Prepaid or “one-time” payment cards for untrusted sites ?

4 comments

1. AliExpress is a huge Chinese company.

   I have been buying from them using my Japanese Amex Card since 2015 and not a single time I had any fraud or stolen info. Even had some dispute with sellers and got a full refund on my card without any issue.

   I would say AliExpress is pretty safe.

   Edit: I have used a prepaid card way back in 2013 when I didn’t have a credit card in Japan. It was a card that you ordered online and deposited funds in konbini or something like that. But I had to pay like 308y or so everytime I needed to add funds.

2. I generate a one-time use card using Revolut for things like that, or when I want to repeatedly sign up for multiple “trial” subscriptions, etc.

3. I use V-プリカ when I need to order anything online. It’s available at all of the convenience stores but there is a 300 yen fee. I’ve bought from AliExpress without issues.

4. Idk about the others but in my experience, it is better to buy from those sus websites using debit or like you said one-time payments… i used to shop on sus online webistes from China using my credit card… and i was surprised to see on my meisaisho that i have purchases that i don’t remember buying. The purchases all said Apple Com Bill, so I contacted both my credit card company and Apple. I talked to apple first and they asked me if i was fond of online shopping on sus websites which was true they said i need to be extra careful next time and they said they will cancel any payments they can. The Credit card company told me since the bills were all under my name im gonna have to pay for them still and the least they can do is cut off the card and give me a new one.

   TLDR: yes better pay using one time payments