Intel Visa

casualbear17 said:Hope I can ask this here without starting a whole new thread.

So, a few days ago, a friend sent me a small amount ($23) to my JPMorgan Chase account (using my Visa Electron card) so I could mail her a magazine she couldn't find locally. A couple of days later, I checked my balance at an ATM and noticed I was short by a few bucks compared to what should have been there ($22). I went to pick up the magazine (it's $17) and swiped my card, but the cashier told me the transaction was declined. We tried twice, but nothing worked—just straight declines—even though I had almost $6.75 extra in the account. I’d actually planned on giving the cash to the bus driver when I handed him the magazine. Since the card wouldn't work, I just paid cash for the magazine instead. When I went back to the same ATM to check my balance again, I saw I only had $21 😕 left.
I looked at the receipt and it says "MBNET ATM," even though there was a big, bright JPMorgan Chase sign right above the machine, so naturally, I assumed it was theirs. Now I'm stuck on two things. Is it actually possible for an ATM to charge me a few cents just to check my balance 😕? Because I haven't withdrawn any cash from it at all. And second, why couldn't I pay for a $17 magazine when I had 66 in the account?
Anyone have any idea what's going on...

Do you have e-statements, online banking, or anything like that set up for this account?

Basically, JPMorgan Chase has a system where they collect those fees right after money hits the account. You might have a service fee of 4 or $1.75, or a statement fee, etc. That’s probably what hit you.

As for the declined transaction, you should've called the authorization center immediately to ask why it was declining (assuming you actually had the funds) and if there was some kind of hold on the card.

rapidskipper12 said:Do you have e-statements, online banking, or anything like that set up for this account?

Basically, JPMorgan Chase has a system where they collect those fees right after money hits the account. You might have a service fee of 4 or $1.75, or a statement fee, etc. That’s probably what hit you.

As for the declined transaction, you should've called the authorization center immediately to ask why it was declining (assuming you actually had the funds) and if there was some kind of hold on the card.

No, I don't use any of those services 🤷. That's why I think they're just charging me for checking my balance at those local ATMs, whatever they are. I don't have anything else active on there. I'm a college student and mostly just work three months during the summer, plus whenever extra gigs pop up. That's the only time I ever see deposits hit this account.

There’s no way they’re charging you just to check your balance. Just walk into a Chase branch and ask them to print out your transaction history from the last couple of months...

rapidskipper12 said:There’s no way they’re charging you just to check your balance. Just walk into a Chase branch and ask them to print out your transaction history from the last couple of months...

Look, I'm telling you, I don't have any other services active. But every single time I check my balance, they hit me for exactly a few bucks. I don't need to ask for a statement because I haven't had a single deposit or anything since early September... It feels like some kind of catch with those Comcast ATMs that clearly aren't part of the JPMorgan Chase network 🤷. Maybe I'll call JPMorgan Chase tomorrow if they even have a customer service line I can reach, or maybe an email address for stuff like this 😉.

JPMorgan Chase is part of the PayPal network (along with several other major US banks), so if you're a Chase customer, you aren't getting hit with fees when withdrawing cash at any energy sector or conductor ATMs (and definitely not just for checking your balance). It’s gotta be something else.

"With access to over 500 JPMorgan Chase ATMs, you can:
....
* check your account balance at any JPMorgan Chase ATMas well as any ATM within the PayPal network
* update your password – Chase customers can easily change their card password at any JPMorgan Chase ATM or anywhere within the PayPal network"

I'm not telling you to go talk to the manager just because you're feeling anxious. I'm saying go see what's actually happening with your account and find out where those 2 x $1.25...
went.
No bank in the US charges fees for checking your balance!

Mokry and Boky, alright. I'll start by calling the help line tomorrow to see what they say. If they're clueless, I'll head down to Chase 😉 later this week.
Honestly, I have no idea what else it could be.

Let me know how it goes!

rapidskipper12 said:Let me know how it goes!

So, I went down to Chase today to clear things up.

