Compromised Debit Card and Getting a Replacement on the Road?

https://clark.com/personal-finance-credit/never-use-debit-card-pay/

I pay for EVERYTHING by credit card all around the country without regard to anything but the price. I've never had my number compromised, needed a reversal of charge, etc. The protections on debit cards are a courtesy extended to customer by the bank or card issuer. They are not required by law so they can go away at any moment. Credit card liability is limited by law.

 

https://clark.com/personal-finance-credit/never-use-debit-card-pay/

A debit card doesn’t have the same legal protections that a credit card does.

Here’s a look at the basic protections and consequences of what happens in cases of debit card fraud versus credit card fraud, courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission.

Debit Card Fraud:

• You’re responsible for a maximum of $50 of unauthorized transactions if you report the card as lost or stolen within two business days.
• Didn’t report the fraud within two days? Your maximum burden goes up to $500 if someone uses your physical debit card without your permission — if you report the fraudulent charges within 60 days after your statement is mailed to you.
• Didn’t make that 60-day window to report fraud? You face potential unlimited damage if someone uses your ATM or debit card without your permission.

Contrast that with the level of protection you get when you use a credit card.

Credit Card Fraud:

• You are not responsible for unauthorized charges under federal law if your credit card number is stolen.
• You won’t be held liable for more than $50 in unauthorized charges if your actual card is stolen.

Clearly, you get a lot more leeway when you use a credit card instead of a debit card!

 

Yeah but every credit card company has that policy. You haven't done anything special to not get compromised you've just been lucky. I've gone years without it happening then have it happen several times in a year. I pay attention to what I'm swiping to see if there's a skimmer. Where I always figure it happens is when we go out to eat and the waiter or waitress takes the card away to pay the bill. That's the only thing I can figure. But on the other hand I've had random charges that weren't mine just pop up when we hadn't gone anywhere which makes me think somewhere I ordered something online was hacked. Who knows. Thing is you're not going to get wiped out if you don't ever use the pin#

 

I never use my debit card anymore. I use one credit card for everything and transfer money once a week to clear the balance. Then I use the cash back to buy clothes I need.

 

Maybe I've just been lucky for 30 years. That's good enough for me. They key difference between credit card and debit card is who's money are customer and "bank" arguing about? With a credit card, the possibly fraudulent charge, is just an entry on my statement. It's not money out of my account. That amount isn't quarantined in my bank account in case the charge is real. That money being paid to the crook doesn't prevent me from paying my rent/mortgage, buy groceries, or generate a over-draft fee when I pay my money for those things while the bank and I work out what happened.

I understand some people use debit cards and will keep using them. I understand the real benefit debit cards do have in controlling spending. Neither of those people should change what they are doing now. The one thing that really can't be disputed is that a debit card has less protection than a credit card. For the credit card there is just one limit ($50 or 75) that might apply if the consumer did everything carelessly. With a debit card there is more than one limit and that limit changes over 2 days, a few days, 60 days. It starts out $50, increases to $500, maxes out at your bank balance. So credit and debit may be roughly as secure as the other, nobody can argue a debit card is more secure than a credit card, and almost all consumer affair types argue the credit card is safer than debit for fraud. Accepting every debit card provider follows the same policy, with is equivalent to credit card companies, it's still just corporate policy, not law. It can change overnight or by end of the month. Do what you want. I'll do what I want. My credit card spending and full payoff raises my credit score which makes other things easier and less expensive if/when I need to do them.

 

They didn't even spot the fraudulent transactions. They have in the past, but I actually noticed them and then had to dispute them. Then I had to type up statement to back that dispute up. At the time transactions happened, I was traveling in Kansas and Colorado. All of those transactions happened at Wawa locations in Maryland lol.

 

In this day of all kinds of fraud, one would be wise to check one's bank and credit card balances once or twice a day. They all have online access, and it only takes a minute or two to log in and check. The faster you catch it, the faster it is resolved.

 

I would also say Apple Pay or Google Pay using your cell phone as tap to pay like someone else already did. I believe they still generate a fake credit card number basically. So Apple or Google are the only ones with your real credit card number.

I had Google pay or wallet. it did not seem to work the best. Switched to Apple and Apple Pay works all the time. I hope Google improved by now.

My credit card company now also lets me create a virtual credit card also. So if you want pay for Amazon or Netflix or anything online. They can create a new card number I can use for one account only like Amazon. If they get that credit are number it won’t do anything because it only works on Amazon.

 

I have all my CC's and debit cards set up now to send a text confirmation on every transaction. Much easier to stop a fraudulent transaction than to get it reimbursed.

We've had several company cards compromised, and it's a ginormous PIA if a driver is in BFE trying to pay for a tire and the card is shut off.