Why Don't My Credit Cards Have Activity E-Mail Alerts?

Oct 19th, 2019 2:02 pm

#1

MusicBox [OP]: Banned; Dec 15, 2017; 1847 posts; 598 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 19th, 2019 2:02 pm

Why Don't My Credit Cards Have Activity E-Mail Alerts?

I see people left and right of me saying how they have Immediate alerts via text or email for purchases with their credit cards but not me?

Im a BMO customer with a no fee normal credit card with $14,000 limit and I have a TD Visa card with $9,500 limit. I am not a customer of TD Bank. How do I get this feature on both of my CC cards? Do I have to pay an extra fee?

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Oct 19th, 2019 2:20 pm

#2

batcave: Deal Addict; Nov 14, 2003; 4561 posts; 2835 upvotes; Gotham

Oct 19th, 2019 2:20 pm

I think it's either there or it isn't. I am a TD customer but do not get any sort of alerts. Maybe you have to turn it on somewhere as they could get annoying. My American Express cards get notifications via Google Pay when they are used, either with Google Pay, the physical card or online. This is a very good feature of American Express cards.

I think it may have to do with the integration of the back end system at the banks. For example, when I add a new CIBC card to Google Pay, I never get the text so I have to call in to get the card added. But when I add a new payee to my bank account, I do get a text. Two different back end systems.

+1

Oct 19th, 2019 4:35 pm

#3

robsaw: Deal Addict; May 16, 2017; 1626 posts; 2050 upvotes

Oct 19th, 2019 4:35 pm

Generally these are set through an "alerts" feature accessible on the online account for that card. Do you have online account access for both the BMO and TD cards? I know TD can be a pain getting online account without any other banking accounts.

Oct 19th, 2019 9:17 pm

#4

bomber17: Deal Fanatic; Apr 5, 2016; 5287 posts; 3768 upvotes; Calgary/Vancouver

Oct 19th, 2019 9:17 pm

For BMO, you have to sign in to online banking and on the left side, there'll be a My Alerts. One stupid thing about it is that it only alerts you over a min. amount so everything below you don't get notification for. My AMEX alerts me for every transaction.

Oct 19th, 2019 9:34 pm

#5

ayufan: Member; Dec 28, 2017; 334 posts; 132 upvotes; Burlington

Oct 19th, 2019 9:34 pm

Have you tried calling BMO about it? They might be able to lower the limit for alerts .
As for unauthorized payments, I am not too worried about it. You can always call in to cancel the transaction if you can proof that was not authorized ... But then.. that's not what the alert is for anyway .. r u worried about the supplement card usage?

Oct 19th, 2019 10:53 pm

#6

yesnomaybe: Deal Addict; Dec 29, 2012; 1411 posts; 1084 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 19th, 2019 10:53 pm

bomber17 wrote: ↑ My AMEX alerts me for every transaction.

Do you get text or email alerts with Amex? I have an Amex Gold and never get any purchase notifications even though I believe I have set the proper settings. The CSR told me it's not possible to get purchase notifications by email.

Oct 19th, 2019 11:43 pm

#7

deltatux: Sr. Member; Feb 28, 2014; 562 posts; 671 upvotes

Oct 19th, 2019 11:43 pm

yesnomaybe wrote: ↑ Do you get text or email alerts with Amex? I have an Amex Gold and never get any purchase notifications even though I believe I have set the proper settings. The CSR told me it's not possible to get purchase notifications by email.

If you have the Amex app, they send push notifications on every transaction. That or you add the Amex on your Google Pay to get the same thing as well. It will be Google Pay alerting you instead and it doesn't matter if you used your phone's NFC to pay or not, you will still be notified when a charge goes through.

+2

Oct 19th, 2019 11:46 pm

#8

User455957: Deal Addict; Nov 8, 2017; 1528 posts; 852 upvotes

Oct 19th, 2019 11:46 pm

yesnomaybe wrote: ↑ Do you get text or email alerts with Amex? I have an Amex Gold and never get any purchase notifications even though I believe I have set the proper settings. The CSR told me it's not possible to get purchase notifications by email.

I've got the gold too. App notifies me

+2

Oct 20th, 2019 2:13 am

#9

bomber17: Deal Fanatic; Apr 5, 2016; 5287 posts; 3768 upvotes; Calgary/Vancouver

Oct 20th, 2019 2:13 am

yesnomaybe wrote: ↑ Do you get text or email alerts with Amex? I have an Amex Gold and never get any purchase notifications even though I believe I have set the proper settings. The CSR told me it's not possible to get purchase notifications by email.

