What do you use for online purchases when no credit card? (Other than a debit card.)

[tobee43]

Does you bank allow bill paying through online banking?

Might consider paypal if they allow it?

Other than that you can do pre paid VISAs etc.

well, i sent my rent account up like that...do be able to send it directly via paypal....

i would like it would depend on your own bank as to whether they allowed online bill paying. i know my does.

[tobee43]

Let me just say one thing about online security. Most of us have the tendency to use the same email+password at many sites. Many sites (like Amazon) like to store your credit card info. This combination makes you very very vulnerable if someone gets a hold of your credentials from a loosely guarded site (e.g. chat board) and then goes into your other accounts online this way and buys stuff. This actually happened to me with Amazon. Amazon wants you to buy stuff, so stuff like 1-click buying and buying without prompting for a CVV2 number on your stored credit cards makes Amazon accounts very vulnerable to hacking. In my case Amazon fortunately noticed that a large order of electronics shipped to Eastern Europe was not my normal spending pattern, and shut down my account hard. Unfortunately I lost the feedback reputation I had built up in the Amazon marketplace.

yes, cat...i have heard HORROR story after story...

but i simply have never had any security problems with my information via paypal...i will not buy off of amazon or any other site unless i can pay via paypal.

[catleg]

I tend to agree that paypal has the best security for buyers.

Folks have been burnt by them as sellers, but as a buyer I agree they're good.

Ebay in general has made its rules and protections extremely buyer friendly, at the expense of sellers.

[tobee43]

I tend to agree that paypal has the best security for buyers.

Folks have been burnt by them as sellers, but as a buyer I agree they're good.

Ebay in general has made its rules and protections extremely buyer friendly, at the expense of sellers.

got that right...i have been a member since 2 weeks of them being up and running. now everything is "buyer" friendly and the sellers have no rights.

selling was fun and profitable...i'm just getting ready to close shop there because the fees have become so high for the "smaller" seller...but it was fun while it lasted!!

[Dax]

Thanks everyone for your insights. Paypal may be the way to go. I've never given it much thought. I will look into it.

[acmsas]

I use a Walmart Moneycard which is a prepaid visa. You can load it at Walmart anytime, and it can not be overdrawn! I love it!

[doni49]

I use a Walmart Moneycard which is a prepaid visa. You can load it at Walmart anytime, and it can not be overdrawn! I love it!

But they charge you each time you add money don't they? I opened a FREE checking account at a local bank. It's a bank OTHER than the one where I do my every day banking. In fact this is the only account I have with them. The ONLY money that I ever put in that account is to cover my intended online purchases.

Other than that, my balance runs about $0.50. Since it's a separate bank (my everyday checking is with a local CU and the one I'm talking about is a commercial bank), they'll never have access to my other accounts.

So I basically have a prepaid visa card--that I didn't pay for! (other than the actual funds available for purchase). I love it!