App purchases + 150 dollars in clothes= fraud flagged CC

[jdubbya]

Sorry for the goofy thread title, I just got back from shopping out of town, got about 150 dollars in clothes and shoes for my wife and I, get to the checkout and my 6000 dollar limit Capital one is declined. Odd, Ive been paying like 1000 dollars a month in bills and paying it off every month. I KNOW for a fact its not maxxed.

I go somewhere else in the mall and buy a coffee just fine with it, later check my email and the Capital One fraud department wants me to call their 1-800 number. Apparently the Google checkout for App purchases (maybe 25 dollars worth) this month raised some red flags. Got that sorted out, confirmed my charges and was able to use my card again.

I think part of the problem is, my card doesnt scan very well anymore, so they had to run it manually at Kohls, I think Capital one was thinking the person using it didnt have the card in their posession.

Anybody else had anything weird like this happen to them?

 

[Backnblack]

I would be ordering a new card....

Never a problem with the check out

 

[jdubbya]

I see where they are coming from, sort of. I was 80 miles away from home, buying lots of clothes.... but, yeah....

Ive heard things like buying the limit in gas at one station (like 100 dollars) filling up again real soon after and then clothes shopping will put a hold on your card.

I think it had to have something to do with the inability to actually scan the card. I ordered a replacement while I was on the phone with the fraud department.

 

[carbonnoid]

Same exact thing happened to me. Whats up with that?

 

[deputc26]

Same exact thing happened to me. Whats up with that?

Was your card manually entered too?

 

[jdubbya]

Same exact thing happened to me. Whats up with that?

Yeessss! This is what I was looking for. Anybody else?


They were trying to manually enter the card at Kohls, because my wallet kills the magno-strips.

 

[thegipper]

I got back from Thailand a few days ago. While i was there i went to buy a phone as a gift(they are gsm, dont ask which one i bought) and my debit-card was declined. I hover around a 10k balance on that account so i was freaking out a little thinking one of my previous transactions scammed me and charged the card through the roof or something. Called the 1-800 number and they flagged it due to the fact that i didn't notify them i'd be out of the country and they saw the recent activity in Thailand. Got it all straightened out, and i'm glad those protections are in place.

 

[Backnblack]

Ive heard things like buying the limit in gas at one station (like 100 dollars) filling up again real soon after and then clothes shopping will put a hold on your card.

I want my CC Company to do things just like that...Might be a PITA but at least someone is looking out for me.

 

[Mateles]

I purchased 2 apps 1 day using virtual numbers with Citi Mastercard. I thought I'd be able to use the same virtual # more than once, but it looks like I can't and ran into some problems. I eventually got them cleared by generating more #s. Then I went to lunch and spent $5 at a place I've been to half a dozen times recently. I got a call from the fraud department asking me to to confirm the lunch bill. Weird.

 

[jdubbya]

I'm not familier with virtual numbers, Ive got my Capital one linked to my google checkout account.

I bet using a one time checkout with my card on my wifes HTC droid didnt help.

 

[KZIWarrior]

I got back from Thailand a few days ago. While i was there i went to buy a phone as a gift(they are gsm, dont ask which one i bought) and my debit-card was declined. I hover around a 10k balance on that account so i was freaking out a little thinking one of my previous transactions scammed me and charged the card through the roof or something. Called the 1-800 number and they flagged it due to the fact that i didn't notify them i'd be out of the country and they saw the recent activity in Thailand. Got it all straightened out, and i'm glad those protections are in place.

BofA does the same thing (though apparently randomly...). Last summer I spent a month traveling Europe and had no alerts or problems. Then in the Spring I went back for just a few days and the card was flagged on the first day (again... after using it for a month before).... I don't mind just wish they were more consistent.

Ive heard things like buying the limit in gas at one station (like 100 dollars) filling up again real soon after and then clothes shopping will put a hold on your card.

I want my CC Company to do things just like that...Might be a PITA but at least someone is looking out for me.

Yep, better safe than sorry (just like your sig says:icon_ banana.

 

[justbob]

If you're going to make a large purchase or travel out of the country, etc... you can call the 800 number on the back of the card and let them know in advance. That way you won't get flagged at the wrong time.

 

[iPirate]

Sorry for the goofy thread title, I just got back from shopping out of town, got about 150 dollars in clothes and shoes for my wife and I, get to the checkout and my 6000 dollar limit Capital one is declined. Odd, Ive been paying like 1000 dollars a month in bills and paying it off every month. I KNOW for a fact its not maxxed.

I go somewhere else in the mall and buy a coffee just fine with it, later check my email and the Capital One fraud department wants me to call their 1-800 number. Apparently the Google checkout for App purchases (maybe 25 dollars worth) this month raised some red flags. Got that sorted out, confirmed my charges and was able to use my card again.

I think part of the problem is, my card doesnt scan very well anymore, so they had to run it manually at Kohls, I think Capital one was thinking the person using it didnt have the card in their posession.

Anybody else had anything weird like this happen to them?

this is because of your card/bank. My bank called me once because I purchassed a mattress, the fraud depth typically watches for unusual purchases so I'm not surprised.

 

[masiv]

Same happened to me with CitiBank. The app I purchased was from England so CitiBank blocked it until they verified with me. After that I have not had a problem.

 

[TimChgo9]

I haven't had a credit card since 1994...Just better that way. It makes renting cars and what not a PITA, but, I figure my life is a bit easier without credit cards.

I had three of them in my first marriage... first wife liked to buy stuff, and she went a spending spree about two months before she divorced me, and initially stuck me with the bill.... I fought back and forced her to pay half... still stuck me with about 4 grand.

No, I don't use CC's for the time being. When I get back on my feet, I probably will, but for the moment, I am better off without them.