Two weeks before Christmas I noticed mysterious charges appeared on my credit card and it turned out someone got the number and was using it, so I had it closed out. Of course, it was bad timing, but that's another story. What really caused chaos was getting the new card.
NEW CARD WOES -
Ten days after I had the card canceled and disputed the charges (one of which is still there, although the bank said it's invalid... but it still hadn't come off the statement), I received a new card. As I was putting the new card into bill pay sites, I kept getting rejections that the "CVV" code (printed on the back of the card) was "invalid." I can read three numbers. I put it in again, and again, and again, and verified the card number and expiration date were accurate. ALL sites said the card was invalid.
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| The CVV code |
HERE WE GO AGAIN - So, on Dec. 29th when I got the new card and activated it, I tried inputting it in the bill pay websites again. Same message "CVV code is invalid." I was beside myself. - You don't realize how much you rely on having bills go to your credit card until you have to pay them directly from your checking account.
SO WHAT'S THE ISSUE?- When you put a credit card on a bill pay website, they automatically "ping" the bank to ensure the card is valid. They don't charge it, just ping it. In the case of several bill pay websites, the ping was denied (I assume because there was not yet a charge on the card).
BANK OVER-RIDE- I called the bank again, and this time talked with a VISA person. They told me that they put an "override" on the CVV so that the card would be accepted. I've never heard of putting an override on the card. It finally worked.
