What does your credit card say about you?

[gogreengowhite]

I woke up this morning to a text and email from Chase that they declined a purchase at GTL Inmate Telephone Service.

It once took almost 2 minutes for Chase to approve a purchase I was making at Wal-Mart (it was the only store on our way to the ocean and we needed swim diapers. I had never shopped there before)

I feel like they really get me. I'm just a Midwestern working mom who spends most of her money on groceries, gas, take out and her kids. Not likely to wind up in jail or shop at Wal-Mart.

[dexteroni]

lol. Millions of midwestern working parents shop at Walmart. The delay was more likely due to a slow connection or system than anything else. At most, it may have been because it was a store outside of your typical shopping habits or geographical area. Chase wasn't making a qualitative statement about you or Walmart. I don't shop at Walmart either, but let's not be too snobby about it.

The prison thing is probably a common scam, but you should probably contact your CC company to find out if you need to do anything. Someone may have just been trying random numbers, but it's possible that someone has your account number. Probably someone at Walmart.

[gogreengowhite]

Ha, yeah I was kidding about the WM part.

I had to deal with WM corporate at my old job and it was terrible. So when it was super slow I joked to my husband "see my card is even confused why we are here"

I know it was a fluke but I found it funny.

[Deleted]

Citi let a fraudulent charge go through last week for a $100 Starbucks card refill, so after 11 years of banking together so clearly they don't know me at all.

I would guess that the Wal-Mart purchase was questionable more because it was near the ocean (midwesterners don't live near oceans, and charges in places you don't live near can be likely to be flagged) than anything else. Also, sometimes the approval systems are slow simply because the connection is slow.

[Susie]

Bragplaint gold star: "lol, can you believe I actually shopped at Walmart, even my credit card company balked!"

Fraudulent charges are typically identified using algorithms that assess the likelihood that the purchase is legitimately made by the card owner/authorized user, it's not a person making a value judgment.  The algorithms are really interesting, and very good.  Or, like others have said, the connection was probably just slow.  I don't think what happened says anything about you at all though.

[busterpup]

My credit card company knows that if I don't spend half of my paycheck at Costco by the end of the month then they should send a search party. They haven't had to release the hounds yet

[h]

I am confused. Aren't Midwestern moms who spend most of their money on groceries, gas, and their kids pretty much Walmart's bread and butter? I am no huge fan of Walmart or anything, but it is not like people only go there for ammo and Duck Dynasty beer mugs. They have groceries and diapers and such.

[Deleted]

Jul 22, 2014 8:40:59 GMT -5 h said:

I am confused. Aren't Midwestern moms who spend most of their money on groceries, gas, and their kids pretty much Walmart's bread and butter? I am no huge fan of Walmart or anything, but it is not like people only go there for ammo and Duck Dynasty beer mugs. They have groceries and diapers and such.

I couldn't like this twice, so I had to quote you instead. Awesome. 

I really thought this post was going to be like, ok if you have an Old Navy Visa and use it for rewards it means this about you. If you have a cash back card and put everything on it, then you're more like this. I was looking for deep insight about what my credit cards say about my personality!! Haha.

[gogreengowhite]

I know, I know I'm an asshole because I hate Wal-mart!

It was a joke. I suck at humor today.

This was supposed to be more of a "I'm so boring" type thread.

I failed

[rubytue]

I don't know. Sometimes they can be that quick. When I tried to buy my flights to Ireland online, my phone was ringing while I was still staring at the "declined" screen online thinking WTF?! Seriously, like under 90 seconds.

Our card was also declined when we bought our kayaks. We bought them the same day from 2 different places (Bass Pro and REI). Citi wasn't so cool with that.

But, Barclay was fine with me shopping at walmart. It's also the only place I've had to use my chip. It wouldn't take it as a swipe, but yet, it didn't ask for PIN or signature.

[Deleted]

Jul 22, 2014 9:04:05 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I don't know. Sometimes they can be that quick. When I tried to buy my flights to Ireland online, my phone was ringing while I was still staring at the "declined" screen online thinking WTF?! Seriously, like under 90 seconds.

Our card was also declined when we bought our kayaks. We bought them the same day from 2 different places (Bass Pro and REI). Citi wasn't so cool with that.

But, Barclay was fine with me shopping at walmart. It's also the only place I've had to use my chip. It wouldn't take it as a swipe, but yet, it didn't ask for PIN or signature.

All of the above was Barclay?  They seem to be super quick about declining things.  Any foreign purchase (meaning, purchase made when I'm in the US but the recipient is in another country) I try gets declined.  Even after it is declined, I call them and say that yes, I did want to buy train tickets from Madrid, and they tell me they'll put a note on the account so the charge can go through.

My Arrival+ has worked well abroad though, including PIN transactions.  So that's a huge plus.

[mrst2]

I tried to buy 8 tickets to wicked on ticketmaster and Amex called before they would put it through. They called almost immediately to verify and approve which was good because I didn't want to miss out on the seats I had picked.

[Pom]

Jul 22, 2014 9:04:05 GMT -5 rubytue said:

But, Barclay was fine with me shopping at walmart. It's also the only place I've had to use my chip. It wouldn't take it as a swipe, but yet, it didn't ask for PIN or signature.

