My card got blocked at a gas station in Omaha and I couldn't buy food for my kid

This was about 6 months ago, driving back from a visit. I stopped for gas and a snack, and my main card got flagged for 'suspicious activity' because I was out of state. The app said to call a number, but I had no cell signal. I had maybe $3 in change in my cup holder, not enough. It hit me then that if everything goes digital, a simple computer glitch or a bank's weird rule can cut you off from your own money completely. Who really controls it then? Has anyone else been totally stuck because a payment system decided you looked shady?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_bell7d ago

Omaha gas stations are the worst for that kind of thing.

the_drew7d ago

Ever think about carrying a backup card from a different bank? I got stuck once and now I keep a second debit card in the glove box with just enough cash in that account for gas and food... it's saved me a few times when the main card got fussy about location.

angelarivera7d ago

My bank's fraud alert locked my card at a Denver airport once, which felt pretty unfair.