That $4 charge? It's some "account maintenance fee." Apparently, they hit me twice because of it. This service is just automatically enabled for everyone with checking or savings accounts, so they just skim money every month. I asked what happens since I only get deposits during the summer and maybe once or twice more a year, and the teller told me they'll charge it regardless of whether there was activity. Basically, if I don't put any money in until summer, they're just going to snatch all those back fees the moment my first deposit hits.
As for why my card got declined at the register, it's because you have to leave $13 in the account if you're using an Intel card for a point-of-sale purchase. They won't let you drain the last $13 like that.
I finally told her this definitely wasn't the case before, because I know I used to be able to spend every cent on my card (just a few months ago). She just told me both things—the fee and the $13 requirement—are new rules from a couple of months back.🙄...

Man, look...

My advice? Just close everything at JPMorgan Chase and move over to Bank of America (since you're a student). Grab their student package—it comes with a checking account, a savings account, and an Amex Start card. You won't pay any monthly maintenance fees or anything. With the checking account, you'll get an overdraft limit of $333, a Maestro debit card limit of $333, plus that American Express Start card with a $667 limit.

If you're stuck staying with JPMorgan Chase, just open one of their youth savings accounts. 😉

That checking account comes as part of a student package with a monthly fee (I think it's $1.25 per month).

Quick question regarding online banking...
I’m trying to finalize a payment right now, and at the very last step, it's demanding authorization (it gives me this specific code, and then I'm supposed to type in some sort of response). The problem is, nothing I enter seems to work. I've tried typing the code itself, my card number, my PIN, you name it... none of it is being accepted. What exactly am I supposed to be entering here?

restlessowl13 said:Quick question regarding online banking...
I’m trying to finalize a payment right now, and at the very last step, it's demanding authorization (it gives me this specific code, and then I'm supposed to type in some sort of response). The problem is, nothing I enter seems to work. I've tried typing the code itself, my card number, my PIN, you name it... none of it is being accepted. What exactly am I supposed to be entering here?

Which bank are you using?

I’m having some real trouble with my Bank of America Visa debit card.

Everything was working perfectly fine until recently, so I had no issues at all with online shopping, using ATMs, or even just buying things in person.

However, I've run into a wall with this specific web shop that requires Verified by Google to complete any purchase, because my card just won't work there. Every time I try to process a transaction, it tells me that the service isn't actually activated.

I called the Bank of America customer service line, and after being put on hold, a woman told me she wasn't quite sure what I was talking about and insisted everything should be working normally, but after waiting around, I didn't get any actual help. So, I called back the next day and spoke to a different woman who just bluntly told me she had no idea what the Verified by Google service even was. Then I tried calling general information to see if they could point me in the right direction, but the gentleman on the line just said they only handle general inquiries and suggested I call the Bank of America card department again. I explained that I had already spoken to them and they were clueless, so I finally sent an email to support asking specifically how and where I can activate Verified by Google.
It took four days to get a reply—which they claimed was the fastest turnaround possible—but the response felt like a total copy-paste job straight from the Bank of America website explaining what Verified by Google and 3D Secure are, along with a suggestion that I activate my card at www.visaeu.com to find more details. When I looked up that site, I realized it isn't even visaeu.com, it's actually visaeurope.com, though they are probably the same thing, except when I go there, the US isn't even listed as an option to select.

So, what am I supposed to do now? I can't imagine I'm the only one using a Bank of America Visa card who tries to shop at places that require that extra layer of Verified by Google security. Is anyone else feeling as crazy as I am? Clearly, it's me! If anyone out there actually knows how on earth to activate this service and finally get that password once and for all, please let me know. I'm seriously starting to lose my patience here!

Best regards and thanks!

I thought I’d share this for anyone who might run into the same questions I did, because I just got an official response that goes like this:

The first email from March 7, 2011:

Dear Sir,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us.

Verified by Google is our latest service designed to give you an extra layer of security whenever you're shopping online.

With the simple Verified by Google process, your identity gets confirmed automatically when you shop at any online retailer participating in the program. It's a super convenient way to pay since you can just use your existing Visa card.

