Costco Visa Caution

[moonstone]

In Canada, is there a maximum amount per transaction or per day on tap-and-go? How would that ever work at Costco??

PIN-less systems like this seem very insecure to me.

Yes there is a maximum amount that you can use a "tap". It is usually $50 but we have heard some (either specific cards or stores) that have a $100. limit.

It isn't very often that we get out of Costco with a purchase less than $100. let alone under $50.! But in other stores as previously mentioned the process is very fast for us.


~Diane

 

[T-Dot-Traveller]

I believe both Pin and Tap are very secure in Canada - as far as your personal information .

 

[happymum]

In Canada, is there a maximum amount per transaction or per day on tap-and-go? How would that ever work at Costco??

PIN-less systems like this seem very insecure to me.

Yes there is a maximum amount that you can use a "tap". It is usually $50 but we have heard some (either specific cards or stores) that have a $100. limit.

I believe the tap total at Costco is $200. Most other stores it seems to be $100.
Having used the chip and pin system for over 5 years now, I love the convenience and speed of tap.

 

[rapmarks]

Has everyone received their new cards? We haven't and i don't know who to contact.

 

[pagosajim]

Has everyone received their new cards? We haven't and i don't know who to contact.

Just got mine yesterday. This after stopping by my local Costco store the same day to question when I should be concerned about not receiving it.

There's been a big push when entering the store to make sure you activate the card right away so that we don't flood the system at the last minute. Interesting that once activated, it's not available for use until June 20th anyway.

Go figure.

Edited to add: they've set up a table in the store with a couple of folks available to answer questions about the card. That's where I was directed to go. They suggested calling "the Costco number" if I hadn't received the card by 6/17.

 

[chalee94]

Has everyone received their new cards? We haven't and i don't know who to contact.

i only got mine last week. some do come later than others.

 

[rapmarks]

Costco is over 65 miles away, so I wont run in. I just worry about the card's delivery, as we are having our mail forwarded. What number do i call?

 

[davidvel]

Costco is over 65 miles away, so I wont run in. I just worry about the card's delivery, as we are having our mail forwarded. What number do i call?

As with most (all?) credit cards, the envelope is endorsed "RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED" which means it will not be forwarded.

Per this link:Ensure you’re ready to start using your new card on June 20, 2016,

How/when do I get my new Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi?
You do not need to apply. Between the end of May 2016 and early June, Citi will mail it to the basic cardmember or authorized officer’s mailing address provided to Citi. You can begin using your new card on June 20, 2016. If your address has changed, please call the number on the back of your current Costco card from American Express to update it.

 

[geekette]

Everyone was supposed to change over in October. It's ridiculous that so many large merchants haven't done that, yet. They are allowing the skimming to continue.

Where did you hear of an October deadline?

 

[Ken555]

Where did you hear of an October deadline?

October 2015 was the last "deadline" for this change. There were countless articles about it last year...for instance:

http://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-inte...15-the-end-of-the-swipe-and-sign-credit-card/

 

[Kal]

Where did you hear of an October deadline?

Effective October 2015, for swipe readers, all merchants would become responsible for fraudulent CC charges, except for certain situations. In general that means that they had to have chip readers installed. The exceptions include such things as hardware not available or software issues.

Some merchants maintained that they had "trustworthy" customers or they were willing to accept fraudulent charges.

 

[rapmarks]

called American Express about delivery of Citi Bank Card, waste of 20 minutes, have to call Citi Bank. With no card number, took about twenty minutes to get a human. they will not forward the card, the card will be returned to them. I need to call after June 20 to discuss having card sent to my current address. I already have a credit card, so i am not going to waste my time calling them. When we were at Costco about ten days ago, they had a person stopping people and asking about the new card. i explained the situation, and was told oh it will be forwarded to you. So much for people knowing their job.

 

[geekette]

Effective October 2015, for swipe readers, all merchants would become responsible for fraudulent CC charges, except for certain situations. In general that means that they had to have chip readers installed. The exceptions include such things as hardware not available or software issues.

Some merchants maintained that they had "trustworthy" customers or they were willing to accept fraudulent charges.

Ah, thank you. Not a deadline as in non-compliance with law, just acceptance of liability.

 

[dioxide45]

called American Express about delivery of Citi Bank Card, waste of 20 minutes, have to call Citi Bank. With no card number, took about twenty minutes to get a human. they will not forward the card, the card will be returned to them. I need to call after June 20 to discuss having card sent to my current address. I already have a credit card, so i am not going to waste my time calling them. When we were at Costco about ten days ago, they had a person stopping people and asking about the new card. i explained the situation, and was told oh it will be forwarded to you. So much for people knowing their job.

Not sure why you would have wasted the first 20 minutes with American Express. Not sure why they would be responsible for delivering you a new card from Citi Bank. You should have called Citi Bank first.

The problem with the people in the stores pushing the cards, is that they just don't know or are guessing. No different than reps at RCI, II or any of the timeshare companies.

