Credit card cancelled - Google market transaction

[mark57]

Not happy- made a few app purchase from the market, and within two days, my bank was on the phone with the news that they'd cancelled my card due to suspicious activity... I initially thought there had been a security breach and my card details had been hacked, but it turned out that low value transactions (like buying apps for a few dollars each) is something visa use to identify stolen cards.

I'm told that the smart thing to do is use a pre-paid visa card...
Lesson learnt I suppose

Sent from my A500 using Android Tablet Forum

 

[Spider]

Sounds like something your bank did, not Visa. Did they reinstate your card when you explained what you were doing?

 

[Anomander]

Who was your bank? I have had no problems with the Visa card I have used. Though I do like the idea of a pre-paid Visa card assuming there is no experation date on them if I do not use the balance before a certain time period. It would also be nice if I could recharge it if I wanted too.

 

[iTazm0n]

Weird, they shouldn't have cancelled your card, if anything, they should have suspended activity until you contacted them to ok the purchases. This happened to me when I bought my wife and I a bunch of eMagazines for the Zinio app before a long plane ride. It was around 10-15 purchases in the $1.50-4.99 range and they told me the same as you that those small transactions in such rapid succession is a "big red flag"- so a hold was placed on my account, they called me, left a message and when I called them back all was cleared up.

And yes, it was my bank, not Visa. In fact, I don't think a card/account, in good standing, can be cancelled without the customers approval.

Did they ever try to contact you?

Aside from that, if you can, get a separate CCard with a low limit ($200-500) for online purchases and have it noted on your account how it is going to be used. Don't get a pre-paid, gift card type since those don't have a billing address attached to the card which makes it very hard or impossible to create a customer account for online stores.

Hope this makes sense and GLuck!

 

[pwalt]

Weird, they shouldn't have cancelled your card, if anything, they should have suspended activity until you contacted them to ok the purchases. This happened to me when I bought my wife and I a bunch of eMagazines for the Zinio app before a long plane ride. It was around 10-15 purchases in the $1.50-4.99 range and they told me the same as you that those small transactions in such rapid succession is a "big red flag"- so a hold was placed on my account, they called me, left a message and when I called them back all was cleared up.

And yes, it was my bank, not Visa. In fact, I don't think a card/account, in good standing, can be cancelled without the customers approval.

Did they ever try to contact you?

Aside from that, if you can, get a separate CCard with a low limit ($200-500) for online purchases and have it noted on your account how it is going to be used. Don't get a pre-paid, gift card type since those don't have a billing address attached to the card which makes it very hard or impossible to create a customer account for online stores.

Hope this makes sense and GLuck!

You can now register the pre-paid cards so you can attach an address to it. It's what I have linked to my Google checkout ... in case someone steals my tablet (or if my kids decide to download a non-free game) ... at least the loss is limited.