I’m certainly not handing out my card over the phone.
Many companies won’t accept credit cards or debit because of having cheats charge back, and because to avoid companies abusing cards and charging wrong, the onus is very heavily on the comoany. Basically, a charge back means that contractor or whatever isn’t getting paid.
The scam is easy enough to avoid. The first is to know who you’re dealing with, and that they’re authorized to authorize the work. Check the county property maps and match it to their ID. (If it’s corporate, or whatever, then an employee ID or something. Property managers have ways of demonstrating agency.)
Then, take payment before work starts. (Or at least a deposit.)
If that’s too much, then, when an over-payment does arrive, return the uncashed check and ask for a new one. (Or cash it, let the money settle then give the money back.)
I’m certainly not handing out my card over the phone.
Wait till you learn your routing and account numbers are right there, unencrypted, on the check, and there’s basically zero protection against unauthorized drafts in the EFT system.
I think you’re assuming that a merchant who collects card details for payment also stores those details. They do not. The information is immediately tokenized and a 1-way authorization token is returned to the merchant. It’s literally what that little spinny circle when you click “pay” is doing. It’s reaching out to the payment network, which is in turn, reaching out to the card issuer who is proxying it to the issuing bank and asking for authorization.
At no point is your card number retained by the merchant. If the authorization code is somehow leaked, it’s literally only good for a single transaction, and can’t be used to generate future transactions.
Websites are a bit different; you can elect to not store your details, sure, but they’re still running it. Further; you give your card details over the phone, it’s conceivable they can then use it online.
Especially, for example, for food delivery. It’s best practice to not give details over the phone. Originally the whole point of the secret pin thingy (those 3 or 4 digits on the back that are printed and not embossed) were meant to allow you to give the number/name/expiry for the card and have something that prevents this. But these days, most delivery services will just use their website to ‘place’ the order for you.
Why would you use a functional system for the past fifty years that works? Instead of using a third party data harvesting middleman like Venmo/Cash app/Paypal who can reject your purchase because fuck you?
Yep, I scan a QR code that they give me and my bank, any bank in my country, will transfer the requested amount to the restaurant in one click on my phone. With two additional clicks I can send a QR code made by my bank to my friend who can transfer his part to me. Both transfers happen within a second.
On the way home, I pay for public transport by bank transfer by holding my card to the reader when getting on the bus, then off the bus. It’s simple and secure.
We do, but most people are afraid to use them. We have Zelle, which is free. I think the issue is that Zelle isn’t protected. If you send the money to the wrong name/number there is no way to get that money back unless the recipient agrees to it. But there is no law or whatever to force that person to return the money if you are the one who made the mistake.
In Brazil we can send money to each other between bank accounts. There’s even this new and fast system called “Pix”, in which you can, in just some seconds, create a code of a payment request, show it as QRCode, scan it and pay it. It’s pretty neat.
I have received a check for some equity with a previous employer. There is barely any bank on the continent that can do anything with it, so I’ll wait for my next overseas trip to cash it.
I receive checks sometimes. My mother-in-law sends them as a gift, for example. But my credit union just lets me take a photo of the front and back through their app, with ‘VIA MOBILE DEPOSIT’ written on the back.
On the other hand, I couldn’t even tell you the last time I wrote a check.
That same scam is also ran on every other payment method. These would all be prevented by not accepting checks that aren’t for the exact amount and don’t pay the difference in cash to the check writer.
One reason is to avoid card transaction fees. For smaller companies providing often expensive services, like tree felling, they’ll pass on the card transaction fee to the client or recommend they just pay by check to avoid it.
I still have to have a checkbook because my dog groomer and my tree trimmer/gutter cleaner companies both refuse to accept cards. They are small businesses and don’t want to deal with the fees. My options are go get cash every time, or keep a checkbook on hand to write checks. While I understand their reasoning, it’s infuriating that checks even still exist.
Why are Americans still dealing with checks in the age of digital banking?
Because the US detests change of any form, even if it will make things better.
More and more it seems like it’s especially if it’s gonna make things better lol
Boomer contractors who can’t figure out how to take a payment on a mobile device.
I’m certainly not handing out my card over the phone.
Many companies won’t accept credit cards or debit because of having cheats charge back, and because to avoid companies abusing cards and charging wrong, the onus is very heavily on the comoany. Basically, a charge back means that contractor or whatever isn’t getting paid.