 

[rapmarks]

Not sure why you would have wasted the first 20 minutes with American Express. Not sure why they would be responsible for delivering you a new card from Citi Bank. You should have called Citi Bank first.

The problem with the people in the stores pushing the cards, is that they just don't know or are guessing. No different than reps at RCI, II or any of the timeshare companies.

well I called because someone here told me to call the number on the back of my Costco card and at least I found out which number to call at Citi Bank. Thanks for the nasty remark, should I make it to the person who gave me the suggestion. Love how someone on Tug always loves to point out others stupidities.

 

[dioxide45]

well I called because someone here told me to call the number on the back of my Costco card and at least I found out which number to call at Citi Bank. Thanks for the nasty remark, should I make it to the person who gave me the suggestion. Love how someone on Tug always loves to point out others stupidities.

It wasn't meant to be nasty. Sorry if that is how I came across. The written word isn't always the best way to get a message across. Reading back through it, I can see how it could be interpreted as such, sorry

 

[davidvel]

Not sure why you would have wasted the first 20 minutes with American Express. Not sure why they would be responsible for delivering you a new card from Citi Bank. You should have called Citi Bank first.

The problem with the people in the stores pushing the cards, is that they just don't know or are guessing. No different than reps at RCI, II or any of the timeshare companies.

See my post above with quote from Citi's website. Its my fault (actually Citi's).

 

[dioxide45]

See my post above with quote from Citi's website. Its my fault (actually Citi's).

That was probably all put together before they started mailing them out. I would think at this point, Citi has got all the data from American Express and updating anything with AE would be too late now.

I can understand why they don't want to forward these types of things. It hides who the real recipient is. I once tried to pay an online bill pay to someone who had a winter home in Florida. My bank wouldn't forward the check to them. That was the one and only time I tried to pay them through online bill pay.

 

[DaveNV]

There's been a big push when entering the store to make sure you activate the card right away so that we don't flood the system at the last minute. Interesting that once activated, it's not available for use until June 20th anyway.

Go figure.

They can't activate the cards at the register when you try and use it. Picture it: They scan the card to get your membership number, then scan all your merchandise, and then you can't pay for it? Imagine the chaos with hundreds of shoppers in long lines, who then can't buy anything because the card isn't active yet. Doing it ahead of time is a HUGE convenience to all concerned. That way, on the day the card IS able to be used, it's a non-issue for everyone standing in those long lines. And there are something like ELEVEN MILLION CARDS being issued during this changeover. Do the math. Yikes!!

That's why the push.

Dave

 

[Quiet Pine]

They scan the card to get your membership number, then scan all your merchandise, and then you can't pay for it?

Something similar happened to me today. Woman in front of me tried to use new Visa card--a week early. Checker got her membership number, but it took 15 minutes going through her wallet to find she had no acceptable card. People lining up behind me were reaching for pitchforks. Finally she wrote a check for the amount.

Meanwhile, we're waiting for the new card. We moved 4 weeks ago and have been assured over and over that the card will be forwarded. Apparently NOT! Costco does have our change of address. Fingers crossed it will shop up by Friday.

 

[stmartinfan]

I guess I should plan to avoid Costco on June 20 and the following week or so! I expect it will be a mess at check out with people not having received or activating their new card, etc.

We live close to Costco so drop in often to pick up fresh fruit, etc. When they had the self check out lines, it was a snap to get through quickly because those lines were usually pretty empty.

We always avoid weekends, but between the huge cartfulls of most shoppers and the confusion with the new cards, it's going to be slow everyday for a while!

 

[tfalk]

I hadn't used my chipped SPG amex card in months and then used it at a hotel last weekend. Yesterday, I got an email about a card not present transaction on that account for "AT T E store" that I did not make. So much for having a chip to make the card more secure... new card on it's way but honestly, there is no way to make any of these transactions 100% foolproof.

 

[davidvel]

I hadn't used my chipped SPG amex card in months and then used it at a hotel last weekend. Yesterday, I got an email about a card not present transaction on that account for "AT T E store" that I did not make. So much for having a chip to make the card more secure... new card on it's way but honestly, there is no way to make any of these transactions 100% foolproof.

I haven't seen chip readers at hotels yet. Did you insert the card into a chip reader? If not, the chip is immaterial.

In any event, isn't this is exactly what is supposed to happen, and the point of the chip? There are a myriad of ways someone can get your card info. They used to be able to make fake cards with that info. Now they cannot (at least for use in chip terminals).

There will always be non-chip transactions (online, etc). The merchant will likely get a reversal of this, and costs are much higher for card not present transaction.

 

[dioxide45]

Fraud won't go away. As long as there are retailers that haven't installed or are using chip machines yet, they good ole swipe still works. Once all have converted to chips, the hackers will just move all purchases online where you enter card information. Though they have to get around the billing address validation.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I cannot log into the Costco Amex account at all--for two days! That is odd. So Amex just directs me to several Amex credit card choices, each time I try to log into our account.

I wonder if Amex will send only paper statements for this last billing? I so, I am going to be leaving town tomorrow afternoon, and our payment should be due before we get back. I am concerned I can never log into my account again.