No number credit cards

[COcheesehead]

Don’t use a debit card for a brokerage account. Set up a cash management account instead and use that for spending cash.

 

[audreyh1]

Don’t use a debit card for a brokerage account. Set up a cash management account instead and use that for spending cash.

And make sure they don’t link it to your brokerage account for overdraft protection. I had to call Schwab to turn that off. At Fidelity they told me they weren’t linked when I checked.

 

[sengsational]

Oh, I am not particularly worried about credit cards; they are reasonably well protected by statute. I am more concerned about bank accounts and brokerage accounts -- where the serious money is. But, always, YMMV.

But the serious money accounts don't need to be linked. I have a basic checking that doesn't have overdraft. Convenience without serious money. That account is also linked to privacy.com, where I generate credit card numbers for those subscriptions/services that make it near impossible to cancel (make you navigate a phone tree and hang on the phone forever to cancel). A logon and a single click to pause their card is all that's required.

 

[OldShooter]

But the serious money accounts don't need to be linked. I have a basic checking that doesn't have overdraft. Convenience without serious money. That account is also linked to privacy.com, where I generate credit card numbers for those subscriptions/services that make it near impossible to cancel (make you navigate a phone tree and hang on the phone forever to cancel). A logon and a single click to pause their card is all that's required.

I dunno. A rule that no financial apps go on any portable devices is simple and I do not feel that my quality of life is in any way diminished. Regarding subscriptions, my simple rule there is to avoid them like the plague. I think I have two, possibly three, and no bad actors. This also eliminates any concern about the privacy at privacy.com

 

[tulak]

Cool!

As tourists we’ve been much relieved by the Apple Pay adoption in Europe.

+1

I use Apple Pay everywhere in Europe. It works seamlessly from my Apple Watch and it’s rare to find a place where it doesn’t work.

And in those rare cases, my new habit is to carry about $20 in cash when traveling and replenish as needed. The cash came in handy last week when paying for mulled wine at an xmas market. [emoji4]

 

[audreyh1]

I use Apple Pay everywhere in Europe. It works seamlessly from my Apple Watch and it’s rare to find a place where it doesn’t work.

I have a First Tech pin priority CC that comes in handy for buying metro and train tickets at the station. But that’s about all I used it for the last trip - really just the metro/tram. Train tickets were purchased online.

We also carry cash for various things, but it doesn’t help in the automated ticket machines.

 

[tulak]

I have a First Tech pin priority CC that comes in handy for buying metro and train tickets at the station. But that’s about all I used it for the last trip - really just the metro/tram. Train tickets were purchased online.

We also carry cash for various things, but it doesn’t help in the automated ticket machines.

Apple Pay has worked at the automated metro/train ticket machines that I’ve encountered. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to use a credit card and I had the same First Tech card many years ago for the same reason.

The best part is when you can use Apple Pay to enter/exit the metro. I used this a lot in the London Underground.

I did have one case where I couldn’t get the metro ticket machine in Rome to take Apple Pay or credit card. In that case I used cash to buy tickets. Not sure why it didn’t work, but it wasn’t a major metro stop and I suspect it was an older machine.

 

[audreyh1]

Apple Pay has worked at the automated metro/train ticket machines that I’ve encountered. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to use a credit card and I had the same First Tech card many years ago for the same reason.

The best part is when you can use Apple Pay to enter/exit the metro. I used this a lot in the London Underground.

I did have one case where I couldn’t get the metro ticket machine in Rome to take Apple Pay or credit card. In that case I used cash to buy tickets. Not sure why it didn’t work, but it wasn’t a major metro stop and I suspect it was an older machine.

Really? I hadn’t encountered using Apple Pay at ticket machines. That’s encouraging. Last Europe visit was 2019.

I had heard about the London Underground.

I’ve been in many situations in Europe where cash was not an option or involved an extremely long wait.

 

[Alan]

Really? I hadn’t encountered using Apple Pay at ticket machines. That’s encouraging. Last Europe visit was 2019.

I had heard about the London Underground.

I’ve been in many situations in Europe where cash was not an option or involved an extremely long wait.

We recently rode the Metro in Newcastle and it uses Apple Pay, as do all the buses around here.

For those of you with numberless cards in the USA do you still require signatures for purchases over the contactless limit?

 

[camfused]

For those of you with numberless cards in the USA do you still require signatures for purchases over the contactless limit?

Some merchants are archaic, requiring a signature for even a small purchase, whether you use ApplePay or a card. Thankfully, most do not.

 

[audreyh1]

All the US stores I’ve used treat Apple Pay as secure as an inserted CC and no signature required. Unfortunately there are many stores still that do not support contactless. Pretty much any store here that supports contactless also supports Apple Pay and I haven’t run into limits.

My frustrating situation with limits was at a huge department store in Madrid which enforced contactless limits on Apple Pay and I had to use my card. But I think that was the only time.

I remember a funny Apple Pay experience in Bordeaux. Our waiter was really tied up for some reason, so DH went to the bar to pay our tab. The cashier was super excited because he’d never seen the Apple Watch pay before, ha ha.

 

[mpeirce]

My favorite use of a contactless card is at Costco gas.

The Costco Citi Visa is also the membership card and they must include the membership info in the data transmitted because you can simple tap the card at the reader on the pump and it knows who you are and charges the credit card.

One tap and that’s it. Nice.

 

[COcheesehead]

Some merchants are archaic, requiring a signature for even a small purchase, whether you use ApplePay or a card. Thankfully, most do not.

It’s system driven. If the merchant uses something like Square and you have an email or text address registered from previous transactions, no signature is required for contactless transactions. Your receipt is an email or text sent to you immediately.
I work part time at a winery that uses Square and we get foreign visitors many who use their phones or Apple watches to make transactions. Most folks from the US still insist on inserting something. They usually comment that they have never tapped.

