any credit card company.
All you have to do is tell them to put a limit on purchases of whatever amount you wish...................”
Here is the problem with that. You have to clarify that “you” do not want any charges to be paid over that limit at all period. You want the over purchase to be completely refused and not covered “for your convenience.”
Most have a “one size fits all” policy to pay over the limit anyhow and then charge you a fine for overcharging your card. Similar to “overdraft” coverage and charges on a bank account.
Already had it happen a couple times... They “just don’t get” the concept anymore like they used to. All they hear is “Fine me if I go over that limit”, not “Do not approve” over that limit.
Discover Card has never fined me for over my pre-set limit, they just do not let the purchase go thru, the couple of times I have gone over the limit.
I don’t know about other cards, I HAVE BUT NEVER USE..............
That is good then. Just important to make sure it is clear when you set it up. Because they will take advantage of the situation with “overdraft coverage” frame of mind if not. I think the reason is because culture just does not do that much anymore. Everyone is default to try and get the highest limit they can get and max it out rather than limit their own funds available. So card policies are now being implemented to take advantage of this and let you overcharge and then fine for overcharging rather than refuse the purchase.
Our American Airlines Advantage air miles card is thru Barclays Bank. They have been incredibly good at identifying fraudulent charges...every single time. While it’s a nuisance to correct the “fraud” activities...I thank them profusely.
They also allow the card to be limited in various ways.
Credit cards are the BEST way to pay for anything online. You don’t have any risk of liability for fraud. If you use debit cards or money orders or other forms of payment you will probably be on the hook.
I have a purchase limit on my credit card and I get an email and text message for all purchases on my credit card.
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