Throwing PenFed for a Loop

[ramblin_wreck08]

I got my PenFed card a couple weeks ago. My first purchase was $1 and some change for some Gatorade at a gas station. My second purchase was last night for a $2.5k engagement ring! I was going to swipe the card, and couldn't help but think what kind of red flag I was throwing up on their systems. Haha. I honestly expected a denial and a call, but it went through just fine! That shows a lot of trust on PenFed's part, considering I have a car loan with them and only the minimum $5 savings account. The relationship is just 1 month old at this point.

Anyone else done anything similar with a new card/relationship?

P.S. Is there any way to see pending transactions on PenFed's site?

[cahiatt]

I get a call from them about once a month checking for fraud. Of couse my spending is all over the place. The wife and I both use their Visa for daily needs and I also use it for work. I might get gas in Miami and 20 minutes later the wife is getting gas in Atlanta. 30 minutes after that I'll be buying something from a Chinese vendor for work at about $4k and then buying plane tickets for the month. That almost always gets the phone ringing.

[bs6054]

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@cahiatt wrote:

I get a call from them about once a month checking for fraud. Of couse my spending is all over the place. The wife and I both use their Visa for daily needs and I also use it for work. I might get gas in Miami and 20 minutes later the wife is getting gas in Atlanta. 30 minutes after that I'll be buying something from a Chinese vendor for work at about $4k and then buying plane tickets for the month. That almost always gets the phone ringing.

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Interesting.  I hadn't heard that about Penfed.  I just used my Penfed card in the UK without issue, though I did make sure to tell them in advance that I would be there.

In the US I just buy and groceries with the card, so maybe nothing to trigger alerts.

On the other hand, I heard a lot of reports about the FIA Fidelity card causing lots of fraud calls, and that has never happened with me.   Really only Capital One, and then only when I engage in known high-fraud-potential purchases

[Epcot]

Gatorade and an engagement ring! Congrats on the upcoming engagement.

[youngandcreditwrthy]

Congrats on the engagement! No experience with PenFed here! Lol

[Anonymous]

My experience says that penfed should be classified as a bank not a credit union

[djrez4]

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@Anonymous wrote:

My experience says that penfed should be classified as a bank not a credit union

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That's a bit of a nonsense statement.  PenFed is a credit union, despite whatever experience you may have.

[Anonymous]

I would say that your response if full of it. Credit unions are desighned to serve the underprivleged and Petagon does not do that, and I am a member but not a active member

[ramblin_wreck08]

Thanks everyone! I plan to propose in a couple weeks!

cahiatt...I bet they're always wondering what you're up to and if someone got your card. That's quite the spending pattern you've got there.

[bbb3601]

Congrat's obviously........and I so can't wait to throw PenFed for a loop myself!!!! Maybe summer!??