At 6:48 PM -0800 on 2/3/01, PRIVACY Forum wrote: > Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 19:00:36 EST > From: HC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Anonymous "Credit": 7-11/AMEX Gift Card > > I'm writing about a fairly new product that has become available: the > 7-Eleven Gift Card by American Express. I found it a little odd that AMEX > would be enabling people to carry out anonymous/private transactions. > Especially considering the reports about how AMEX would peek into customers' > bank accounts to verify if they have enough money to pay their monthly bill! > So it's interesting that they would issue a card that cannot be tracked back > to you. > > ABOUT THE CARD > > This card is being issued at 7-Eleven stores nationwide. It is fairly new > (to the East Coast anyway) so it's availability may be limited in some > areas. You can find out more information on the 7-Eleven web site at > http://www.7-eleven.com/products.html. It is gold in color and bears the > American Express "Blue Box" logo on the front. It's packaged much the same > way as a prepaid calling card--it is on a hang-card with the front of the > card displayed but the back side is half covered by the opaque card but the > magnetic strip is exposed. The back side of the card which is covered up > contains a silvery strip which you scratch off much like a lottery ticket. > This is where the 15-digit card number and 4-digit verification codes appear. > Note that there are no embossed numbers or any name whatsoever on the card. > The expiry date is in tiny under the signature panel but I noticed that the > date shown (12/03) is different than the date encoded on the mag stripe > (03/03) yet both of them work. > > HOW IT WORKS > > The card is a gift card much like any other gift card or gift certificate > from Best Buy, Macy's etc except this card can be used at most anyplace that > takes the American Express card. To get a card, simply go to a 7-11 store > and ask for a gift card in any amount between $25-$1,000. You'll be charged > a fee of 4% to "load" the money onto the card. You pay the amount plus fee > with cash or (oddly enough) credit card--or even another gift card. The > clerk swiped the gift card and enters the payment information which then > activates the card on the AMEX network. You'll be given a receipt showing > the balance on the card. When activated, the card can be used > instantly--there is no delay. > > Since this is a gift card, I think AMEX intended it to be sent to loved ones > but there is nothing stopping you from buying one for yourself. > > When your balance runs low you can "reload" more money onto the card at any > 7-11 store. You can also call the toll free number on the back to check > your balance. > > USING THE CARD > > So far, I have used the card in all manner of places both online and in the > physical world with only one or two minor snags: one merchant's register > would not read the mag stripe properly and when the clerk keyed in the > number, the register asked for the effective dates, ie, when did the card > *start* and when did it expire. A quick call to the toll free number took > care of that. The other hold up came from a couple of places that not only > swipe all credit cards presented but also imprint the number. Well there's > nothing to imprint on this card so they just note that and carry on. Note > that the four (only four!) places that asked for ID with the credit card > changed their mind when they saw there wasn't even a name on the card to > verify! > > On the subject of ownership, you need to treat this card as cash. That's > because like cash, you can't really prove ownership--if you drop either in a > parking lot and someone else comes along after you leave, he/she can use > either and you're out of that money. > > Some would wonder why pay 4% to use your own cash. One thing to remember is > that you can't really use cash across the Internet. This card can be used > (again, entering any name and address if necessary) at any website that takes > AMEX. This makes it good at sites that you'd rather not have appear on your > personal credit card. So you can greatly enhance your privacy by using a > web-based mail service, an anonymous web browser and this card and not worry > about junk mail or any other annoyances. > > [ Of course, if a person chooses to buy one of these cash cards > using their credit card for payment, the "anonymity" factor > may be significantly reduced. > > -- PRIVACY Forum Moderator ] -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
