What are Purchase Alerts?
Purchase Alerts are messages sent to your email or mobile phone to help you manage and track your Visa® credit and/or debit card transactions. Alerts provide near real-time notification of transaction activity based on your alert settings. You select from preset alerts and specify the settings for the alerts you want to receive (for example, the option to be notified when a transaction exceeds a specific dollar amount). Information in the alert includes the amount of the transaction, the merchant name and location (if available), and the last four digits of the Visa card used. Alerts can be sent to an e-mail address or to a mobile phone as an SMS text message.
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What are the benefits of Purchase Alerts?
Purchase Alerts let you monitor your card's purchase transactions in near-real-time, giving you peace of mind by providing timely information that helps you monitor your Visa card for suspicious activity.
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What type of cards can I enroll in Purchase Alerts?
You can enroll just about any Visa card, including all APL FCU credit and debit cards.
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Can multiple Visa cards on one account receive Purchase Alerts?
Yes. If you have multiple cards on your membership (such as a second debit card for a joint member, or both a credit card and a debit card), you can enroll each of the cards in Purchase Alerts. Purchase Alerts include the last four digits of the card used, so you will be able to match each purchase to a specific card.
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What types of transactions will generate a Purchase Alert?
For credit cards, any transaction meeting the parameters you set will generate an alert (for example, if you set your alerts to only be notified of transactions over $20, you would receive an alert for a $24 transaction, but not for a $15 purchase).
For debit cards, Purchase Alerts are available for all signature-based transactions, as well as some debit purchases (where you use your four-digit PIN).
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Why aren’t Purchase Alerts available for all debit card transactions?
Visa handles 100% of Visa signature-based card transactions. For debit card transactions where you use a PIN, some merchants use Visa to conduct those transactions while others may use another payment processor. PIN-based transactions that go through the Visa network will generate an alert, while transactions handled by another processor will not.
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What types of Purchase Alerts settings are available?
You can use several Purchase Alerts settings to customize the type of transactions that will generate an alert:
- Threshold Transaction: An alert is sent if a purchase is greater than a preset dollar amount. Some members may wish to receive an alert for every transaction, regardless of the dollar amount, while others may wish to limit alerts to purchases that are greater than a specified dollar threshold.
- Card-Not-Present Transaction: An alert is sent for any purchase made without having to physically present the card at the point of sale, such as purchases made online or over the phone.
- International Transaction: An alert is sent for any purchase made outside of the country.
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How does the Threshold Transaction setting work with the other transaction settings?
The threshold setting only applies if a particular transaction does not meet one of the other transaction settings you specify. If you set your purchase threshold at $25, you will only receive a Purchase Alert for transactions of $25 or more unless that transaction falls into one of the other transaction categories.
For example, if a $20 purchase is made at a Target store with one of your cards, you would not receive a purchase alert because it is less than the $25 threshold you chose when you customized your Purchase Alerts settings. However, if the same $20 purchase was made online at Target.com, it would generate an alert because it falls under the Card-Not-Present setting.
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How do I enroll in Purchase Alerts?
Just click on the “Enroll Now” button on the Visa Purchase Alerts page to enroll your cards. The service is free for APL FCU members.
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If I customize the threshold transaction amount based on my personal preference, can I change the settings at a later date?
Yes. You can change the threshold transaction amount at any time.
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Where are Purchase Alerts sent?
You have the option of receiving the Purchase Alert as an email and/or text message. For the email option, an email message will be sent to your inbox. For the text option, a text message will be sent to your mobile phone.
To receive alerts by text, your mobile carrier must support the service, you must have a wireless service plan that allows for the receipt of text messages, and you must have adequate wireless data coverage at the time the alert is being delivered to your mobile phone. Most mobile carriers support the service (including but not limited to: Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile). Check with your carrier if you are unsure if your particular carrier/service plan supports the service.
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Will my mobile carrier charge me for Purchase Alerts?
Depending on your wireless service plan, standard text messaging rates from your mobile carrier may apply to SMS alert messages. If you have any questions about whether you’re charged for standard text messages, please contact your mobile carrier's Customer Service department.
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Do Purchase Alerts show my Visa card number?
For your protection, only the last four digits of your Visa card number are displayed in an alert.
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What happens to my enrollment if I lose my mobile phone?