The scam is easy enough to avoid. The first is to know who you’re dealing with, and that they’re authorized to authorize the work. Check the county property maps and match it to their ID. (If it’s corporate, or whatever, then an employee ID or something. Property managers have ways of demonstrating agency.)
Then, take payment before work starts. (Or at least a deposit.)
If that’s too much, then, when an over-payment does arrive, return the uncashed check and ask for a new one. (Or cash it, let the money settle then give the money back.)
Wait till you learn your routing and account numbers are right there, unencrypted, on the check, and there’s basically zero protection against unauthorized drafts in the EFT system.
You can’t take account and routing to most websites and buy shit like you can with the card/expiry/secret.
Is it perfect? No. But my bank should catch that anyhow- because I never write paper checks- I go online and tell them to mail one.
I think you’re assuming that a merchant who collects card details for payment also stores those details. They do not. The information is immediately tokenized and a 1-way authorization token is returned to the merchant. It’s literally what that little spinny circle when you click “pay” is doing. It’s reaching out to the payment network, which is in turn, reaching out to the card issuer who is proxying it to the issuing bank and asking for authorization.
At no point is your card number retained by the merchant. If the authorization code is somehow leaked, it’s literally only good for a single transaction, and can’t be used to generate future transactions.
That’s great for PoS terminals.
Websites are a bit different; you can elect to not store your details, sure, but they’re still running it. Further; you give your card details over the phone, it’s conceivable they can then use it online.
Especially, for example, for food delivery. It’s best practice to not give details over the phone. Originally the whole point of the secret pin thingy (those 3 or 4 digits on the back that are printed and not embossed) were meant to allow you to give the number/name/expiry for the card and have something that prevents this. But these days, most delivery services will just use their website to ‘place’ the order for you.
I pay in checks for large bills. I fail to see a problem
The problem is, you don’t know if it’ll bounce till you try.
Why would you use a functional system for the past fifty years that works? Instead of using a third party data harvesting middleman like Venmo/Cash app/Paypal who can reject your purchase because fuck you?
Wait, you guys don’t have bank transfers in the USA? I can send money from my own bank account with no fees to every other bank in my country
Many banks charge a fee for wire transfers, in some instances $20. Zelle is free, but not every bank uses it.
deleted by creator
Yep, I scan a QR code that they give me and my bank, any bank in my country, will transfer the requested amount to the restaurant in one click on my phone. With two additional clicks I can send a QR code made by my bank to my friend who can transfer his part to me. Both transfers happen within a second.
On the way home, I pay for public transport by bank transfer by holding my card to the reader when getting on the bus, then off the bus. It’s simple and secure.
deleted by creator
It’s called Zelle. We have it, it just isn’t as ubiquitous.
deleted by creator
Yes the us has bank transfers. No you are not special
We do, but most people are afraid to use them. We have Zelle, which is free. I think the issue is that Zelle isn’t protected. If you send the money to the wrong name/number there is no way to get that money back unless the recipient agrees to it. But there is no law or whatever to force that person to return the money if you are the one who made the mistake.
Has no one here ever used a debit card?
Y’all don’t have a government option?
In Brazil we can send money to each other between bank accounts. There’s even this new and fast system called “Pix”, in which you can, in just some seconds, create a code of a payment request, show it as QRCode, scan it and pay it. It’s pretty neat.
In America, banks would lobby against it, and Republicans would call it socialism.
I haven’t had a checkbook in a long time.
I have received a check for some equity with a previous employer. There is barely any bank on the continent that can do anything with it, so I’ll wait for my next overseas trip to cash it.
What are you talking about pretty much any bank can cash a check…?
I receive checks sometimes. My mother-in-law sends them as a gift, for example. But my credit union just lets me take a photo of the front and back through their app, with ‘VIA MOBILE DEPOSIT’ written on the back.
On the other hand, I couldn’t even tell you the last time I wrote a check.
That same scam is also ran on every other payment method. These would all be prevented by not accepting checks that aren’t for the exact amount and don’t pay the difference in cash to the check writer.
One reason is to avoid card transaction fees. For smaller companies providing often expensive services, like tree felling, they’ll pass on the card transaction fee to the client or recommend they just pay by check to avoid it.
Which is against the agreement with the banks, but here we are.
I still have to have a checkbook because my dog groomer and my tree trimmer/gutter cleaner companies both refuse to accept cards. They are small businesses and don’t want to deal with the fees. My options are go get cash every time, or keep a checkbook on hand to write checks. While I understand their reasoning, it’s infuriating that checks even still exist.