Is Square stalking me?
August 11, 2015 10:24 PM   Subscribe

I made an in-person (not online) purchase yesterday from a vendor I had never used before using my personal credit card on a Square. I did not request that an e-mail receipt be sent to me, nor did the vendor. Yet, an e-mail receipt was sent by Square to my work email address. How would Square have this address? Why would they send it to my work email without me requesting it? Are they stalking me?

I couldn't find anything on Square's website that would explain this. Is it possible that I made a purchase previously while traveling for work using my personal credit card and used my work e-mail then for a receipt (I can't remember doing this, but it sounds like something I would do) so now they just automatically always send to that address?
posted by Toddles to Shopping (11 answers total)
 
Pretty sure Square remembers the email address you used when you used the credit-card the first time through them.

A while ago I made a purchase through Square at a library, and a year later I used the same card at a convention and my email address already was in the system. So you probably just forgot.
posted by littlesq at 10:30 PM on August 11, 2015 [8 favorites]


Square definitely remembers your email/cc# combo.

Square does a lot of online payment processing too, so is it possible you made a personal credit card/work email address purchase via an online retailer that may have used Square?
posted by brainmouse at 10:51 PM on August 11, 2015 [4 favorites]


Is it possible that I made a purchase previously while traveling for work using my personal credit card and used my work e-mail then for a receipt[?]

Without even reading your "more inside", this is what I was going to suggest.

Same thing happened to me - once when I had just flown home on a very long flight, I paid for a taxi (who used Square, I guess) with my personal card, but I wanted to get reimbursed for work so I gave my work email address. It was late, I was tired, I barely remember doing this. But ever since then, I get a notice for EVERY single purchase on that card sent to my work email address. Thanks, Square. Hope I never slip up and buy something "sketchy" (or even personal) on my personal card and don't want my IT department to find out about it.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:37 PM on August 11, 2015 [2 favorites]


next time you make a purchase with Square just change the email address....
posted by Mac-Expert at 12:14 AM on August 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


Are they stalking me?

Probably not.
posted by ftm at 5:11 AM on August 12, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yes, Square remembers that and sends a receipt.

The issue: The credit card vendor agreement *requires* them to send a receipt (originally, always, now, for all transactions over, oh, $10 USD I think?)

This is also useful because if you get a receipt and you didn't buy anything, HELLO?

So, it's not them being deliberately evil. One reason I run my own domain is I get all the email addresses I want, and thus, I have an email for square, which sorts them nicely. Every company gets one. Bad companies get killfiled.

And Mac-Expert has the fast fix -- simply change the email next time, and it'll sort that out if you want it to default.
posted by eriko at 6:40 AM on August 12, 2015


[agreed with others on the cause -- some additional ideas for a fix follow]

Many of the vendors I've interacted with don't even raise the question of your email address once they see that it's already associated with your card number, so you may not get a chance to change it unless you make a specific request at the time of your next purchase.

Before then, you can follow the "Not Your Receipt?" link at the bottom of your most recently received Square receipt at your work address, which will give you an option to unlink that email address from that card.

There's also a "Manage Preferences for digital receipts" link that can be helpful for unsubscribing from automatic receipts from a specific vendor (say, the coffee joint you stop at every morning, and don't care to see receipts from).

More information here (hat tip to ftm for the starting link above):
  • Receipts received in error mentions the "Not Your Receipt?" link and has a contact form
  • Automatic Receipts - also includes information on how to manually contact Square to remove an address that you may have typo'd or no longer have access to

posted by ffej at 6:57 AM on August 12, 2015 [3 favorites]


Square used to ask each and every time, so every time you got coffee for a work trip, you stood there typing in your email address while a long line built up behind you. I personally welcomed the auto-emailing when it started, though I can see how it is disconcerting. Also, this way, you don't have to get a dose of BPA from handling thermal receipts for every transaction.
posted by salvia at 7:00 AM on August 12, 2015


One of my credit cards always sends to my wife's email address. I think she bought something at an art fair when I was the only one with a credit card on me. I should change that before I buy her a present with it and have the surprise ruined.
posted by advicepig at 7:08 AM on August 12, 2015


I love these emailed receipts. At least the once form Square.
Not the ones from many retail stores. For example Sears will spam the hell out of you once they have your email address :-(

You can setup some rules on your mail client to automatically filter and move emails to a designated folder and mark them as read.

If you are on a Mac you can take the automation even further using Automator, Hazel and /or If This Than That.
posted by Mac-Expert at 7:44 AM on August 12, 2015


I used to use PayPal Here as a vendor when selling things at fairs. In that case, which I am sure is the same as Square, the email is used based on what your account is with your CREDIT CARD.

Quite often I would have customers receive emails after their purchase with me while they were still standing there, and they didn't provide an email while using my PayPal Here. One customer freaked out, and the next person in line said it came from the email as provided to their credit card company. Sure enough, same thing happened to the other customers who didn't provide an email at time of purchase.
posted by TinWhistle at 7:56 AM on August 12, 2015


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