This past week, I came across a service called Privacy.COM. It is a service that provides numbers that fit in between you and a service/merchant and are a substitute for your actual credit card number. From my brief reading, a user can set controls on each number. These numbers are intended for online use.
I am curious if anyone has heard of and/or used this service or a similar service.
Details on pricing:
https://privacy.com/pricing
I’ve never used it but it was an advertiser on one or more of Leo Laporte’s podcasts for a while. And was reviewed by several tech sites when it launched
If you really need a disposable burner credit card, and you’re in North America, they’re a good option, from what I’ve heard.
More and more there may be advantages to use this type of card for online purchases, if you’re worried about info being stolen. (Of course CCs shouldn’t hold you responsible for invalid purchases, and cards like the Apple Card offer similar one-time-use virtual cards for free when used wirelessly). Security researcher Brian Krebs reported on an online card-skimming operation and noted how a burner card from Privacy.com could be useful.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2020/03/crafty-web-skimming-domain-spoofs-https/#more-50828
I know someone who tried to get into their initial seed round maybe six years ago but said bigger VCs came in with more money and bumped him.
They used to require access to your checking account & bank password using the well-regarded Plaid service. Don’t know what they do now.
They have an interesting, if of course self-serving, blog.