What is Digg?Sponsored by HowLifeWorks
How Much Are You Over-Paying For Your Auto Insurance view!
howlifeworks.com - Car insurance rates have dropped leaving many people paying far more than they need to...
54 Comments
- Cerpin_Taxt, on 10/10/2007, -2/+16They haven't caught on because they aren't advertised. Merchants want your info, and the credit companies are out to please those merchants.
- mrjd54, on 10/10/2007, -1/+8Probably the reason why they haven't caught on is because the majority of credit card fraud is not over the Internet, but from people digging through your trash.
However, if you are, for example, signing up for one of those "complete these 15 offers and get a free iPhone" deals, then you should definitely use the throwaway credit card numbers in case you have difficulty canceling subscriptions later (I'm looking at YOU stamps.com).
If your credit card company charges you for this service, you are much better off investing in a decidedly low-tech tool: A shredder. - Jrr6415sun, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6they're pretty well advertised with citicard. I use them all the time and they're amazing. They also are great to use with free trials... as you don't have to worry about canceling the trial, you can just get a new virtual number.
- ivosilva, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5We use this in Portugal for a long time now.... 7 years maybe? It's flawless.
- OwdenBowden, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5 I usually use the:
I'll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for a Xbox360 Today.
Method. - Tyr7BE, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4It doesn't. What it does stop is someone getting your credit card number when they steal information from a merchant.
- RocketGib, on 10/10/2007, -0/+4Citicards offers this feature to all of its cardmembers... I use it every time I make an online purchase! The only way you can access the feature is if you setup an account with a username and password... it's pretty straightforward though.
- LeCrabe, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3And because they are declined by several merchants including the one i work for.
- psykiv, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4Citi Virtual Account numbers ftw!
That's the *only* reason I keep my citi card around. For those online merchants that seem "questionable". Besides, have you guys ever called to dispute a fraud charge (or any charge for that matter)? AMEX is *really* good when it comes to that. Visa and Mastercards, not so much. The other day I lost my card at CVS, apparantly i left it on the counter and the idiot behind me decided to pay for his stuff with it too. $16, not much, but something. Called AMEX when I saw it online under recent charges, it was taken off the bill, pretty much no questions asked, and I should be getting a new card in the mail any day now.
Same thing happened with my chase visa a while back (only it was at a gas station). It took like 5 calls to get the BS charges removed, a lot of hassle and a lot of headache. Amex ftw! - tokyomonster, on 10/10/2007, -1/+4I would love to! But the only one that would work for me is still in private beta.(paypal)
- freestufftimes, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I use them with discover. No reason not to.
- PhillyMJS, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I love virtual credit cards, using them takes the fear out of signing up on potentially-dodgy sites, or any recurring-fee site where you think they might ignore cancellation attempts and keep on billing you. The virtual card is only good for an amount I specify and/or for a set amount of time, and that's it. If the site earns my trust, they get my real card number when the time comes. If I decide not to continue with them, I don't have to do a damned thing. They try and fail to bill the next payment to the card and get denied, and that's it.
Coupled with unique e-mail addresses for each business I deal with, I never have to worry about recurring fees or spam from any vendor when I decide I'm not going to give them any more business. - chalkboy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Um if they would cancel your account when you asked then you would not have to use them.
- Otto, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3No. American Express doesn't offer these. They simply offer you a 0% liability if somebody steals your card. Much simpler. You don't pay a thing for fraud.
- kendawg, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Are you sure that's basic economics?
- fatdog789, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2MBNA (now BofA) lets you do this with their ShopSafe virtual numbers.
- fatdog789, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Sounds like you should read it yourself.
You're not responsible for *any* charges once the card is reported stolen. You're responsible for up to $50 of charges that are incurred between the time it is stolen and it is reported stolen. - Disjunto, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2just need one that allows topup through paypal ;)
- urgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2That's not really the point. But here (not US) has long as you have the service active, you can create one on a atm. And you have to limit the credit for that particular card. Which can only be used once, and within a short period of time. So even if someone does grab the cc number it's useless. And if they grab the CC login, they can activate one or two credit cards before the credit card company or your bank becomes suspicious and calls you.
- miriclaire, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Stuck in the 70's. I meant to say "groovy".
- urgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That's not how our (Portugal) cards work. No point in show you the faq since it's in portuguese, but the virtual credit card IS associated with a real credit card. In case of devolutions, the merchant issues the credit on the virtual one, for the it's the real card, but the credit goes to your own CC.
- adrianmonk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Indeed. I have a Citi card as well, and I always make sure to use a virtual account number on anything I think might try to auto-renew. Things don't auto-renew because the card number shows up as "expired".
- crapmatic, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I wouldn't be using something like this just because of credit card thieves. I WOULD be using it if I had to get a subscription with Ancestry.com, Match.com, AOL, or any company that has track records of being untrustworthy with account cancellations. Those big companies seem to get a free ride when it comes to abusing Visa regulations, while as a small merchant I have watch my p's and q's to avoid any chargeback.
