Visa snafu
August 3, 2011 3:48 AM   Subscribe

What happens to old visa card numbers when they get replaced? You can't buy with them, can you pay?

I got my visa number replaced after some illadvised online purchases had someone else using it. I forgot to update the new number on my online banking list of payees and went ahead and made a huge payment on the old card number. It's only the next day, but the money isn't visible in either my bank account or the card balance, are the two numbers linked and visa will sort it out? The payment was made at a branch by the teller and my card was replaced about 2 months ago.
posted by Carlotta Bananas to Work & Money (12 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
just call your visa company and tell them the story. I'ts not uncommon at all and isn't a big deal.
posted by JPD at 4:04 AM on August 3, 2011


They don't just pass through charges from one number to another, because then what was the point in a new number? And they don't have time to investigate and verify every charge for every person who has replaced numbers. It's best to contact them, so that they are aware that there is an exception. They will know what to do, or how to advise you. Contact them as soon as you can, before this becomes a bigger problem.
posted by Houstonian at 4:10 AM on August 3, 2011


I am on my third Visa card in about 10 months for similar reasons and once the card is cancelled, no new payments can be made. For example, I had to update billee information for a few things that were automatically deducted from my credit card each month. I am surprised that the teller was even able to process the payment; did they not run the card through their machine, which should have rejected it?
posted by TedW at 5:29 AM on August 3, 2011


Also, the way in which the two cards are linked depends on the nature of the cancellation. In one instance, Visa canceled the card immediately on seeing some fraudulent activity and transferred the old balance to the new card, which was issued automatically. In the most recent instance I requested that my card be canceled and a new one issue for personal reasons, and I had to apply for an entirely new card, with the balance on the old card still listed under that number but with no new charges able to be made.
posted by TedW at 5:33 AM on August 3, 2011


I'm not positive that old visa numbers NEVER get recycled, but I'm sure they would keep them out of circulation for a long time.

If the card was issued by the same bank you were using to make the payments (i.e. you're paying on the card issued by the bank in whose branch you were standing), it's probable the bank is accessing the account by internal account #, not the 16 digit VC number. INTERNALLY, they probably still have your old 16 digit VC number on file for cross-referencing purposes.

It's also possible that if you did this yesterday and checked online banking today, one account is updated and the other isn't. The money would have left your checking account overnight and probably won't get credited to your CC account for 1-2 days.

I'd call your branch bank and verify all this.

And for gosh sakes get rid of your old CC!
posted by randomkeystrike at 5:33 AM on August 3, 2011


OK, re-read your question - assuming you're using your bank's online payment system (apparently in person at the branch this time, but using your list of online payees) and that the card issuer is a DIFFERENT bank - I would still think they'd be smart enough to look up and find a recently cancelled CC # and apply the payment to its successor. However, CC companies can be stupid, especially when it comes to finding an excuse to mark you down as late.

I'd call the CC company today and explain what happened and find out what you need to do next.
posted by randomkeystrike at 5:38 AM on August 3, 2011


Yeah. Call your bank and/or card issuer, and explain this to them. It's not remotely uncommon.
posted by schmod at 7:00 AM on August 3, 2011


I can't say for sure about making a payment to a cancelled CC # because of fraud, but credit card companies can and do correct route recurring payments from a cancelled CC # to the correct account.

When I had to get a new number after mine was stolen somehow, I was told that if a charge came in on the old number from a vendor who has processed payments before, they will accept the charges and bill my account. And, in fact, I managed to neglect to update one of my reoccurring payments to the new number in time. But it still showed up.

But, I'd still call them to make a payment that some how includes your old CC # will get properly credited.
posted by skynxnex at 7:36 AM on August 3, 2011


I've paid onto a cancelled CC -- when I got the bill, I set up online payment for the due date, but the card expired before that, and then I got a new card sent which I never received and another new card and everything got confused and I could not see my old purchases or payments. The bank, however, processed everything correctly and it all worked out. I'd phone to confirm, but I would be surprised if this was anything but inconvenient.
posted by jeather at 10:16 AM on August 3, 2011


My bank (BofA) processed online payments I made to my old Discover credit card number and magically transferred them to my new CC number when I forgot to update it in the BofA database.
posted by vickyverky at 10:21 AM on August 3, 2011


Not sure whether the rerouting was done by my bank or the credit card, though -- it wouldn't hurt to call and check. At worst, the payment might be delayed by a couple of days, and you might get dinged for that.
posted by vickyverky at 10:22 AM on August 3, 2011


FWIW, I've been paying my Mastercard bill to my previous account number for well over a year now. The only difference it makes is that it payments show up on my bills in a separate section from the charges -- it all ends up affecting the account balance in exactly the same way.
posted by jacquilynne at 5:50 PM on August 7, 2011


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