# Credit card verification process when buying on amtrak.com



## MARC Rider (May 3, 2015)

There seems to be a new process in place when paying for a ticket on amtrak.com. After you give them your credit card info (including the 3-digit security code on the back of the card) it asks for verification information. I'm not sure whether this is being done by the bank issuing the card, Mastercard/Visa, or Amtrak. You're supposed to re-enter the security code, expiration date, and your PIN (which for my debit card appears to be my ATM PIN), then you're prompted to enter a password. Another blankety-blank web password, that's all I need! After this point, if all is done correctly, and you don't accidentally mistype anything, your purchase gets processed. Apparently, the next time you use the cars, all you need to do is re-enter the password, and everything will go more quickly. I wouldn't know, because I don't buy tickets enough to remember the password, so I have to generate a new one every time I buy a ticket. I guess I could write it down, along with the three notebook pages I have with all the other web passwords I have.

Frankly, I'm not sure what benefit this is to Amtrak. Anything that makes it harder to close a sale has the potential to reduce revenue. And it seems like there's a fairly low risk of fraudulent use of the card because the user has to enter the security code, which is physically only on the card. Thus, fraudulent use is limited to physically stolen cards, and if the victim reports the theft, the card can be deactiviated.

I remember the old days of credits cards, back in the 1970s and early 80s before they had network access at the point of sale. The sales clerk had to go through a book with bad credit card numbers, but not every establishment bothered to do it, as I guess the risk of accepting a bad card was so low that they could afford to just eat the loss. Is there something inherent in modern credit cards thatmakes the losses so much greater that they have to hassle their customers with this extra step?


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## Guest (May 3, 2015)

It's for your protection. Consider a free password generator to simplify things. They are quite secure and work well.


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## Train2104 (May 3, 2015)

I just made a points run purchase ($9) earlier this morning and though the interface changed (it asked me to confirm the purchase on a separate screen after entering the card info), I didn't have to generate a password.

Maybe it'll do this for a larger transaction?


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## neutralist (May 4, 2015)

It is called Verified by Visa / SecureCode by MasterCard. It is chosen by the specific bank, not depend on the amount. Chase Bank used to have it, I think some time a couple years ago they dropped it, or at least no longer use VBV. DIfferent bank have different policies.


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## andersone (May 4, 2015)

And you wonder why I use Judy at AAA. She's my internet password


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## Devil's Advocate (May 4, 2015)

It's not Amtrak's decision. At least not in any direct sense. Amtrak uses a credit processor which supports secondary verification. This is probably a requirement (or at least a rate impacting benefit) outlined in the terms of their merchant account. If you don't want this feature applied to your purchases there is nothing Amtrak can do about it. You'll need to talk to your bank to get it disabled.


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## NW cannonball (May 4, 2015)

neutralist said:


> It is called Verified by Visa / SecureCode by MasterCard. It is chosen by th cause it didn't jelpe specific bank, not depend on the amount. Chase Bank used to have it, I think some time a couple years ago they dropped it, or at least no longer use VBV. DIfferent bank have different policies.


Yeah, I think I remember something like that - "Verified by" yeah -Thought it went away a few years back - maybe still exists. Where after confirming purchase with merchant, get another signon to the card vendors site. --- ah

Most of my cards gave up that useless double signon years ago - probably becuase it had no value to the card issuer -- but hey Card Issuers have so much fee income ---

Card issuers get so much fee income that they can afford 1% or 2% rebates on "cash back" or "wonder points" cards.


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