Help me steal money from myself

April 18, 2013 3:35 PM

I lost my wallet. So far no one has used any of the cards in it, but I really need to. Is there anyway to pay in-store with just the credit or debit card numbers?

I lost my wallet on Monday, realized it on Tuesday and decided it was a post-thesis problem yesterday. Today, I realized that I'm going to need it when I pay for printing out the bound copies of my undergraduate thesis to hand in to my professors. Tomorrow.

Originally, I was planning on going to store I found that prints very cheaply and in less than half an hour. When I realized this was a problem, I started looking at online places which just take the numbers but since I left this to the last moment, most of the online places I found take too long and are much, much more expensive than the original place I was going to, not counting any sort of rush job fee ($5/copy v. $50/copy - I have no idea why everywhere else is so expensive but the original store has great reviews on yelp).

I can ask a friend to lend me the money, but I'd rather not, since we're all broke college students and I want to make sure I have more than enough just in case there are any surprises. I don't have more than $5 in cash but I do have scans of the front sides of my credit and debit cards and know the security code on the back. Will a store accept that and just plug in the numbers? Other suggestions?

I realize I need to cancel the cards, but they haven't been used yet and I'm convinced they're either in my friend's apartment or my room because I did not go anywhere else. Despite a lot of searching, I can't find them.

posted by raeka to Grab Bag (22 answers total)

Depends on where you are, but you could try going to your bank with ID and asking to withdraw cash. I believe most places should let you do so.
posted by katrielalex at 3:36 PM on April 18, 2013

Go to the bank when they open tomorrow morning and ask for a temporary debit card. In my experience with Wells Fargo, they can get you out the door with a working card in 10 minutes.
posted by rancidchickn at 3:38 PM on April 18, 2013

Response by poster: I don't want to threadsit, but would it have to be my bank? My debit card is from a credit union in my hometown and doesn't have any branches where I go to college.
posted by raeka at 3:40 PM on April 18, 2013

I once lost all my cards AND all my ID, and I still was able to withdraw money from my bank (Bank of America at that time). I just went and they asked me my address and SSN and a few other things.
posted by cairdeas at 3:41 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I do have scans of the front sides of my credit and debit cards and know the security code on the back. Will a store accept that and just plug in the numbers?

Only the shadiest kind of store, or maybe one where you knew the employees by name already. When I worked retail it would have been categorically and instantly refused.
posted by jacalata at 3:42 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Oops, sorry for the non-preview raeka.
posted by cairdeas at 3:42 PM on April 18, 2013

Could you call in the order over the phone?
posted by acidic at 3:43 PM on April 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

Green Dot MoneyPak

This should fix the situation. Essentially, you buy a reloadable card, fund it through your bank account, PayPal, or some other source. You can use the MoneyPak as you would a debit card at most retailers.
posted by chloe.gelsomino at 3:45 PM on April 18, 2013

I don't want to threadsit, but would it have to be my bank? My debit card is from a credit union in my hometown and doesn't have any branches where I go to college.

Call your credit union and see if they have "sister branches" in your college city. I can do banking from my old bank account from MT at my current credit union in UT.(Two different credit unions.) You just need your account number probably and your SSN if you don't have your ID. You may have also set up a verbal password with your bank branch.
posted by Crystalinne at 3:45 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

If you have time tonight, spend an hour searching your apartment and then an hour searching your friends apartment. If you don't have time, or if you don't find the wallet, start asking your friends for money - if going to the bank tomorrow works out you can pay them straight back, if not then they've saved your ass.

chloe.gelsomino: that MoneyPak looks like a solution for converting cash into electronic money. It talks about letting you send cash to PayPal, not get cash out of it.
posted by jacalata at 3:50 PM on April 18, 2013

At my last job I used my work credit card so often that I had the number memorized. On more than one occasion I left work without the card and had to purchase something. Rather than use my personal card and get reimbursed I would tell the cashier that I forgot my card, but I had the number memorized. Then asked if I could I just give them the number. I was never once refused. If all else fails, memorize your card number and try it.
posted by ephemerista at 3:53 PM on April 18, 2013

Or if you have an online account linked to any of your cards, why not do a money transfer to one of your friends so they can give you cash?
posted by acidic at 3:53 PM on April 18, 2013 [5 favorites]

Not exactly the question you asked, but maybe helpful: many college campuses have print shops on campus where you can get theses bound. They're generally more expensive than independent shops, but can send charges directly to the bursar, so you can pay them once you have your cards back.

(congrats on finishing your thesis!)
posted by dizziest at 3:54 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Can you ask if they except Paypal or see if you can do a direct transfer to their bank account, if it's a small company they are likely to be a bit more flexible on this. Do you have online banking if the shop won't take the direct transfer would one of your friends do this or have Paypal, they can then withdraw the money for you from their account.

Having said that I know a lot of countries outside the US have no problem with direct transfers but I know a lot of people in the US are hung up on telling people their bank account details even though it's on their cheques.
posted by wwax at 4:03 PM on April 18, 2013

Do you have checks? Could you just pay for the copies with a check or get a friend to cash a check for you?
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:19 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best bet is to try calling in an order over the phone (they may want you to show the card when you get there, but I think that's unlikely), and email them the file.

At Kinko's or FedEx you can order online and pay online.

Paypal to your friends and then have them get you cash.
posted by amaire at 4:20 PM on April 18, 2013

Best answer: I was in a similar situation once; I ended up managing with the limited cash I had, but my backup plan was to send myself some money via Western Union.

You could send yourself money online (using your scans of your credit/debit cards) and then go and pick it up in cash.

I don't know what the availability of Western Union is like near you, but there may be a collection point in your area - or another similar service.

Good luck!
posted by badmoonrising at 5:24 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Call your credit union and see if they have "sister branches" in your college city.

If your credit union is a real credit union, you can do everything you need to do at other credit unions. This is the rad, amazing secret that makes credit unions superfuckingawesome. I bank with a Portland Oregon credit union, and while living in Maine, just went to University Credit Union and did all the things there I couldn't do online. All credit unions that are federally recognized, are linked.

You walk in with your ID and account number, and tell them the name of your home credit union. From that point on, they can pull up your account and for most things, act like your home credit union.

It might not get you a debit card right away, but you should be able to withdraw cash. This really shouldn't be a problem.
posted by furnace.heart at 9:36 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for all the suggestions!

I ended up going the Western Union route (luckily I had my passport which I literally took to school because of a joke) but if I need more money before I get new cards, I'm going to try the credit union because that would have been easier.

Now I just have to hope everything gets printed tomorrow without any problems...
posted by raeka at 9:55 PM on April 18, 2013 [3 favorites]

If you have google wallet (or isis mobile wallet maybe?) you could load your cards on your phone and providing that it is new enough use that to pay a places that have the correct CC machines. Grocery stores, drug stores, and a few fast food places seem to have the right cc machines.
posted by magnetsphere at 8:06 AM on April 19, 2013

You really should go ahead and report your cards lost. In theory, not reporting promptly can make you liable for any charges. When you call, ask for the company to expedite your new cards. Many credit card companies won't offer it explicitly (because it's pretty expensive, and who would say no?) but usually if you ask you can have the new card much faster than normal. If your credit card company has a branch in town you may be able to get a temporary card the same day.
posted by indyz at 2:11 PM on April 19, 2013

Just as a warning, when my debit card number was stolen online last year, the bank and the cops said it was very likely through Western Union. I'd been using it frequently at the time to wire money to a family member. Apparently it happens A LOT so even if you find it, you may want to cancel your card anyway.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:36 PM on April 19, 2013