Yes, you can get an anonymous credit card, but you may not be happy with what you get. An anonymous credit card is available as a prepaid credit card that you can buy online, at the mall, your local grocery store and so on. These cards carry the Visa, MasterCard and even American Express logo and can be used anywhere that they cards are accepted.
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The downside to these types of cards is that there are limits to what they can do. For example, say you find something that you love on QVC but can’t afford the up-front cost and you want to use easy pay. Guess what? QVC isn’t going to accept your prepaid card. The reason for this is that there is no guarantee that you are going to maintain that card for the duration of your purchase plan. You may want to compare online credit cards for this reason to find one that is accepted everywhere.
Does an anonymous credit card report to crediting agencies?
You have just stumbled across the other problem that anonymous credit cards present and that is the fact that they aren’t actual credit cards, they are gift cards with a credit card logo on them. As such, they don’t report to a crediting agency. Even if they did, you got the card anonymously, so there would be nothing to attach the spending to regardless.
What are some of the other problems with anonymous credit cards?
Another problem that you have to deal with is that you aren’t protected when you use one of these cards. For example, if you lose your card, it is just as if you lost cash. There is no canceling the card or claiming fraud.
Even if you call the company from which you purchased the card, they will tell you that they have no way of proving that you are or are not using that card. Even if they cancel the card for you, they aren’t going to reimburse your money!
In addition, you will not be able to rent a car with an anonymous credit card. Although some rental car companies are offering car rentals for people without credit cards, they do require that you use a debit card that is attached to a bank account, both of which have to be in your name, in order to qualify for a no credit card rental.
Another consideration that you need to make is that your card is not associated with a bank account. Once the money runs out, then you have to get a new card, which is usually free, or reload the one you have, which usually costs a couple of dollars.
Are there upsides to using an anonymous credit card?
If you are someone who doesn’t like their information to be transferred digitally, then of course, this is the benefit to an anonymous credit card. However, if you are making purchase online, keep in mind that you still have to provide your personal information in order to get an item shipped to you.
Many people use anonymous credit cards for all of their purchases because it makes them feel safer. If you prefer keeping your info private, then this is an easy way to accomplish that goal.
Why can’t I get a traditional credit card anonymously?
Although there are many great reasons that you can’t get a regular credit card anonymously, a legal reason is that credit card companies are required to verify your information, including the fact that you are over 21 according to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. This helps to ensure that only people who can be responsible for their debt accrues the debt.
Another reason is simple safety. If you get a credit card that doesn’t contain your personal information and someone steals it, there is no way for anyone to know that the credit card in question doesn’t belong to the person that is using it.
Again, if you don’t have your personal information associated with your credit card, then there is no way to report your good spending or payment habits to credit reporting agencies. You could argue that you will still provide that information to the credit card company, but that completely negates the purpose of an anonymous credit card because now a credit card company knows what credit card in which to associate you.
Why is credit reporting so important?
Your credit score is what helps determine whether you can get a loan, at the very least. In many cases, places of business are checking your credit before considering hiring you for a job. Car insurance companies check your credit to determine your fiscal responsibility.
You can check your credit score free, according to the Federal Trade Commission. This should help you to see what kind of impact your credit cards have on your credit score.
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