Using prepaid cards/gift cards to make your e-cig purchases

[Panini]

Hi all,

I have read a couple of threads pertaining to concerns about CC fraud and how to deal with it. A popular suggestion is to buy a prepaid CC and use that to make your online purchases through vendors you haven't been to before or aren't sure about. I think this is a fabulous idea since we can only get our equipment/juice online.

Just a friendly warning...don't be stupid like me and get a card that doesn't allow you to register your name and address on it. The payment processing most online suppliers (and definitely most e-cig suppliers) use will attempt to confirm your billing information and if you have a card that doesn't allow you to add it, it will be declined.

Result: I'm going shopping this weekend for random items and now have to get a different card to buy my Ego

 

[debb]

I also do that too...and yes make sure you can register for online purchases...Don't ask me how I know...

 

[VPDownunder]

The pre paid cards here all have fees and more fees, every time you need to put more cash on them they hit you with more yet again and you end up paying $10 or more extra for every purchase, uh no thanks lol.

 

[instamix]

If you want to use a gift card like the vanilla gift cards you see all over the place be sure NOT to get the VISA.

The vanilla mastercard can be registered online and used for internet purchases...
bottom line...make sure it can be used for internet purchases before buying.....

 

[debb]

Actually ...mastercard was one of best cards I used...Had trouble with the visa ones...I got a couple gift cards(mastercard) no problem with them...except sites that didn't except mastercard.... lol

 

[brandon555]

The prepaid Visa at wally world isn't bad. Three bus a month maintenance fee and a three dollar fee to load it.

 

[PaulCincy]

Ordered from two new on-line stores a few days ago,,,,vaper stuff....and my Visa was compromised...
Had to reorder a new Visa card yesterday....Visa Security stated that my card was used
in Georgia, and Texas....Seeing I live and didn't travel outside of Ohio this past week....
I assured them it wasn't me...They also stated that a lot of expenses were for Amazon.com stuff...
Still wondering of the two....Will let you know if ever I can
figure it out...Be carefull out there....But, of course,,,,,Enjoy the Adventure...

 

[PoliticallyIncorrect]

For me, the pre-paid cards have a psychological effect that helps me restrict my spending. If I sink, say, $200 into one, I've got a set, finite amount that's harder for me to ignore than a credit limit, the balance of which I'm only vaguely aware of--and doesn't seem like real money, anyway.

Whether that's a good thing or not is another question

 

[instamix]

For me, the pre-paid cards have a psychological effect that helps me restrict my spending. If I sink, say, $200 into one, I've got a set, finite amount that's harder for me to ignore than a credit limit, the balance of which I'm only vaguely aware of--and doesn't seem like real money, anyway.

Whether that's a good thing or not is another question

sounds like a good thing to me...

 

[debb]

For me, the pre-paid cards have a psychological effect that helps me restrict my spending. If I sink, say, $200 into one, I've got a set, finite amount that's harder for me to ignore than a credit limit, the balance of which I'm only vaguely aware of--and doesn't seem like real money, anyway.

Whether that's a good thing or not is another question

That's the way I look at it too....

 

[Houdini]

Ordered from two new on-line stores a few days ago,,,,vaper stuff....and my Visa was compromised...
Had to reorder a new Visa card yesterday....Visa Security stated that my card was used
in Georgia, and Texas....Seeing I live and didn't travel outside of Ohio this past week....
I assured them it wasn't me...They also stated that a lot of expenses were for Amazon.com stuff...
Still wondering of the two....Will let you know if ever I can
figure it out...Be carefull out there....But, of course,,,,,Enjoy the Adventure...

Were those purchases for vapor stuff from vendors on this site?

 

[Strigoi]

i had a couple of fraudulent purchases made with one of my cards after ordering e-cig stuff. luckily i caught it very quickly and it wasn't that big of a deal. i did have to cancel that card and get a new one though. that will be a hassle since i had stuff that was automatically billed to it which will now need to be updated.

i found that Discover (who i have a card through) has secure online account numbers. they are used online so that your actual info is not given to the merchant. i can generate a new one each time and that way am able to see where the number is getting stolen from if it happens again. the number is good until the expiration date on your card.

here's a link to some info on it if anyone with a Discover card is interested.

Online Security & Protection - Online Account Numbers : Discover

 

[hushedpuppy]

I have a question about the prepaid gift cards. Do you figure out exactly how much you want to buy and then get the card in that amount? I thought about getting one from my bank each month when I order supplies, but I didn't know what to do if I had a stray little amount like $2.48 left on there after my purchases. What happens to the $2.48?

I had a greendot card but read on several card review sites where people had problems with the reload cards getting compromised and telephone CSR's were offshore and not very helpful. Plus, if I'm going to pay a reload fee, I might as well get a gift card from my bank for the same amt of money as the reload fee. So I canceled greendot.

What I'm doing now is transferring just enough money to a checking acct that is used only for online purchases and using the debit card for that acct to order e-cig supplies. Is that just as good?

Anybody who could tell me if I've found a good enough solution or if there's a better way (except a credit card, don't want one), I'd be beholden.

 

[kushka]

I have a question about the prepaid gift cards. Do you figure out exactly how much you want to buy and then get the card in that amount? I thought about getting one from my bank each month when I order supplies, but I didn't know what to do if I had a stray little amount like $2.48 left on there after my purchases. What happens to the $2.48?

Before I found out that my citibank card had the same type generate a virtual one time use numbers that Strigoi was talking about with Discover - I would but gift cards from my bank to use online.

I would usually buy then for amounts $200 each. They cost $6 total. I would have to register them online if I wanted to associate an address with them - which you need to do for online use.

When the cards balance was low-I would either take them back to the bank and use the balance toward the purchase of a new card, or just when I made my next purchase at as regular store tell the clerk to take $2.48 from the card and I would pay the balance in cash -

The amount on bank gift cards are just as secure and replaceable as a credit card when stolen - but with much smaller values on each - the crook is very limited in the damage he can do.

 

[instamix]

What kushka said is a good idea,because you CAN and do end up with stray amounts on the card.
I've rented tons of $1 redbox videos with those stray amounts lol....
after about 6 months you get hit with a service charge that wipes out the stray money on the card,I'm sure they make a ton of moola doing this.

I never really thought about using the stray amount towards the purchase of the next card(some good thinkin there)

 

[hushedpuppy]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, kushka. I like the idea of applying the balance toward buying the next card. Even though it will cost the same $5.95, it won't seem so much like it if some of that money was already spent, anyway.

after about 6 months you get hit with a service charge that wipes out the stray money on the card,I'm sure they make a ton of moola doing this.

Kinda like Gus Gorman in Superman III.