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It is really convenient to automatically pay my bills through PayPal (or any widely available payment abstraction layer), but I may have to switch back to my de

It is really convenient to automatically pay my bills through PayPal (or any widely available payment abstraction layer), but I may have to switch back to my debit card if they insist on this policy. (My debit card is much less convenient because some new attack happens at least once a year where they have to send out a new card.)

JoshTriplett 11y ago
Why not use a zero-fee credit card, rather than your debit card? If a problem happens with your debit card, your bank will eventually fix it, but in the meantime your account may be drained. If a problem happens with your credit card, you can dispute a charge before you pay. Alternatively, check with your bank and see if they have a bill-pay service.
- toomuchtodo 11y ago
  Most payees who you pay bills online with charge a fee to take a credit card (utilities, etc).
  - JoshTriplett 11y ago
    Interesting; I haven't seen that before. Thanks.
- mratzloff 11y ago
  I have multiple checking accounts to avoid this problem.
azazo 11y ago
Or pay bills with a credit card and get points on the card for your trouble. Plus an extra month to pay.
- mratzloff 11y ago
  This is the only thing that would make it worthwhile. I have been wanting to get an Alaska Airlines card...
JustSomeNobody 11y ago
I'm not trying to be "that guy", but I would suggest not using a debit card. It's my understanding that debit cards are like cash, so they carry a lot of risk. If something happens and your account gets drained, you are likely not getting that back. Credit cards are much better to use.
- nine_k 11y ago
  For extra online security, use a virtual credit card with a preset limit.
  - JoshTriplett 11y ago
    Does anyone provide those anymore? A few credit card vendors used to do so, but seem to have stopped. (I know you can obtain pre-paid cards in large increments, but that doesn't really help here.)
  - superuser2 11y ago
    It's basically impossible these days to have a card without Zero Fraud Liability (in the US.) If you somehow have such a card, RUN. This is not a drill. You need to get yourself and everyone you don't wish death on the fuck away from that bank 30 years ago. Go literally anywhere else. However, even at banks with good policies, "extra" security measures are excluded from Zero Fraud Liability. PIN transactions, Verified by Visa, etc. appeal to the HN spirit of "taking responsibility" for your own security. But you are doing just that - "taking responsibility." If the added layer of protection can be broken (hint: it can) then you will have no recourse. For a credit card, your loss is at least capped at your credit limit; some debit cards have transaction limits of $15k+. We're talking possibly your entire account, irrecoverable, because you were an idiot and tried to protect yourself instead of letting the rest of the system eat the loss. The security of your credit card number is everyone else's problem. Treating it like your own problem is actively sabotaging your ability to recover from the inevitable fraud.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- 11y ago

JoshTriplett 11y ago

Why not use a zero-fee credit card, rather than your debit card? If a problem happens with your debit card, your bank will eventually fix it, but in the meantime your account may be drained. If a problem happens with your credit card, you can dispute a charge before you pay. Alternatively, check with your bank and see if they have a bill-pay service.

toomuchtodo 11y ago
Most payees who you pay bills online with charge a fee to take a credit card (utilities, etc).
- JoshTriplett 11y ago
  Interesting; I haven't seen that before. Thanks.
mratzloff 11y ago
I have multiple checking accounts to avoid this problem.

azazo 11y ago

Or pay bills with a credit card and get points on the card for your trouble. Plus an extra month to pay.

mratzloff 11y ago
This is the only thing that would make it worthwhile. I have been wanting to get an Alaska Airlines card...

JustSomeNobody 11y ago

I'm not trying to be "that guy", but I would suggest not using a debit card. It's my understanding that debit cards are like cash, so they carry a lot of risk. If something happens and your account gets drained, you are likely not getting that back. Credit cards are much better to use.

nine_k 11y ago
For extra online security, use a virtual credit card with a preset limit.
- JoshTriplett 11y ago
  Does anyone provide those anymore? A few credit card vendors used to do so, but seem to have stopped. (I know you can obtain pre-paid cards in large increments, but that doesn't really help here.)
- superuser2 11y ago
  It's basically impossible these days to have a card without Zero Fraud Liability (in the US.) If you somehow have such a card, RUN. This is not a drill. You need to get yourself and everyone you don't wish death on the fuck away from that bank 30 years ago. Go literally anywhere else. However, even at banks with good policies, "extra" security measures are excluded from Zero Fraud Liability. PIN transactions, Verified by Visa, etc. appeal to the HN spirit of "taking responsibility" for your own security. But you are doing just that - "taking responsibility." If the added layer of protection can be broken (hint: it can) then you will have no recourse. For a credit card, your loss is at least capped at your credit limit; some debit cards have transaction limits of $15k+. We're talking possibly your entire account, irrecoverable, because you were an idiot and tried to protect yourself instead of letting the rest of the system eat the loss. The security of your credit card number is everyone else's problem. Treating it like your own problem is actively sabotaging your ability to recover from the inevitable fraud.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
11y ago