 

[audreyh1]

My favorite use of a contactless card is at Costco gas.

The Costco Citi Visa is also the membership card and they must include the membership info in the data transmitted because you can simple tap the card at the reader on the pump and it knows who you are and charges the credit card.

One tap and that’s it. Nice.

That’s funny, as we don’t buy gas anymore. When charging there is no human payment transaction. You just plug in the charger. The charger talks to your car and identifies your account automatically. Now that is cool!

 

[tulak]

We recently rode the Metro in Newcastle and it uses Apple Pay, as do all the buses around here.



For those of you with numberless cards in the USA do you still require signatures for purchases over the contactless limit?

This reminds me of using Apple Pay on buses in suburbs around London. Originally I was worried that I’d need cash, but contactless payments are everywhere nowadays.

I don’t know what’s the contactless limit, but I’ve never been prompted for a signature when using Apple Pay. DGF used her contactless credit card on our recent trip and was prompted for a signature. But that’s not a numberless credit card?

 

[tulak]

Really? I hadn’t encountered using Apple Pay at ticket machines. That’s encouraging. Last Europe visit was 2019.



I had heard about the London Underground.



I’ve been in many situations in Europe where cash was not an option or involved an extremely long wait.

I was surprised at the cash option.

For long distance train tickets, I buy online when planning the trip. For local trains/metro, I’d buy at the station.

Besides the machine in Rome, I can’t remember a machine that didn’t accept contactless payments. I always used Apple Pay, but it does make me wonder what would happen if I used a signature required credit card? Maybe that wouldn’t work?

 

[Alan]

I haven’t come across a limit yet on Apple Pay other than the credit card limit associated with the phone and have bought items costing hundreds. There is no limit because of the authentication when using it is more secure than a signature.

With contactless there is a limit on the amount - in the UK it is currently £100 - and you will be prompted from time to time to use the PIN depending on the bank’s contactless protocols. e.g. you may be prompted after every 10 successive contactless transactions without a larger transaction requiring a PIN occurring.

 

[braumeister]

I don’t know what’s the contactless limit, but I’ve never been prompted for a signature when using Apple Pay.

I have, many times. Even for small amounts. No way to predict it in advance.

 

[tulak]

I have, many times. Even for small amounts. No way to predict it in advance.

Interesting. I guess I’ve been lucky.

 

[audreyh1]

I just wish HEB would get contactless+Apple Pay! They took forever to upgrade to chip cards. They are my biggest holdout although one of the hardware stores - Lowes or Home Depot - recently didn’t take contactless/Apple Pay.

I ping on HEB occasionally to get with the program. Looks like I’m not the only one ha ha.

I may have to try the HEB GO app to wand while shopping. DH mentions it occasionally. I guess I just haven’t been that organized.

Oh well, none of the HEBs in the Valley support it. I guess it’s going to take them a while to support that too.

 

[KarenF]

It’s system driven. If the merchant uses something like Square and you have an email or text address registered from previous transactions, no signature is required for contactless transactions. Your receipt is an email or text sent to you immediately.
I work part time at a winery that uses Square and we get foreign visitors many who use their phones or Apple watches to make transactions. Most folks from the US still insist on inserting something. They usually comment that they have never tapped.

I am trying to get into the habit of tapping but insert my card out of habit a lot. Using my phone (Android) to pay is hit or miss, but works more consistently lately.

 

[GaryInCO]

It would violate my rule against having any financial apps on my phone or tablet.

I don't put financial apps on my phone either, and don't pay with my phone.

It may have changed some, but for many sites your email is a "financial app." Most sites have a "forgot password" link, and most of them mail the password-recovery link to your registered email address. If the bad guy has your phone and can open your email, you're in trouble.

My bank is similar. They will text a password-recovery key to your already-registered phone number. But again, if the bad guy has your phone ...

 

[rmcelwee]

Two data points:

1) I signed up for a card to get the "spend $1,000 and get $250 back" reward. I used to card exactly one time - over the phone to buy tires for my truck. After the purchase I put the card in a folder in my filing cabinet and never touched it again. Five years later it was charged $5,000 for airline tickets to Kenya even though it never left that folder - ever.

2) My mother in law started a part time job years ago at a huge credit card call center with hundreds of other people. The first day they sat her down in front of a computer with millions of customer accounts.

There is no way to be safe from fraud...

 

[gutterman]

It is my understanding a cut off finger will not work as it requires a finger that is "alive". On another note, a few years ago the FBI sued Apple to unlock the phone of some dead terrorist/mass shooter. Eventually the FBI dropped the suit because a hacker came forward and offered to unlock it. It's rumored the FBI paid over a million dollars.



All this is to say I am not sure about an Android phone, but some common thief unlocking your Iphone is unlikely unless you do it for him.

 

[OldShooter]

It may have changed some, but for many sites your email is a "financial app." Most sites have a "forgot password" link, and most of them mail the password-recovery link to your registered email address. If the bad guy has your phone and can open your email, you're in trouble.

My bank is similar. They will text a password-recovery key to your already-registered phone number. But again, if the bad guy has your phone ...

Well, certainly no system is perfect, but in order to do what you say:

1: The bad guy needs to successfully guess and contact one of the bank or brokerage houses I use. None of these are listed in my phone's contacts file.

2: The bad guy needs to successfully guess my user name on the account. The names I use on financial sites are unique and used nowhere else. I believe that few, if any, financial sites will reveal whether a failed login is due to an unknown user ID or email address. A request for a reset message for an unknown user or email address will appear successful to the bad guy but no reset message is sent.

So ... IMO not quite as easy as you say.