Pro Tip: Keep a Record of Where Your Credit Card Number Is Stored
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There’s nothing like getting your credit card stolen to remind you that bad things happen to good people. Not only do you have to cancel your card and dispute any fraudulent charges, you also have to wait for your new card and try to remember which accounts have your credit card information. To make the latter part easier, you should keep a list of all the places your credit card number is stored.
What information should I have on my list?
For each account that you have automatic payments set up for, you should have the following information:
Account furnisher or creditor
Due date
Average monthly balance
Credit or debit card linked to the account if you use multiple cards
In addition, keep track of automatic payments that don’t occur monthly, like six-month auto insurance premiums or bi-monthly subscriptions. You’ll also need the above information for other websites where you’ve stored your information, like your Amazon account, PayPal account and favorite online stores.
Great, I have my list — what should I do with it?
If your card is compromised or stolen, you should cancel it and request a new card to be sent to you right away. Then you’ll need to get to work changing over the payments to your new card. If you don’t receive your credit card before your next automatic payment is processed, cancel the payment and make a manual payment. Once your new card arrives, you can resume automatic payments.
For payments that won’t go through before you get your new card, switch the automatic payments over once you receive it. Pay attention and read the payment confirmation page — sometimes there’s a one-month lapse where you’ll have to make a manual payment before your automatic payments kick in. Set a reminder in your phone or write this down right away so you don’t miss any due dates.
Bottom line: There's a decent chance your credit card will be stolen or otherwise compromised at some point in your plastic-wielding life. If you keep your card number stored for automatic bill pay or retail purchases, have a list of all the places it’s kept for easy updating when you get your new card.
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