Yeah this happened to me too with US Bank.  I was totally confused by this whole process.  The cashier looked at me like I was an idiot.  

[rubytue]

Jul 22, 2014 9:12:40 GMT -5 v said:

Jul 22, 2014 9:04:05 GMT -5 rubytue said:

I don't know. Sometimes they can be that quick. When I tried to buy my flights to Ireland online, my phone was ringing while I was still staring at the "declined" screen online thinking WTF?! Seriously, like under 90 seconds.

Our card was also declined when we bought our kayaks. We bought them the same day from 2 different places (Bass Pro and REI). Citi wasn't so cool with that.

But, Barclay was fine with me shopping at walmart. It's also the only place I've had to use my chip. It wouldn't take it as a swipe, but yet, it didn't ask for PIN or signature.

All of the above was Barclay?  They seem to be super quick about declining things.  Any foreign purchase (meaning, purchase made when I'm in the US but the recipient is in another country) I try gets declined.  Even after it is declined, I call them and say that yes, I did want to buy train tickets from Madrid, and they tell me they'll put a note on the account so the charge can go through.

My Arrival+ has worked well abroad though, including PIN transactions.  So that's a huge plus.

First and third were Barclay. The kayak thing was Citi. And I did get my flights right away. I took a gamble that the phone ringing was them (I never answer my home phone) and talked to someone who authorized it. And I called back to put a travel OK on my account when I needed to make some hotel reservations that required a small deposit.

[rubytue]

Jul 22, 2014 9:19:47 GMT -5 Pom said:

Jul 22, 2014 9:04:05 GMT -5 rubytue said:

But, Barclay was fine with me shopping at walmart. It's also the only place I've had to use my chip. It wouldn't take it as a swipe, but yet, it didn't ask for PIN or signature.

Yeah this happened to me too with US Bank.  I was totally confused by this whole process.  The cashier looked at me like I was an idiot.  

Same here. But then she asked me "what's the point of the chip anyway?" Lol

[cjeanette]

My USAA card keeps putting a hold on itself every month when my 12 or more subscribe and save charges go through. To many small charges to one place. I have to call every single month. Clearly they don't know me.

[bettyfinn]

I've had issues when trying to buy plane tickets from European carriers while still in the US, most recently the other day, despite making similar purchases annually around the same time. I'm okay with it as I like the idea that the credit card companies are actively trying to protect me from fraud.

What I am less comfortable with is what my credit cards think about the communities in which I frequent. I come from a relatively poor neighborhood in an urban area. I was recently visiting my family there and stopped at a grocery store. My card was declined. I tried a few times and eventually just paid in cash (I prefer credit for the airline miles). Before I could even get to my car, my phone was ringing and it was my CC company asking me if I tried to use the card at the grocery store. Turns out that because that store has a high number of fraudulent card transactions, they have it on high alert and automatically declined me. I understand their interest in being proactive, but it made me sad that the CC company has decided my neighborhood grocery store isn't safe for their card users.

[Susie]

Jul 22, 2014 11:07:05 GMT -5 bettyfinn said:

I've had issues when trying to buy plane tickets from European carriers while still in the US, most recently the other day, despite making similar purchases annually around the same time. I'm okay with it as I like the idea that the credit card companies are actively trying to protect me from fraud.

What I am less comfortable with is what my credit cards think about the communities in which I frequent. I come from a relatively poor neighborhood in an urban area. I was recently visiting my family there and stopped at a grocery store. My card was declined. I tried a few times and eventually just paid in cash (I prefer credit for the airline miles). Before I could even get to my car, my phone was ringing and it was my CC company asking me if I tried to use the card at the grocery store. Turns out that because that store has a high number of fraudulent card transactions, they have it on high alert and automatically declined me. I understand their interest in being proactive, but it made me sad that the CC company has decided my neighborhood grocery store isn't safe for their card users.

I totally get how that is annoying, but it's not a value judgment or "decision" on the part of the card issuer.  It's just straight statistics, like risk pools for insurance.  It should not make you sad, any more so than it should make you sad to own a specific make/model of car that may have higher insurance rates because it's statistically more likely than others to be stolen.

[wise_rita]

Jul 22, 2014 11:07:05 GMT -5 bettyfinn said:

I've had issues when trying to buy plane tickets from European carriers while still in the US, most recently the other day, despite making similar purchases annually around the same time. I'm okay with it as I like the idea that the credit card companies are actively trying to protect me from fraud.

What I am less comfortable with is what my credit cards think about the communities in which I frequent. I come from a relatively poor neighborhood in an urban area. I was recently visiting my family there and stopped at a grocery store. My card was declined. I tried a few times and eventually just paid in cash (I prefer credit for the airline miles). Before I could even get to my car, my phone was ringing and it was my CC company asking me if I tried to use the card at the grocery store. Turns out that because that store has a high number of fraudulent card transactions, they have it on high alert and automatically declined me. I understand their interest in being proactive, but it made me sad that the CC company has decided my neighborhood grocery store isn't safe for their card users.

