Poll: Single Use Credit Card Number from Discover & Amex

[dealchecker]

Rather than using your real credit card number to shop online, you can use a secure, free one-time use number instead. You will receive a unique number that is linked to your actual Card account each time you shop. Provided by both Amex and Discover.

Discover:

you can enjoy smarter online shopping with a new level of Internet security
With the Discover deskshop virtual credit card, you can take advantage of all these great benefits:

* Single-use card number -- a unique card number for purchases at a single online store. Your Discover(R) Card Account number need not travel the 'Net
* Single click form-fills for online checkout
* Exclusive savings and special offers
* Online shopping tools including user name and password storage for any site on the Web, access to your complete order history at any time and merchant e-mail management -- block unwanted messages

Discover deskshop virtual credit card: http://discoverdeskshop.card2.novusnet.com/discover/service/app_InternetSecurity.htm

Signup: https://discoverdeskshop.card2.novusnet.com/discover/service/appearance/discover/choices.htm



Amex:

Now, rather than using your American Express® Card account number to shop online, you can use a secure, free Private PaymentsSM number instead. By using Private Payments, you will receive a unique number that is linked to your actual Card account each time you shop. Use Private Payments to protect your Card account information online.

http://www.americanexpress.com/privatepayments/

The difference between Discover and Amex is: Discover can be used for:
Single, one-time purchases; Multiple purchases from the same online store, such as one that remembers your information for faster checkout; Recurring charges, such as your monthly Internet Provider fee

However Discover can be used only at participating websites, which covers most of the merchants though.

Amex can be used at anywhere online, but can not be used for recurring charges

 

[Healey]

MBNA also has a similar service "ShopSafe". It's available for both their Visa and Matercards. You can set a dollar limit and time limit.

Works at any online site.

MBNA

 

[perry]

How do those work if you need to return something? Do they still accept credits and no charges? Enquiring minds.....

 

[badtz42]

Thanks Healey, I set up my Discover Desktop up the other day and I didn't know my MBNA had this service also. Very nice. Now all they need to do is itnergrate these features in Quicken and I would be so happy!

 

[Laibach]

I was looking at the Discover thing and I noticed something...

They say they generate a unique credit card number that can only be used at that merchant (the one you are currently shopping at). This number is linked to your real card. It expires when your real card does...unless you call Discover up. This info was all on the Discover web page.

So unless I am wrong lets see. You go to a online store. You order something with your unique number that is just for your store. It does not expire. Someone steals your number. Even though they cant use it at other stores they can use it at that one.

Does anyone know anything more? Am I wrong about this?

 

[Easygoing]

Great post, thanks for the information.

 

[RoadRuner]

that discover flaw is a pretty big one, the trust model of verification of address etc, is done with the first charge at a mail order hardware company, for instance, they probably would not look twice, if someone stole your CC, at the same store, and changed the shipping address, since you've already legit purchased something from them before.


hmm..

 

[Doug117]

Howdy there, i just signed up for the Deskshop myself, works great... and for those of you worried about the same number being used for the same merchant, heres a clip from their FAQ

"Your single-use card number works for one or multiple purchases at an online store and for recurring charges such as your monthly Internet Service Provider fee. You choose whether you want to use your single-use card number for one purchase or continue to use that single-use card number at the same store in the future."

So, yes, you can use the same number for the same merchant, or you can generate a new one everytime. And I was just about to get a AMEX Blue too.....

 

[snowbug]

AmericanExpress will send you a card reader free of charge. However, the card reader will not work on Win2000, both serial version and USB version. They say it is a software problem (the driver) and hopefully it will be fixed in the future. I am using 2000 for all my PCs so I was not able to use the reader although I've got two of them. Anyone knows if thes card reader can read regular smart card, like the DirectTV card?

Maybe they should come up with a driver for Linux, too.

 

[Ponyboy25]

Big thanx to Healey and dealchecker. I just signed on both of my cards, and think this is a great idea since I'm always hanging out in this forum and shelling out the cash for the deals. Wish I woulda known about this before.

 

[Lex Luthor]

Hey,

What about me?! Where is my credit???

The AMEX portion of this was just a repost of my thread yesterday

Arg, ok..so many my Subject wasen't as good. At least the more ppl that know about this the better

My Thread

Seems like this is great for becoming a "new" customer over and over.

I also posted a thread about the card reader yesterday. I had the serial one and that sucked and I never used it and I only noticed yesterday that they have a USB one. Their web page will charge you if you already ordered the serial one, but if you call Amex they will waive the charge and send a USB one out.

Lex

 

[Lex Luthor]

Someone posed a good question on any board.

With the amex payments, it's a one time use credit card.

What if a vendor like buy.com breaks the order into two parts and charges twice? Will it not go though?

Lex

 

[namlook]

When I try to use MBNA shopsafe I just get a blank window that pops up. Anyone else have this problem or is anyone else actually using MBNA shopsafe successfully?

 

[Healey]

I've used MBNA safeshop twice today. One thing nice about it that amex doesn't offer is that you can use the safeshop generated number at non-online merchants. For instance ordering over the phone.

 

[Soldierman2]

namlook I suspect you may have a problem with flash player.

try going to a flash site and see if it work with other things.
at any case reinstall flash and posibly mbna shopsafe.

mine worked fine also

 

[dealchecker]

Lex Luthor, I will give you credit. Thanks

 

[fragarific]

re-think your polls

 

[tch]

I'll stick with the ol' Web Certificate when I'm really worried about security, it's worth the few bucks.

 

[tsee]

I tried to register with MBNA but it requires registration with MBNA NetAcccess first. So I tried to sign up for that but it says Unsuccessful. Do you need an MBNA credit card to use the service?

Also. what exactly is the difference between webcertificate and ecount besides the fact that you can email money to someone? Are there any?

Thanks.

 

[Ponyboy25]

Yes, you need an MBNA card.