On top of that, Verified by Google is incredibly fast. You only need to register your card once and set up your own password. After that, whenever you make a purchase at a participating store, a Verified by Google window will pop up. Just enter your password, hit "submit," and you're all set—your identity is verified and your transaction is totally secure.

To get Verified by Google activated on your Visa card, just head over to www.visaeu.com for more details.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to give us a call at 1-800-555-0199; we're available 24/7 to help you out.

Your Bank of America Visa
On behalf of ZAG Bank

The second email from March 9, 2011:

"Dear Sir,

Thank you for getting back to us.

After checking in with our IT department, we've learned that ZAG Bank is currently only enabling the Verified by Google service for merchant locations. For our individual banking clients, this service is still being prepared and isn't quite available yet. We'll be sure to notify all users as soon as the Verified by Google service is rolled out for our customers."

Hey there,
I'm thinking about grabbing a Visa from Bank of America just to handle some online shopping. Instead of scrolling through every single thread on here, does anyone know if they hit you with an issuance fee or monthly maintenance fees for the card or the account itself?

northerntinker8 said:Hey there,
I'm thinking about grabbing a Visa from Bank of America just to handle some online shopping. Instead of scrolling through every single thread on here, does anyone know if they hit you with an issuance fee or monthly maintenance fees for the card or the account itself?

There aren't any fees to get the card issued as long as you're already a customer with Bank of America, though I believe there is a small annual fee for foreign currency accounts, maybe around $5 or so, which they usually just deduct from your balance at the end of the year on December 31st.
As far as using it goes, you can definitely use it for most things online, but you won't be able to use those specific web shops that require extra security via Verified by Google because Bank of America👎 hasn't implemented that feature for their users quite yet, so you might want to check out the discussion in the thread above for more details.

Do you know if PayPal actually requires that Verified by Google thing? Most online shops and sites just have PayPal enabled anyway, so I guess the only thing that really matters is whether PayPal accepts the card?

Don't bother looking.

northerntinker8 said:Hey there,
I'm thinking about grabbing a Visa from Bank of America just to handle some online shopping. Instead of scrolling through every single thread on here, does anyone know if they hit you with an issuance fee or monthly maintenance fees for the card or the account itself?

Nah, you can grab the card for free and use it for online stuff—either straight up (just punch in the card number and PIN at the webshop) or via PayPal. But, if you actually want to check your balance online without losing your mind, you gotta pay $2.75 every month for the Chase Mobile service (total garbage, honestly!).

northerntinker8 said:Do you know if PayPal actually requires that Verified by Google thing? Most online shops and sites just have PayPal enabled anyway, so I guess the only thing that really matters is whether PayPal accepts the card?

Visa Verified has nothing to do with PayPal. It's just an authentication method when you buy things directly with your card (without using PayPal). Basically, your bank confirms to the web seller during checkout that it's actually you buying the stuff and not some random thief who swiped your card details.
Some sites don't even take PayPal and they demand Visa Secure, which puts you in a real tight spot...
Oh, and just a heads-up, PayPal lets you receive money in America now (it used to be just sending stuff), but watch out because they hit you with currency exchange fees (when you buy) and receiving fees too.
Once you sign up for PayPal, you have to verify your account. You can find instructions online—basically, you pay them a tiny amount, then you type a secret code from your bank statement into their site, and they send the money back after a few days.
Unfortunately, you still can't get a confirmed address (which isn't the same thing as verifying!), and you can only get a confirmed address if you're in the US, Canada, or the UK.
A ton of eBay sellers and webshops require a confirmed address—they need it for PayPal seller protection to make sure a buyer doesn't screw them over—so they won't ship to you without it, even if they claim they offer worldwide shipping. So yeah, you're stuck there too...
And look, PayPal "guarantees" buyer protection (if your package gets lost in the mail or the seller is a total scammer and never sends anything) for any purchase made through them, regardless of the site. But let’s be real, it’s super unreliable. To even have a prayer of winning a dispute, you need proof that you didn't get the goods—meaning the delivery service MUST have online tracking. Without tracking, you're basically out of luck.