To expand on what Susie said, you being "uncomfortable" about this means more credit card fraud and higher operating costs that are passed down to the customers.

Just because you're offended doesn't mean you have right to be.

[bettyfinn]

Oh, I wasn't offended and didn't mean to come across that way. I completely understand *why* credit cards do these things. It makes sense. But, when I was on the phone with the credit card company, all I could think about was a hypothetical family that doesn't have any cash on hand (because they are broke) and has to put their groceries on a credit card. What happens when the card gets rejected?

I am the first to admit that I am hyper sensitive about these sorts of things. I don't blame the credit card companies for doing what they do.

[Deleted]

Jul 22, 2014 5:50:38 GMT -5 gogreengowhite said:

I woke up this morning to a text and email from Chase that they declined a purchase at GTL Inmate Telephone Service.

It once took almost 2 minutes for Chase to approve a purchase I was making at Wal-Mart (it was the only store on our way to the ocean and we needed swim diapers. I had never shopped there before)

I feel like they really get me. I'm just a Midwestern working mom who spends most of her money on groceries, gas, take out and her kids. Not likely to wind up in jail or shop at Wal-Mart.

Are you sure Wal-Mart's internet didn't just suck?

[Deleted]

Aug 4, 2014 12:53:22 GMT -5 bettyfinn said:

Oh, I wasn't offended and didn't mean to come across that way. I completely understand *why* credit cards do these things. It makes sense. But, when I was on the phone with the credit card company, all I could think about was a hypothetical family that doesn't have any cash on hand (because they are broke) and has to put their groceries on a credit card. What happens when the card gets rejected?

I am the first to admit that I am hyper sensitive about these sorts of things. I don't blame the credit card companies for doing what they do.

If the account is in good standing, they can have the store clerk call the bank, bank will ask some identifying questions to make sure they're talking to the actual cardholder, will ask the cardholder the transaction is legit, and then will let it go through.

[emilyinchile]

Jul 22, 2014 11:07:05 GMT -5 bettyfinn said:

I understand their interest in being proactive, but it made me sad that the CC company has decided my neighborhood grocery store isn't safe for their card users.

If it makes you feel better, both of my cards were declined at the Apple store in Soho. The guy said it happens all the time. Fancy places are fraud risks too

I like to think that I challenge the fraud department with my purchases, haha. I once paid for tickets to Colombia, groceries in Santiago and a hotel in Buenos Aires in the space of a few days. They usually let stuff go through, but I'd say I end up calling them about 4x a year to say that it's really me and asking them to let a purchase go through.

[mpc]

My CC correctly identified a fraudulent charge on my card a few months ago - it was about $600 at a Sams about 150 miles away from my house. I really have no idea how they knew it wasn't us because we have a Sams membership, its easy to spend a lot there, and 150 miles isn't really that far away. it doesn't seem crazy to me that we could've charged the $600.

[madringal]

Walmart has been having issues accepting Chase cards for a few months now, nothing personal. And unless you were buying hundreds of dollars in gift cards, a Walmart purchse would fly under the radar.

[definitelyO]

Jul 22, 2014 11:07:05 GMT -5 bettyfinn said:

I've had issues when trying to buy plane tickets from European carriers while still in the US, most recently the other day, despite making similar purchases annually around the same time. I'm okay with it as I like the idea that the credit card companies are actively trying to protect me from fraud.

What I am less comfortable with is what my credit cards think about the communities in which I frequent. I come from a relatively poor neighborhood in an urban area. I was recently visiting my family there and stopped at a grocery store. My card was declined. I tried a few times and eventually just paid in cash (I prefer credit for the airline miles). Before I could even get to my car, my phone was ringing and it was my CC company asking me if I tried to use the card at the grocery store. Turns out that because that store has a high number of fraudulent card transactions, they have it on high alert and automatically declined me. I understand their interest in being proactive, but it made me sad that the CC company has decided my neighborhood grocery store isn't safe for their card users.

this happened to me last week at the grocery store on Mission Beach, San Diego.   The cashier even said that it happens all the time at their store to people from out of town and then when I called our bank they said the same thing... 

[dragonfly08]

We went to Europe for two weeks and didn't use our "regular" cc b/c it has foreign transaction fees (we have a card that doesn't, but rewards aren't as good so it's a "spare" at home but we used it exclusively while away).

The morning after we got home, I went to Home Depot, Trader Joe's and Target, in that order, for a few things we needed right away. In the 10 minutes it took me to drive from TJs to Target, BoA decided my spending looked suspicious and blocked my card.

I'm guessing an delay at Wal-Mart was either due to heavy traffic at the time or triggered by you shopping outside of your home area, as opposed to any judgment that the store was out of character for you. As for the other charge, I'd look into possible fraudulent use and be glad the CC was on top of things.

[Deleted]

My bank called me about a Pizza Hut charge. Clearly they know I like to get my shitty pizza fix at Papa John's.

I still side-eye them for not side-eyeing my drunken late night As Seen on TV shopping and ATM withdrawals from shady alleys. I think their lack of caring is almost offensive. Like "we know she's slightly trashy, so this is okay."