Virtual Credit Cards

[shmokes]

Okay, I've been doing more and more shopping on the internet and, while I'm pretty careful about not buying from websites that don't look legit, I'm not as careful as I should be.  I know that some people are able to create 1-time use cards where you find out the total for something and then have a new credit card with a unique number issued for exactly the purchase amount.  The amount is then taken from your real account, but that card then becomes useless even if it is stolen.

Is this a service offered by specific banks or credit card companies or can anyone do it?  Specifically I want to start doing this with my Visa CheckCard because I know that debit cards offer less protection for theft/fraud than do credit cards.

Can anyone point me to a website where these disposable credit card numbers can be obtained?

[HaRuMaN]

That sounds like a good idea.  I'd be interested in that as well.

[Samstag]

American Express offers it (I think they started it).  I think all AE cards have the option, but I think they also all have yearly membership fees which is why I don't use one anymore.  Before I dropped my account about 3 years ago, I used the one-time-use option a few times and it was pretty easy.  It's all web-based so you can get a number in minutes any time you want one.

[pointdablame]

American Express offers it (I think they started it).  I think all AE cards have the option, but I think they also all have yearly membership fees which is why I don't use one anymore.  Before I dropped my account about 3 years ago, I used the one-time-use option a few times and it was pretty easy.  It's all web-based so you can get a number in minutes any time you want one.

American Express cards are available without membership fees or annual fees.  Their blue line of cards is just like any other credit card, as opposed to the other AE cards being basically a cash card.

I just got my first credit card (American Express Blue) to build up my credit.  I'll have to take a look to see if they do offer this, as it would be something I'd like to use.

[rampy]

I'd be surprsised to see this feature in a debit card (unless it was a really progressive bank)

MBNA credit cards offer this... I use disposable CC numbers tied to my main account and limit the total dollars allowed... all the time...  (especially when doing those freexyzipodmacminioffers.com offers) Each generated number is only usable at one vendor (so if I use a number for bobs discount buttons, if it gets stolen/missapropriated it can't be used at paypal or sears or anywhere BUT bobs discount buttons... but only up to the preset limit i set it at)

*shrug*

rampy

[Hoagie_one]

i believe you can do it via paypal as well

[pointdablame]

i believe you can do it via paypal as well

ya know, I always thought that you could too, but i went to look for that a few weeks back and couldn't find it.  They either took it away, or I just missed it, but if someone knows for sure, please let me know.

[cholin]

Theres some crap that I saw through an ad, it offered you virtual cards.  You bought money, and they gave you an account number and expiry date.  Your account number would be used as an American Express card number if you bought stuff online.  Forget where I saw it, so can't help you there