can credit card companies blacklist a merchant on behalf of an account?

December 4, 2018 2:56 AM

Is it possible for a credit card company to blacklist an online merchant on ones behalf so that no additional purchases can be made with that card? If so, what are the right words to use with the credit card rep? I have a friend who would like to stop gambling on an online website, but the site allows for anonymous account creation, so they're happy to keep accepting his deposits even after he's reported himself to be a problem gambler. Thanks in advance for any advice!
posted by Gosha_Dog to Work & Money (5 answers total)

What country is your friend in?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:31 AM on December 4, 2018

Response by poster: USA
posted by Gosha_Dog at 6:08 AM on December 4, 2018

Yes, they can. I had to block a merchant because they kept charging a recurring charge that I’d cancelled months prior. I called my CC company and explained and they blocked them.
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 8:00 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Your friend should probably also put a freeze on his credit to put some friction between him and opening new credit card accounts to use on the site.
posted by praemunire at 8:05 AM on December 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

Your friend can contact the payment processor (this is the company that appears with the charge on their credit card statement and is usually not the gambling site operator) and ask to be added to their ‘negative database’. Use those words specifically.
posted by subluxor at 7:34 PM on December 4, 2018