payments depend on phone

I never chose to make card payments depend on my phone, but card issuers, as elements in the shitfrastructure, all force this.

I'm separated from my phone till I collect it from the place I left it, which is a flight away.  To book a flight, you have to make a payment, and to make a payment, the shitfrastructure requires you to use your phone.

I almost failed to buy the ticket.  It went as follows:

  • barclaycard
    • options were SMS to lost phone, or to old uk number disconnected, or app which I don't use, but which would be on the lost phone, or pinsentry on app (note: pinsentry via actual pinsentry device NOT an option), failed
  • halifax
    • SMS to lost phone, only option, failed
  • coutts debit
    • SMS to lost phone, only option, failed
  • HSBC debit
    • SMS to lost phone, or bank app, which I don't use, but if I did it would be on the lost phone, failed
  • Lloyds debit
    • one option was call to landline, which worked, and I entered with DTMF in the phone a 4-digit code displayed on the computer screen, and the phone call said it worked, and the web page carried on, but it then went  to vendor page saying payment had failed (will have to see whether this payment really did fail, when next statement comes thru), failed
  • Barclays debit
    • option to use standalone card reader device with debit card; worked

In zero cases did I choose to make card payments fail if I didn't have my phone.  The last thing I want, if I lose my phone, is for everything to stop working.  I also do not want to have to have a phone.  Yet, in all these cases (except the last), the card provider forced the thing to depend on my phone.

I don't collect cards.  The one that worked was the last option I had.  My wise card is currently suspended, until I jump thru their latest periodic compliance challenge, for which they gave 7 days (really) before freezing account.

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