Can you set up a hotel reservation with a pre-paid debit card?
Yes, because the card is pre-paid, therefore the funds are already there to be transferred; assuming of course that there is sufficient funds on the card. Providing it is issued through VISA or Master Card most will be accepted by a hotel; indeed any company.Remember that a retialer (which includes hotels) do not know your Credit Limits, or the balance of your account. The only people who know are you and your bank; the processing mechanism only checks the validity of the card (it has not been reported as stolen) and that there are funds available to clear the payment required. They will not know whether the card is pre-paid or not. However most cashiers in a bank will know as there is an encoding in the card number (the 16 digit one) which shows that it is pre-paid.In the UK, bank staff that have a Credit Card through their employer , the fact that they are an employee is disguised in the second batch of numbers on a card usually begining 00**; in the UK for example a Lloyds bank staff members card carries 0039 in the second sequence of four numbers.For the record you can tell if the card is a genuine Master Card or VISA, whth the first set of four numbers begining with 5*** for Master Card or 4*** for Visa.
Can you reactivate a debit card you've reported lost or stolen? If so, how?
In my experience every bank will handle this slightly differently and it will depend on their systems and processes.Let me tell you how it generally works though...When you call to report your card lost/stolen, the bank will immediately suspend the card. This status is normally reversible. The bank will then request a new card is generated. Your old card stays suspended until your new card arrives and you phone up to activate it. At which stage the old card becomes "replaced" and the new card "active." Usually at that stage its too late, your old card cannot be used.So if you've phoned your bank but haven't yet received your new card and activated it, it may still be possible to call them back, tell them you've found the old one and have them activate it again.Again, this depends heavily on your banks systems and process. It wont work like this with all banks. Additionally, if your card has been out of your possession for some time (you weren't sure where it was) its safer to replace it anyway. Just best practice.Hope this helps.
How can a stolen credit/debit card be used without a PIN code ?
Easy == you can buy whatever you like on-line (or by phone) by using the 16 digit Card number on the front and the 3 digit 'CVV' code printed on the back ... You can also use it to 'sign up' for any number of Mobile Phone contracts etc. The ONLY 'drawback' is that SOME Companies will only deliver to the 'card holders address' (and some criminals have got around that by calling at the victims address claiming to be 'from the Courier' and 'coming to collect the goods sent it error') As for precautions ... well these are :- 1) Keep the card in your wallet and the wallet in your pants and the pants on your self ... never, ever, be parted from your wallet (if you like the beach, get a waterproof pouch) 2) NEVER have a 'joint' card (when one is stolen the bank / card co. will insist that the 'other card holder must have spend money without telling you' ..) 3) If the card comes with a 'RFID' chip / symbol, inform the bank / card co. in writing (rerecorded delivery) that you will never, ever, be using the 'rfid' feature and, unless they disable this 'feature' you will be closing the account and taking your business elsewhere .. It is easy to 'skim' a card with an active rfid chip up to a few feet away = the 'limit' may be £15 each time but you can get 'done' dozens of times before the system locks out and you have to enter the PIN ... and it's totally impossible to prove you have been 'done' ... (some people are so concerned that they are getting aluminium wallets !)
Using pre-paid credit card INSIDE gas station but don't use all authorized?
Has anyone "for sure" done this? Use a pre-paid credit card INSIDE, via a clerk, the gas station (so don't have a $75 hold on card if just use it at the outdoor pump) to buy "potentially" $40 worth of gas. But although the clerk takes my card and authorized the $40, my tank only holds $35. Will I be charged $40 temporarily and then in 2-3 days (or weeks, whatever) the $5 goes back on the card? Please be specific -- what I am trying to avoid on an upcoming road trip is standing in line Twice for the cashier -- once to Prepay with cash and then again to get the change back. Already, had my credit card number stolen but pre-paid is an acceptable risk if I can avoid the 2nd wait for the cashier.
Why did my debit card refund take 2 weeks? My bank pointed the finger at the retailers, while the retailers claimed it was both the bank and the credit card company holding up the refunds.
