Having a Backup Credit Card?

[TromboneAl]

I saw a $5 charge I didn't recognize on my CC bill, and reported it. Now we're without a card for a week.

Once that happened when on a trip.

It makes me think it would be good to have a second card that we use only in that situation.

Will the CC company allow you to have two cards for the same account?

Anyone do that?

 

[Aerides]

You can have an additional member card on most accounts (like for a spouse), so presumably you could do something like that with some banks, depending if they require a unique SSN or not for the supp. (and then you just carry them both if you don't put it in the spouse's name).

Or you could just have a 2nd cc that you hardly use with another account.

A good issuer will overnight you that replacement at no fee, certainly if you ask. It's dumb not to - they are missing out on you using their product for days on end, and the odds that you use something else (debit, other CC) and then stick with that after you get there's back - too high to risk if they value your business. Penny wise, pound foolish as they say.

Amex is usually good about this, and they can do insta-replacements at most of their travel offices too.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Al, I think it would be up to the credit card company. My wife and I each have an American Express card with the same number. Different security codes on the back. All other cards we have use different numbers for each of us.

 

[cathy63]

The Costco Visa from Citi has different card numbers for each person on the account. Mine recently had to be replaced due to fraud, but DH's card continued to work until my new one arrived.

We also have two other cards from other banks.

 

[harley]

I would personally just use a different CC with a different bank. If it's important to you to only have one CC, then this situation will be the minor inconvenience you have to deal with. If DW has a card on the same account you can just use that one. Also, I think if you tell them it's your only card they will overnight the replacement to you.

 

[CRLLS]

I have had similar situations where suspected fraud (real fraud as it turned out) was detected by the CC company. I had to have my card number/account number changed. I was denied use until the new card showed up in snail mail! I have also been in Asia when the CC was denied due to suspected fraud. I simply used a 2nd CC that I carry to check out of the hotel. I called CC customer service and had the hold cleared, only to have it denied the next day checking out of another hotel. A 2nd call with a bit of anger in my voice actually did the trick.

Having a backup CC in my wallet (or two) is a good idea for such cases. Even better is to split those account's cards into 2 different person's wallets travelling together in case of theft of one of the wallets/purses. You'll still have at least one active card to use. I have Discover, and a few different Visa accounts thru different "sponsoring" companies that I use for different purposes.

 

[scrabbler1]

I keep my back-up CC at home. It used to be my main CC until I got a cash-back card a few years ago which relegated my old main CC to back-up status. I have one automatic, small annual charge on the now-backup CC which will keep the account open. I only carry the back-up card with me when I travel out of town for a long stretch. Otherwise, my debit card acts as a back-up card on a day-to-day basis. BTW I have never had a CC declined for any reason.

 

[Dtail]

We use 4 CC all with BOA for various reasons. When we travel, we always take 2 cards and I carry 2 or 3 cards at all other times.

 

[Live And Learn]

My backup card is with my bank. My main card is with my brokerage firm. This way I still only need to look at two statements. My backup card stays home and is only used once or twice a year to keep it active.

 

[karen1972]

I've had a bad experience with having cards closed on me due to rewards cards being cancelled as they cancelled the programs and it really mucked with my credit score as I only had 2 cards at that time so it halved my available credit.

I've also had a card stopped due to potential fraud when filling up gas at the Jersey turnpike and of course I was running late to return the car and make the flight so without a second card I would have been hosed... I got a text like 30 minutes later.. did you mean to make this purchase? Yes and now its too late.

And then there is the skimmers.. my honey had all his cards skimmed in his wallet so had 3 different cards with fraud on them all at the same time, this person ran $300 across every card at a local grocery store over and over and over until it was blocked...that was a fun day.

So I carry 2 active cards on me but with different banks and different types as there are still times when it is better to use one over the other. I have 4 cards total (one which I don't use other than a recurring charity donation just to keep it active and one that I use for all internet purchases).

 

[Chuckanut]

Pick a card that increases your ability to earn rewards. For example, if your current card gives 5% on gasoline purchases, maybe choose a second card from a different bank that gives a 3% reward on grocery purchases. I figure that it takes about 4 cards to really work the reward system well.

 

[RobbieB]

I have 5 credit cards from different banks. Fraud happens. I think 2 have been compromised multiple times and yup, each time you wait a week or 2 for the new card to arrive.

 

[aja8888]

PenFed main VISA - 2% back. - my main card (DW's too).

Capital One VISA - 1.5% back - backup card (kept in my wallet)

Chase Amazon VISA - used only for Amazon purchases - 5% rebate - kept at home.

DW has a Wells Fargo CC that she uses "occasionally" when she wants to buy crap for the kids/grandkids and don't want me to know. I can't tear this away from her......