Go to the alerts website and register your new phone number. You’ll be sent a validation code via SMS message. You’ll need to enter this validation code on the alerts website. After successfully validating your new mobile phone number, all existing triggers will apply, and you’ll continue to receive alerts as before.
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What happens if I change my mobile phone number?
If you change your mobile phone number, you’ll need to go to the mobile/email preference page of the alerts website and register the new phone number. You’ll be sent a validation code via SMS message. You’ll need to enter this validation code on the alerts website. Once you successfully validate your new mobile phone number, all existing triggers will apply and you’ll continue to receive alerts as before.
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If my transaction meets the criteria for more than one Purchase Alert trigger, do I receive multiple alerts?
No. You receive only one alert per transaction, provided it meets at least one of your Purchase Alert triggers.
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How do I opt-out of Purchase Alerts? Am I required to enroll in Purchase Alerts?
Visa Purchase Alerts is an opt-in service, so you are not required to enroll your cards. However, we highly recommend Visa Purchase Alerts for our credit and debit card holders. The service is completely free (depending on your text message plan), and a great way to monitor your card activity.
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What if I receive a Purchase Alert for a transaction I don’t recognize?
Check to see if the unfamiliar transaction is one of the following: A large purchase that was divided into smaller transactions, an aggregated charge (several small purchases combined into one, such as buying $0.99 songs online), a purchase initiated by an authorized cardholder, or an authorization charge from a restaurant or hotel. If you still can't identify the transaction, call the number on the back of your Visa card to report the activity as quickly as possible.
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Why did I receive a Purchase Alert hours (or days) after the transaction occurred?
Occasionally an alert is delayed if a merchant doesn't immediately submit your transaction information to Visa for processing. The merchant may be waiting until your order ships to do so or may not have immediate access to a power source for transmitting data.
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Why did I receive a Purchase Alert for a $1 transaction—or some other small amount—when I made an online purchase?
Some online merchants may request an initial authorization amount of $1 or some other small amount to verify that your account is valid. Alerts are triggered based on the initial authorization amount, so in this case you will probably receive a second alert for the actual purchase amount when the merchant submits your online purchase.
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Why didn’t I receive a Purchase Alert when I expected one?
There are several reasons why you may not have received an expected Purchase Alert, such as:
- The dollar amount of your transaction is lower than the amount you specified for your alerts
- The merchant processes the transaction through a different payment system other than Visa’s system
- The merchant hasn’t yet submitted the transaction information to Visa
- Your mobile carrier drops the message
- You don’t have mobile phone coverage at the time Visa attempts to send the alert (in most cases, you will receive the alert later once your phone coverage is restored)
- Your mobile carrier blocks the text message, or your phone plan doesn’t include text messaging service
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Why is the amount in the Purchase Alert different from the amount on my restaurant bill?
Alerts are triggered based on the initial authorization amount that the restaurant sends to Visa, which may or may not include the estimated tip, and isn’t necessarily the final amount you signed for.
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Why is the amount in the Purchase Alert different from the amount on my hotel bill?
Alerts are triggered based on the initial authorization amount the hotel sends to Visa, which doesn't include discretionary charges, such as room service, parking, dry cleaning and wireless service.
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Why is the amount not in the Purchase Alert?
Some businesses such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations and rental car companies request an initial authorization from Visa to verify the card is valid, or use an estimated transaction amount because they don’t know the final charge amount (such as the hotel not knowing if you will have any incidental charges when you check in). Because the final charge amount is not known, Visa will send you an alert to let you know your card has been used without specifying a dollar amount.
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Why is the merchant's name not in the Purchase Alert?
The merchant's name is provided in the alert if it’s available. Please check the transaction in Online Banking (eBranch) for more details.
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How can I find out where a specific purchase was made?
Member Services may be able to help you determine the merchant's actual location. The alert includes the merchant name and location only if they’re made available to Visa.
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Can I consider a Purchase Alert a replacement for a receipt?
No. An alert can’t be considered a replacement for a receipt.
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If I delete a Purchase Alert from my email inbox or my mobile phone’s default SMS inbox, will it be stored anywhere else?
Alerts are stored in the View History page of the alerts web site, even if you delete them from your email inbox or your mobile phone’s text message inbox.
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How many alerts are stored on the alerts website?
The View History page of the alerts site will contain records of your alerts history regardless of the number of alerts received.
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