Tag Archives: PayPal

Do This Now: Change Default Payment Setting in Venmo to Private

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Good afternoon everyone.  Venmo just updated their app and made privacy a key component of the app.  Doctor of Credit also shared this article from a researcher who analyzed 18 million Venmo users from last year to see who users were paying and what they were paying for.  The main conclusion from the researcher was that most users’ transaction details (except dollar amounts) were publicly available and that most users had no idea that they could make their transactions private.  You might think that sharing your Venmo transaction details publicly is no big deal, “I have nothing to hide.”  But what if you went to the same bar every Thursday evening and paid you friend for “Drinks at Bar123.”  If you had a stalker, they could easily figure out your habits and find you.  That might be an extreme example, but it is possible.

In today’s post, I will show you how to easily change your default payment settings to private.  You can also retroactively change your past payments to private.  As an example, when I sign into my Venmo app, I can click on the globe icon and it will show me all public payments in real time from around the world.  I do not know any of these people, but yet, I can see who they are paying and what they are paying for.  Let’s go through the Privacy on Venmo screens and learn about the different privacy setting levels.

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PSA: Do NOT Use Zelle or Venmo to Pay People on Craigslist, eBay or Strangers Online

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope your Presidents’ Day Weekend is off to a great start.  I just spent the last hour or so reading about horror stories where people were scammed on Craigslist when they paid with Zelle (Tech Crunch and Reddit). Since I wrote a post on how to send money to friends (or other bank accounts) with Zelle, I felt that it was my duty to inform my readers about this scam.

After reading the Tech Crunch and Reddit posts, here is how the scam works. The buyer sees tickets on Craigslist and reaches out to the seller. The seller says they can transfer the tickets to the buyer immediately after payment is received and recommends using Zelle, since that is their preferred way to be paid. Luckily, the buyer has used Zelle in the past and *thinks* that since the service is offered by their bank and other big banks, that all transactions are protected. After the buyer pays the seller via Zelle, the seller disappears and stops responding to calls, texts, and emails. The buyer complains to their bank, but since Zelle is set up to pay friends and family members, there is no purchase protection offered through Zelle, therefore, their bank cannot help them recover their money.

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PayPal Extras MasterCard Targeted Offer: 1,000 Bonus Points After Making 3 Purchases

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Good morning evening everyone.  I have a short post this evening.  I just received an email from Synchrony Bank regarding my PayPal Extras MasterCard.  If I make 3 purchases between now and February 28, 2018, I will get 1,000 bonus points.  Since 6,000 points = $50 statement credit, 1,000 bonus points is worth ~$8.33.  This offer is targeted and all I had to do to enroll in the offer was click the Activate Offer button in the email.

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Which Peer-to-Peer Payment App is the Best?

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If I used the term peer-to-peer payment app, you’d probably know what I meant. I’m no tech dinosaur, but I’ll admit to finding all the peer-to-peer payment app options a bit confusing. I wanted to find out how many there were, what the differences were, and who the services might work best for. Here’s what I discovered!

When we travel, splitting the costs of things like meals, car rentals, admission to events, and hotel rooms, just to name a few, can be complicated. In the old days, maybe a friend would keep track of costs using a note app on their phone. Or maybe you’d use a notepad and pen! But now, digital wallets and peer-to-peer payment apps are making this process easier by allowing people to pay one another back without needing cash or checks. These peer-to-peer methods have become a part of everyday life.

I’ve found though, that using them isn’t as simple as just downloading an app. There are conditions to consider. In some cases, using them means you’ve shared your bank account information. Most of them are only available in the U.S. and you need an American bank account. They also function differently, have differences in privacy and security, and differences in how long it takes to get paid. Let’s take a look at the top 6 choices.

Google Wallet

Google’s payment service allows you to receive and send money using Google Wallet. You do this via Gmail or on the web. You’ll need a debit card and Google account to sign up. There is no charge. Depending on your default payment method, you’ll either receive your money within 24 hours or in the case of using a bank account as your default method, you’ll be paid within 3 days. Google Wallet does encrypt your financial information and you can add a PIN to the app for an extra layer of security. If security is a top issue for you, then Google Wallet is a good choice. Daily send limit: $10,000 USD.

Image source: https://www.google.com/wallet/

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How I did on that US Mint American Eagle Platinum Coin

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(Hat tip to Miles Per Day for the title inspiration)

Good afternoon everyone.  Back in July, there was a lot of commotion about the US Mint American Eagle 20th Anniversary Platinum Proof Coin.  The platinum coin went on sale at 10am PT on July 6 for $1,300 and there was a private group who would buy the coin from you for $1,325 (and provide a free shipping label), so you could make ~$20 profit by buying this platinum coin and then selling it to this private group.  Since this was a limited release, I figured I could sell the coin on eBay for much more than $1,325 and make more than a ~$20 profit.  So, how did I do?

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