Pony Talk > Off Topic

Banking, Paypal etc.

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Artemesia's Garden:
Hi all,

I have recently been reviewing the financial services that I use, mainly because we are moving house (woohoo!) and I needed to update my addresses.

I got a bit of a shock with Barclaycard because they said thay can't change my address unless they have a mobile number for me already or I use the app. Two years ago I had deleted my 'phone number with them to avoid thier over zealous anti-fraud measures - I was trying to organise a wedding and I kept getting pinged all the time, like whenever I paid for something over £100. I don't wish to go into a branch with so much COVID around, I don't wish to maintain yet another service via an app, I don't even have a smartphone (by choice) lol. So I got huffy and deleted my account. I had Barclaycard Platinum for around 20 years with few problems until recently but this is how it ends :blink:

So why do I need a credit card at all? Well, payment protection used to be really good with Barclaycard, and now I dojn't have that 'extra peace of mind'. Also I guess it also helped to groom my credit rating a little. So what can I use instead to get payment protection? 

I have had Paypal for years, mainly to transfer money to people or buy ponies. There are some protections with Paypal I thought, so maybe I could use it more and tick that box? So I started looking into Paypal and recently there have been a lot of complaints about it, e.g. taking money from the wrong account, lack of customer service etc. So my question is, if you would like to share, do you have a credit card and if so why do you use it? Also, do you have Paypal, is it still the main way that people transfer money to other people or buy stuff in the pony community and if so, have you had any problems with it?

I feel like my world is just contracting as I get naffed off with 'technology' and opt out. Facebook, Google, my credit card... what will be next?


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LadyAmalthea:
Love the picture...haha, I live near an Amish community and every time I drive through it I get envious; other than the religion part, I wish I could live that way! I don't think they are too welcoming of outsiders, though.

I have 3 credit cards and only use them occasionally, and just pay the bill off as soon as it comes. I probably don't need 3 of them; I had only had the 2, but when I changed banks a few years back they offered me one through them and it made sense to get that one because I could make an easy funds transfer from my checking account to pay it. I'd cancel one or both of the others, but it dings your credit rating to close accounts, so I just keep them 'alive' by making a purchase with them every once in a while and paying it off right away. I also figure if I ever had a real emergency, the combined credit limits on the 3 cards would get me out of most any bind I found myself in if I were in dire straits, and I'd figure out how to pay it off later!

I do have PayPal, but I only use it for Ebay and Amazon...I guess I'd use it for online purchases if I ever made one outside of those 2 places, but I don't know how that works.

Could you just add a phone number to your account long enough to change your address, and then go back in and delete it? I've done stuff like that just to subvert around the technology to get what I want out if it without subjecting myself to their spam...I've even gone to the length of making a 'spam' email address that I give out if I don't want their crap going to my real inbox. It's the worst when places try to force you to use their app...I don't want your dumb app taking up space on my device!

Pokeyonekenobie:
I don't have an actual credit card.  My debit card has a Visa logo so I can use it as a credit card but I don't ever "charge" anything.  It comes right out of my account.  I've been able to get my finances to a point that I do not need a credit card.  If I can't pay for it with my debit/cash, I don't need it.  I have a PayPal account that I have used when someone wanted to purchase something from me, but that is it.  I don't buy things with it so I can't help you there.

And a credit rating (at least in the States) is simply a number that tells banks you know how to make debt.  Think about it: If you have no bills because you live within your means, you have a zero credit score which to banks says you are a bad credit risk and can't be trusted to pay your loan.  If you have lots of bills that make you live paycheck to paycheck you have a high credit score (assuming you still manage to pay them all on time) and that makes you a good person to lend more money to... :huh:  Oh, and cancelling a credit card or paying off a loan lowers your credit score.

Because of this oddity, the year before I planned to get a new car, I got a Best Buy credit card, purchased a camera that I had the money for on it and made the payments in order to boost my credit score so I could get a decent loan for the car.  Then I cancelled the credit card.

So I've gotten to a point that I don't use/need a credit card.  Even when I go on vacation and they want a credit card for accidentals, they take my debit card because of the Visa logo on it.

Taffeta:
I've never had a credit card. Maybe one day, but organisation is not my strongest suit and I don't want to spend money that isn't mine to spend if I'm not good at being organised.

I use paypal still. I don't trust anything 100%. But fingers crossed, it still seems to function right now.

I prefer not to give stores my card details online if there is another way to avoid it.

toyjunky:
Credit Card - I have ONE credit card, same company for about 20 years. I use it all the time because I typically don't carry more than about $20 in cash in my purse, and usually do not carry my checkbook. I pay the bill off every month. I use it everywhere online bills, store purchases, online gaming, etc. My only comment is that you should ALWAYS look at your bill each month to check the charges. I have had my credit card number used fraudulently twice in that time (both times were after it had been "carbon copied" where the stores used to rub it in a machine and take a carbon copy of it if for some reason their machines didn't work - old method of accounting w/ credit cards). Which then you just call the company, speak to a representative in their fraud department and it all gets fixed fairly easily if found right away.

Paypal - I don't have my own, I use my husbands. Mainly it is for Ebay or occasionally Etsy or some other online store. I know Ebay changed their system though awhile back with how they pay funds as a seller (not via Paypal anymore, through their own system). The caution here would be the same as the credit card, check your account for charges that are not yours. I would also limit the amount of money that potentially is sitting there available. (stuff happens, things get hacked or fraud).

Checks - Old school I know, but I do still write checks out for certain bills and mail them. I do not use them much anymore for regular shopping purposes like I used to.

Debit Card - I do not have one, but same as I mentioned above if you do, just check your statements for fraud activity (again, stuff happens). My husband has had this occur a few times over the years.

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