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Alternatives To Paypal's Virtual Credit Card Service?
An anonymous reader writes "Paypal has quietly killed the Paypal plugin and the related virtual-card service. The service generated on-the-fly, one-time-use credit card numbers. When I called in and inquired about the service, I was told that the service has been discontinued, but may be relaunching something similar depending on interest. They are treating inquiries as a sort of petition, taking down names and contact info. The forums seem to be a lost cause, as no Paypal reps have replied to the numerous posts regarding virtual cards being discontinued. Does anyone know of a good alternative source of one-time-use credit card numbers?"
Or the rest of the world seems bizarre to the US. The US being a leader. Just because it's in the minority, doesn't mean its practice is not superior and the economic best choice.
I suppose in other countries more consumers are more responsible, do what they promise they will do, manage their finances intelligently, and live up to their obligations.
In the US, we have some people receiving government assistance who buy buy buy, people mortgaged to the hilt, and other participants in rampant consumerism who feel entitled and don't bat a second thought at ignoring all their obligations and filing bankruptcy.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that debtors' prisons were abolished in the US many years before they were in other countries.
Or maybe the banks are just plain greedy and throwing out some of the babies with the bathwater is just the cost of doing business to them.