 

[athena53]

I always have a backup and, as others have noted, having 2 cards with the same number won't do you any good if the account is blocked due to fraud or even if you just misplaced it. (I once drove off with it on the back of my car after filling the tank.)


I've needed the backup a few times when I got into a foreign country and the primary was rejected because I never call and tell them beforehand. Some banks seem to be more sensitive to that than others. Primary is Fidelity; my new secondary is an American Airlines card and I'm about to give up the Marriott card. I like the backup card to be one that gives me reward points for specific travel.

 

[SumDay]

Yes, I have a second card, and I have my cell phone bill charged to it each month (with autopay set up) just to keep it active. Many will cancel if you don't use it for long periods of time.

This second card is with BOA, which I like because they have a Shop Safe https://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/accounts-cards/shopsafe.go card number generator, which I use for "odd" new online purchases I may make from time to time. It's only good for the one time, you set the limit they can charge, and then it's no good. So if a mom & pop site doesn't have great security and they get hacked, they aren't getting your real credit card number.

 

[audreyh1]

Some banks provide different credit card numbers for each card holder. American Express does that routinely. My Citibank issued Costco VISA is that way too - maybe because they took over the Costco Amex book.

We have so many CCs now that we don’t need backups! I have cards reserved for monthly auto bills only so that there is much less chance of disruption if a card is compromised.

 

[Dtail]

Through various means, we qualify for the BOA Platinum Preferred status.
Thus our cards have the following rewards:
Premium rewards - 3.5% on restaurants/Travel, 2.66% on everything else
Travel rewards - 4.125% on Travel if booking with BOA, otherwise 2.66% which we use for automated recurring charges
Cash rewards - 5.25% on gas, 3.5% on groceries. We have 2 of these cards, as it is limited to $2,500 quarterly, which we surpass.

Only the Premier card has a yearly fee, which is $95 and you get back $100 for baggage fees when traveling; thus it is effectively free.

 

[easysurfer]

I always carry along a backup when traveling.

Never know when something my come up and I need to get home.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

We have multiple credit card accounts, some of which we never use and those cards stay at home. On trips we carry at least one extra, and ever since I lost my wallet on a trip to Hawaii I've learned to keep cards and IDs in different places, like one in my wallet and another in my backpack or carryon. (As an aside, this is when I learned that not having ID to check into the hotel was more of a hassle than not having ID to get through TSA. I almost slept on the beach that night.)

Our Capital One cards have different numbers for the same account. I've had other accounts where they issued two cards with the same numbers.

 

[RE2Boys]

I saw a $5 charge I didn't recognize on my CC bill, and reported it. Now we're without a card for a week.

Once that happened when on a trip.

It makes me think it would be good to have a second card that we use only in that situation.

Will the CC company allow you to have two cards for the same account?

Anyone do that?

I've had a second CC as a back-up since 1986! Sometimes months go by between uses of the secondary card.

 

[FIREmenow]

A good issuer will overnight you that replacement at no fee, certainly if you ask.

This^^^^

When they say it will be mailed in 7-10 days, I usually just say, "That is not acceptable."

Besides, the fraud is their fault for having insecure processes, not mine.

They have always sent it overnight (several different companies).

 

[jollystomper]

We have more than one CC for backup. 2 shared cards, one for travel/in person purchases and one for online purchases. Then we each have separate cards.


Interestingly, a few years ago when traveling, we did get a call from one of our CC companies (Chase) about fraudulent activity on our card. Since the invalid charges were happening in the northeast, and we were in Texas, they agreed to keep the card active but only approve charges in Texas during the time we were there, and deny all others. We also checked daily online to verify that the Texas charges were from us.They did not shutdown and issue new cards until we returned home. That was very convenient.

 

[Dtail]

This^^^^

When they say it will be mailed in 7-10 days, I usually just say, "That is not acceptable."

Besides, the fraud is their fault for having insecure processes, not mine.

They have always sent it overnight (several different companies).

+1 always with BOA.

 

[jazz4cash]

I carry two cash back cards for general purchases. The billing cycles are 2 weeks apart and I use the one that gives me the longest float.

 

[gwraigty]

You just never know when your credit card company will deny a legitimate charge. We were on the last day of a week-long vacation many years ago. Our credit card was declined when we tried to pay for our lunch. A week's worth of charges went through before someone/the system decided fraud might be taking place, which it wasn't. We used a different credit card to pay for lunch and sorted it out when we got home.

Just today, I made a large purchase from a company that I've bought from several times before, using a credit card that I've used for these purchases before. For the first time ever, the charge was declined. I had to spend some time with the credit card company and the merchant to get it straightened out. I was assured that my card was fine, but no explanation was given for the decline.