5 ms·

I use Revolut with a disposable virtual card for sites I don't trust. So I can immediately delete the card.

by euc2077 5y ago

artificialLimbs 5y ago
Got interested. Went to Revolut website. Uncloseable (without choosing an option) cookie banner advising me they will deliver 'relevant' ads. Have to click through to turn off the default-on ad tracking. Closed tab.
- tibiapejagala 5y ago
  Yeah, using revolut for that is ironic, fighting scummy companies with another scummy company. It is the only way to get disposable cards or sane conversion rates in many markets unfortunately.
- BayAreaEscapee 5y ago
  There is a service called privacy.com that does something similar. You can open and close new cards easily. I use it all the time for sketchy web sites. http://privacy.com http://privacy.com
  - zburatorul 5y ago
    This should be the top comment in this thread imo. This service solves a lot of the issues mentioned. No need to call anyone and beg for a cancellation, just close the card. A caveat is that one should be aware of how binding one's agreement with a business is, and whether a simple card cancellation will make the problem go away or become worse (collections).
    - woobar 5y ago
      US credit card issuers went through the phase of offering disposable credit card numbers 15-20 years ago. And about 10 years ago they started to discontinue this option. I think major selling point was preventing fraud, and it was a hassle for a consumer. I.e. consumer have to proactively generate virtual CC every time they pay over the Internet. Which is a pain point especially on mobile. Zero liability solved the problem for the majority of users with less friction. With regards to subscriptions virtual credit cards are not always a solution. If you have signed a contract and then your card "expired" it doesn't magically make your contract void. I know that gyms will keep billing you and eventually will sell you to collectors.
- fauigerzigerk 5y ago
  Wise.com (formerly TransferWise) has virtual cards as well.
russum 5y ago
That doesn't work though. Those "disposable" cards are not really removed, at least not in my experience, and will still be charged. The Revolut app even conveniently notifies about the charges (but is not telling that they're from the supposedly discarded cards).
- boring_twenties 5y ago
  No idea about Revolut, but Citi has had a similar built-in feature since something like 2005. It's called "Virtual Account Numbers." You can set total spend limits as well as expiration dates. Once either one is hit, transactions will simply be declined.
  - nybble41 5y ago
    As others have mentioned, that prevents the bills from being paid but it doesn't nullify them. They can send the unpaid bills to collections, which creates more hassle for you and negatively impacts your credit score. I wouldn't recommend relying on virtual accounts and spending limits as an alternative to proper cancellation. Blocking the payments can still be a good idea—money you have in hand is worth far more than the dubious hope of a refund—but you should also keep clear documentation showing that you cancelled your subscription following the specific steps required by the contract before stopping payments.
password4321 5y ago
See also: https://www.onefinance.com/securely-spend-ones-virtual-cards/ https://www.onefinance.com/securely-spend-ones-virtual-cards...

I use Revolut with a disposable virtual card for sites I don't trust. So I can immediately delete the card.

Got interested. Went to Revolut website. Uncloseable (without choosing an option) cookie banner advising me they will deliver 'relevant' ads. Have to click through to turn off the default-on ad tracking. Closed tab.

tibiapejagala 5y ago
Yeah, using revolut for that is ironic, fighting scummy companies with another scummy company. It is the only way to get disposable cards or sane conversion rates in many markets unfortunately.
BayAreaEscapee 5y ago
There is a service called privacy.com that does something similar. You can open and close new cards easily. I use it all the time for sketchy web sites. http://privacy.com http://privacy.com
- zburatorul 5y ago
  This should be the top comment in this thread imo. This service solves a lot of the issues mentioned. No need to call anyone and beg for a cancellation, just close the card. A caveat is that one should be aware of how binding one's agreement with a business is, and whether a simple card cancellation will make the problem go away or become worse (collections).
  - woobar 5y ago
    US credit card issuers went through the phase of offering disposable credit card numbers 15-20 years ago. And about 10 years ago they started to discontinue this option. I think major selling point was preventing fraud, and it was a hassle for a consumer. I.e. consumer have to proactively generate virtual CC every time they pay over the Internet. Which is a pain point especially on mobile. Zero liability solved the problem for the majority of users with less friction. With regards to subscriptions virtual credit cards are not always a solution. If you have signed a contract and then your card "expired" it doesn't magically make your contract void. I know that gyms will keep billing you and eventually will sell you to collectors.
fauigerzigerk 5y ago
Wise.com (formerly TransferWise) has virtual cards as well.

russum 5y ago

That doesn't work though. Those "disposable" cards are not really removed, at least not in my experience, and will still be charged. The Revolut app even conveniently notifies about the charges (but is not telling that they're from the supposedly discarded cards).

boring_twenties 5y ago
No idea about Revolut, but Citi has had a similar built-in feature since something like 2005. It's called "Virtual Account Numbers." You can set total spend limits as well as expiration dates. Once either one is hit, transactions will simply be declined.
- nybble41 5y ago
  As others have mentioned, that prevents the bills from being paid but it doesn't nullify them. They can send the unpaid bills to collections, which creates more hassle for you and negatively impacts your credit score. I wouldn't recommend relying on virtual accounts and spending limits as an alternative to proper cancellation. Blocking the payments can still be a good idea—money you have in hand is worth far more than the dubious hope of a refund—but you should also keep clear documentation showing that you cancelled your subscription following the specific steps required by the contract before stopping payments.

password4321 5y ago

See also: https://www.onefinance.com/securely-spend-ones-virtual-cards/ https://www.onefinance.com/securely-spend-ones-virtual-cards...