If you use a BofA Visa there's an easy method to control recurring charges (and on-line purchases and rental cars, and ...).
They have a service called "Shopsafe". It allows you to create a temporary card #, expiration date, and ccv with a specific $$ limit. Say you are subscribing to consumer reports on-line so that you can check out reviews of a new survey rig. CR makes you agree to recurring charge that you can cancel at will - the onus is on you to remember to cancel, to go on their site and go through the appropriate steps. If you just want one month ($6.95) you log inn to your BoA Visa account, select Use Shopsafe, enter your ccv, enter an amount for the temp card ($7 in this case), enter the duration for the card (I believe 2 months is the minimum) and a new Visa card # is generated for you immediately - you get a new card #, a new expiration date, and a new ccv.?ÿ Give CR your new Visa Card #, access your car reviews, and forget about it. CR will send you a notice when they try to charge the Shopsafe generated card and it fails. You just ignore it.?ÿ
It won't help if someone got your primary card # and is fraudulently charging but it's a great way to reduce fraud and control recurring charges. I use it for ALL magazine subscriptions, online purchases, rental car reservations (but they don't like it when you show up at the counter with a different card), VRBO rentals, and anywhere else that there is exposure to unauthorized charges.?ÿ?ÿ
Unfortunately this program isn't available for biz cards.
There are still other ways to get scammed and ripped off - this just eliminates a bunch of them.?ÿ
I would need to get a credit card in order to have such a problem.
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Hint. Hint.