Life lesson - In case you're not aware
I'll relate my recent experience for those of you that are unaware of some "new" policy with credit cards. We made a recent trip from our home in the Dallas area to Carlsbad N.M. These transaction...
Forum Discussion
The banks have got these real fancy computer systems that look for fraudulent uses of the card. The computer isn't just looking at being away from home (although that is one of the criteria) but is looking for a lot of things. For example if you are 500 miles from home and you go into an electronics store to buy a flat screen TV, the fraud computer is going to flag something like that almost immediately. That's because credit card fraudsters just love to head to the electronics store first thing. Huge red flag. Also if you make a really small charge, and then attempt a bigger one a short time later you may get flagged. For example you go to Starbucks and charge a $3 cop of coffee and then go buy your flat screen TV. The reason that gets flagged is because fraudsters often test the card first to make sure it works, before trying it on the bigger purchases.
I was in Vegas once and got my ATM card shut off. I tried to use it at an ATM in a Casino and when the little screen popped up that said they were going to charge me something like $5 for the transaction, I canceled it because there was a Branch of my bank right across the street. I figured I could cross the street for $5. So I walked across the street and the card wouldn't let me have any money from the ATM. The fact I was in Vegas and the way I used it alerted the fraud computer.
In the OP's case, he was away from home and buying tires. Now us RV'ers know that may be a common thing, the fraud computer is just seeing a big charge for autoparts a distance from the card holders home and is shutting it down. And obviously Visa talks to MasterCard so that's why they all got shut off.
I was in Vegas once and got my ATM card shut off. I tried to use it at an ATM in a Casino and when the little screen popped up that said they were going to charge me something like $5 for the transaction, I canceled it because there was a Branch of my bank right across the street. I figured I could cross the street for $5. So I walked across the street and the card wouldn't let me have any money from the ATM. The fact I was in Vegas and the way I used it alerted the fraud computer.
In the OP's case, he was away from home and buying tires. Now us RV'ers know that may be a common thing, the fraud computer is just seeing a big charge for autoparts a distance from the card holders home and is shutting it down. And obviously Visa talks to MasterCard so that's why they all got shut off.
