>>>>> I just had an instance with my master card in Florida...
I bought a $12 stopwatch at a sporting supply store on the east side of
Orlando, and that purchase was enough to have my card closed down. These
sorts of stops on credit cards are apparently coded by location, and perhaps
store-type--it happened within minutes, because a few minutes later I tried
to pay for gas aa few blocks away and my authorization was denied. A sports
store suggests tennis shoes (although I had actually bought a cheap
stopwatch) and east side of Orlando would suggest non-touristic (as opposed
to the Disney area) which was evidently enough to have them immediately
close down the account.
Another credit card company recently informed me recently (despite the fact
that if they were to look at their records that I travel internationally
every few months, and domestically at least once a month) that I should call
them in advance before I take international trips.
Although this sounds like the benefit is to prevent the consumer from fraud,
the obvious rationale is that credit card companies have created a rubric of
potential fraud locations and purchase patterns--since THEY are responsible
for FAR more substantial losses than any one of their card-holders is.
These apparently cumbersome fraud-algorithms have them shut down purchases
instantly for card-holders who make a purchase outside of a jerry-built
likely-purchase pattern.
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