There are a few different possibilities but the most likely cause of the delay falls on the merchant's side of the equation. From a purely technical perspective, a debit card refund can be processed just as fast as a debit card purchase transaction, which will be reflected in your checking account balance immediately and with transaction details in 1-3 days. Once the merchant completes processing ("settlement") of the refund transaction, everything else is automated so its not likely that your bank did anything to delay posting to your account. However, whereas the original purchase transaction ultimately resulted in a credit to the merchant's account, the refund transaction took money out. Accordingly, the merchant must: a) Have sufficient funds in his account to cover the refund, and b) Be motivated to process your refund quickly. If either is not true, the merchant may elect to delay settlement. Visa operating rules require the merchant to complete settlement within five calendar days from the date the refund is requested by you and authorized by the merchant (e.g. the date you return the product to the store and get a return receipt) and MasterCard requires settlement within one day. If you made your purchase at a major merchant, there's no good reason for a delay of two weeks but, if you're not satisfied with the service, you can complain to the merchant or the card network (i.e.. Visa, MasterCard) that placed its logo on your card but I doubt that there's much to be gained from that sort of complaint and, therefore, wouldn't recommend that you spend any more of your valuable time pursuing one.
Why shouldn't you use a debit card at a gas station?
Debit is safer because you have a PIN and if you feel that has been compromised you can change it. With a credit card all they have to do is use your name and Expirey date . Also, the 'Skimmers' that were spoken of above work by reading the information that is embeded in any magnetic strip. (Located on both a Credit Card and a Debit Card). The information is then stored in a flash memory stick and downloaded to a computer. I have heard that a persons PIN # is embeded within this information, but it needs to be decoded by running it through a mathmatical algorthym (sp?). The information located on a credit card simply needs to copied to a "blank" card and 'Violla' insta fraud. So, In my opinion, a Debit card is safer to use then a credit card. And Cash is even safer if your concerned about identity theft.
Is it safe to use debit/credit card on Aliexpress?
Yes, I would say so, since Aliexpress is a trusted source for wholesale shopping online. A credit card seems more fitting. Although Aliexpress has a well developed system to dispute charges and issue refunds, it’s good to know that with a credit card, you can also make disputes with your credit card company and that you are not using “cash.”
My credit card was recently stolen and I had to cancel it. Are merchants notified when they have pending charges on a stolen (now cancelled) card?
When a credit card is blocked or cancelled then it prevents from further payment authorizations on that card. Authorizations already taken on the card will proceed as usual and billed to you unless you decide to challenge or dispute a particular transaction.Eg. If you have made a transaction of Rs. 1000/- on a merchant establishment. When you swipe the card an authorization is taken. You are not billed at this point but amount is deducted from your credit limit (Its a promise made for payment). Later merchant settles the transaction (they can change the amount in certain cases like in Restaurants authorization is taken only for the bill but if you have added tip to charge slip then while settling transaction merchant add it). At this point charge/transaction is billed to you and start showing at your statement.Now say if you block your card after authorization but before settlement. Merchant will not know that and will be able to settle the transaction. If that’s a fraudulent transaction then you can dispute it which will be reversed after investigation by bank.Any authorization that happens after reporting loss of card or blocking it is Bank’s responsibility. But authorizations taken before blocking is deemed customer’s responsibility unless specifically disputed.
How did I get a Western Union Reward Card without applying for one?
Get in touch directly with Western Union - use the internet to look up a phone number or if there is a branch locally, go to that. When dealing with correspondence or websites, be absolutely certain that it is definitely Western Union. If you have a bank where you are known, it may be easier to get them to help you with this. Someone may have stolen your identity and getting a credit card is the first step in creating a whole world of trouble for you via your credit report. DO NOT use any telephone numbers that may have come with this notification - it could be perfectly genuine, but I would advise caution. The numbers they sent you may well be bogus - as may be the statement that you have a western union card. This could be a trick to get you to provide more information so they can apply for a range of credit cards in your name.