Also my wife bought a webcam for her PSP online, and we are certain they are the ones who stole her number for other things. So it has a lot of use for small online purchases with potentially shady merchants, as above posters have said. - mattyG, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1No you should NOT use these cards for that as that is a big reason all of the advertisers are pulling out of the free site market. Too much fraud.
http://www.cashchute.com - nirav72, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1the best place to use them is when you're subscribing to magazines or some type of service that will bill you by charging on the original number automatically even after trial period is up. Virtual CCs work great to prevent getting suckered like that. The biggest examples are magazine subscriptions- you sign up for a one year subscription and they automatically renew you by charging your card after your one year is up. So its better to get a virtual CC number and set the expiration date to something like 2 months. Therefore the card is only valid for two months and they can't bill you on that card number. Of course you'll still have to call whomever to cancel it or you might get a paper bill in the mail.
- aognenoff, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I like using the Discover tool for this on one time purchases but I wish I could find a CC company that has a tool to use virtual numbers that were authorized for multiple uses but at a single merchant...like allow my cell phone company to charge this virtual cc number (specific to them) once a month for the next 12 months. I know the article mentions it but I didn't see one that does - at least from the description at their web sites.
- adrianmonk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Is it a brick and mortar merchant? If not and it's internet- or phone-only, how do you know you are getting a virtual number? The Citi card I have spits out a CVV2 and everything for virtual numbers.
- urgan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Works for me. And it works with paypal, no account needed.
And if my bank catches a online transaction with my real CC number, they'll stop it or so they warned me. It's brilliant. - HairyPoter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1someone digging virtual credit cards almost a decade after they were created? I used it since 2000.
- moudig, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I almost always use them online.
Citi Virtual Account Numbers - fatdog789, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I call *****.
The card swipes to the same account as the temporary number, precisely so that you can use temporary numbers for online purchases like this.
It's the *account* that matters, not the number. - charlietuna, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I use discovers service, though it doesn't always work (maybe some merchants send the transaction through twice?)
- adrianmonk, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Sure, it's "zero liability", but only if you (a) notice it, and (b) do the paperwork properly, and (c) report it by the deadline. And even then, it takes time and causes stress.
- anarchy99, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1can you fake those free ipod or other offers with these?
the legitimate ones i mean gratis or other legitimate ones
use fake names and virtual creditcards for the "free" offers for your "referals and then be eligible for ipods and whatever at alow cost
is this possible? - pokey5, on 09/15/2008, -0/+0A virtual credit card is good for youngins, it allows parents to be in control of their spending habits, teach them proper ways of using a credit card and also watching what they buy. Unfortunately, young kids & young adults spend money that they don't have.
- Pokey
http://www.creditcards.com.au - superyounan1, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1i've been using it for years
- sneakerelph, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Back to the 90's!
- tim879, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3One other reason they haven't caught on is it makes it almost impossible to return something. Most merchants will only issue credit in the form it was received. If you pay by credit, then they will only issue the credit to the credit card number you used. If you used a temporary number, you can't get a credit.
I made this mistake once - I ordered a camera online from Circuit City and then selected the in-store pickup. It took 2 phone calls to my credit card company to convince the store manager that it was the same card and I was the buyer. I was there almost 2 hours. I'd never use one of these temporary numbers again. - sneakerelph, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1sounds like math class.
- aognenoff, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Sweet...is it worth it to get a BofA card just for that?
- JE255J, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't American Express been doing this ever since they launched their Blue card? (as in, several years ago)
- sarmatt, on 10/29/2007, -0/+0How to you it?
http://phone-cheap.pushline.com/ - dricci, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0maybe you should stop leaving your credit cards in public places :)
- miriclaire, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Kewl!
- zenzic64, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0American Express used to offer these. They called the service Private Payments. Unfortunately, this service was discontinued in 2004.
- Disjunto, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1wirecard is a good one thats not listed :D
- brettotte1, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2The article isn't even correct. It says the most you can be liable for is up to $50. Not true.
You are liable for all charges UNTIL you report the card lost or stolen. Once you report it you can only be liable for $50 of charges made afterwards.
Read the Fair Credit & Billing Act and you'd know these things. I had to explain it a billion times as a fundraiser for non-profit organizations that using your card was safer than me sending them a pledge envelope, then they sending back a check. If I was a scammer I could just cash the check and there'd be no recourse for them to recoup their loss.
At least with a credit card they could dispute the charge for up to 60 days AFTER you RECEIVE your bill, not 60 days from the date of the charge, to dispute it, get an auto-refund, the charges are then pending while they investigate it, then if you're found liable you pay, if not you never have to pay it.
I've used Discover Deskshop for 7 years (fills in the FF page), MBNA has one online when you login and you just drag the card info onto the merchant screen (very handy), others have it too and I've told everyone and they just shrug cuz it's ONE more step of 30 seconds that they just don't care to learn UNTIL they're screwed over. - thepuma77, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2Virtual debt, lets see who can collect the most.
/sarcasm - thefirelane, on 10/10/2007, -4/+3Extra layer of protection over the perfectly good layer of protection that is the normal credit card with 0% liability? hmm... why haven't they caught on?
Seriously, it is basic economics.... you can go to 300 times more effort to secure against an extremely small chance of something bad happening. -
Show 51 - 55 of 55 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is