Anybody here use prepaid cards or a non-Privacy.com service to limit online exposure?

1

I was looking at the 1Password integration with Privacy.com, and I thought it looked pretty cool - until Privacy prompted me to connect via Plaid, which has historically had problems with massively over-collecting (and possibly selling?) peoples’ private financial data (https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-approves-settlement-ordering-plaid-to-pay-58-million-for-selling-consumer-data/)

This makes me a lot less likely to trust them with my data, but that’s the only way to use Privacy.com.

Anybody use prepaid cards, another online service, etc. to try to mitigate risks?

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I will use Apple Pay or Amazon Pay on those rare occasions one of them is an option, but most of the time I use a regular credit card (not a debit card). Twice in the last couple of months I have received an alert from my bank due to “unusual activity”. Both times I recognized all the purchases, approved them in my bank app, and the merchant immediately received his payment.

I get an alert, normally within seconds, any time a purchase is made. So I’m comfortable using my bank credit card.

3

You can connect a debit card to privacy.com to avoid Plaid. I’ve got one set up that way. I can’t screenshot the workflow without removing my card, unfortunately.

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4

That’s super-helpful - thanks!

I think I’m okay with that as an alternative. :slight_smile:

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5

One of my clients uses a prepaid card issued by her one of her banks to pay her online advertising.

Functions the same as a a regular debit card as far as I can tell ( I use it on her behalf sometimes).

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Privacy’s 1Password integration is great. Sad that they use Plaid, but the convenience outweighs the risk for me right now.

I looked at alternatives a while ago, but the only ones I found were tied to a bank or credit card company (Citi, Amex) and in Amex’s case, they seem to only support Android.

7

Gave them my debit card, and then got presented with this gem:

“To finish, you need to apply for a charge card with our bank partner, Patriot Bank N.A.”

I have no idea what’s going on with that, but…I don’t know why I should need to apply for a credit card to use my own debit card … ??? It literally references terms and conditions, says that I need to pay the balance off every month, etc.

Does this have something to do with allowing me to create virtual cards? I’m thoroughly confused.

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I’d think it’s to back the privacy.com cards/numbers, and you have to technically bank with someone to have a card. Charge cards in particular don’t let you carry interest, but also don’t need to be directly linked to a checking account.

(They need to refine their startup UX. These are significant items for them not to clarify, whatever is the answer!)

9

Yeah. They also asked me to agree to a linked TOS. I clicked the link and got a 404. For a link in the signup flow, that’s really Not Cool.

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Do they still ask you to link your SSN during signup? That’s what threw me off.

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I don’t think so - but I don’t remember that part specifically. I’m a 1Password subscriber, and “trusting 1Password” got me through the initial signup process.

It’s only when they were like “oh, and by the way, you need to hand all your banking data to this third-party that’s been successfully sued for privacy violations” that my warning bells went off.

12

I was messing around with a couple accounts yesterday and was asked for last four on one, and the full SSN on the other. The full SSN one was older and had to go through some kind of account update flow, accepting new terms, doing a conversion of the account type, etc.

To me it seems normal for something touching American banking to want your SSN, but I understand not wanting to give it out more often than necessary.

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