Oh sorry, I had the app downloaded and it sends me instant push notifications. Kinda do prefer text, but this will be the next best thing and I think it is actually a bit faster too.

+1

Oct 20th, 2019 10:07 am

#10

Scote64: Deal Addict; Jan 21, 2018; 4666 posts; 4718 upvotes; Vancouver

Oct 20th, 2019 10:07 am

TD had email alerts for some transactions until a few months ago, but instead of improving they decided to screw over their customers instead.

Formerly TD offered email alerts through TD Rewards, so you had to sign up with TD's crappy points rewards sales program to get alerts. But you could not get alerts for supplementary cards, so spending by any significant other or kids using supplementary cards went unreported.

In September, with very little warning, TD suddenly dropped the old email alerts, and said that you now had to install and use their "MySpend" spending analysis app in order to get credit card usage alert notifications. Email alerts are no longer available. It no longer supports their US$ credit card. Oh, and it doesn't work - not for me at least on my phone. I found out about it from RFD, because the only prior warning was a small-print note at the end of my online TD US$ statement, giving an invalid url, and telling me to go there to sign up my US$ credit card - which, as I noted, is officially not supported. Thanks TD, great work as always.

+1

Oct 20th, 2019 11:25 am

#11

georvu: Deal Fanatic; Feb 4, 2015; 6665 posts; 2987 upvotes; Canada, Eh!!

Oct 20th, 2019 11:25 am

Scote64 wrote: ↑ TD had email alerts for some transactions until a few months ago, but instead of improving they decided to screw over their customers instead.

Formerly TD offered email alerts through TD Rewards, so you had to sign up with TD's crappy points rewards sales program to get alerts. But you could not get alerts for supplementary cards, so spending by any significant other or kids using supplementary cards went unreported.

In September, with very little warning, TD suddenly dropped the old email alerts, and said that you now had to install and use their "MySpend" spending analysis app in order to get credit card usage alert notifications. Email alerts are no longer available. It no longer supports their US$ credit card. Oh, and it doesn't work - not for me at least on my phone. I found out about it from RFD, because the only prior warning was a small-print note at the end of my online TD US$ statement, giving an invalid url, and telling me to go there to sign up my US$ credit card - which, as I noted, is officially not supported. Thanks TD, great work as always.

We actually used to get email and text alerts for both main and supplementary cards and then like I posted in summer there was blurb in the statement that can only get alert [email not available anymore] if install their app.

Looked at app and it actually wanted me to install another app!! So two apps for less alerts choices.

And like Scote64 said these apps don't work quite often.

.......
July 13, 2017 to October 25, 2018: BOC raised rates 5 times and MCAP raised its prime rate next day each time.

2020: BOC dropped rates 3 times and MCAP waited and waited to drop its prime rate to include all 3 drops.

Oct 20th, 2019 8:03 pm

#12

User455957: Deal Addict; Nov 8, 2017; 1528 posts; 852 upvotes

Oct 20th, 2019 8:03 pm

Rogers has email alerts. Delayed usually, but never more than 5 min

Oct 20th, 2019 9:38 pm

#13

apnayloags: Deal Fanatic; Nov 13, 2010; 7024 posts; 1368 upvotes; Scarborough

Oct 20th, 2019 9:38 pm

Hopefully you never get alert when sleeping or napping.
Besides banks have been shifting the blame game to customers for frauds so they like to delay disputed charges so by not encoraging or having this favours them
Just watch marketplace its clear
Banks are increasingly not wanna be responsible for protecting customers from frauds they blame customer for any fraud and not wanna reimburse unless you go public

Oct 21st, 2019 12:59 am

#14

mwong168: Deal Addict; Aug 16, 2005; 2658 posts; 782 upvotes; North York

Oct 21st, 2019 12:59 am

I get push alerts via Capital One app and usually 10-15 sec delay for most transactions.

+1

Oct 21st, 2019 11:07 am

#15

georvu: Deal Fanatic; Feb 4, 2015; 6665 posts; 2987 upvotes; Canada, Eh!!

Oct 21st, 2019 11:07 am

mwong168 wrote: ↑ I get push alerts via Capital One app and usually 10-15 sec delay for most transactions.

Yeah, they are doing it well so far... get email and text.

BUT their website pw is horrible... can't add characters and does not always stick if change pw... gonna try again... maybe latter is browser related?

.......
July 13, 2017 to October 25, 2018: BOC raised rates 5 times and MCAP raised its prime rate next day each time.

2020: BOC dropped rates 3 times and MCAP waited and waited to drop its prime rate to include all 3 drops.

Oct 21st, 2019 11:52 am

#16

yesnomaybe: Deal Addict; Dec 29, 2012; 1411 posts; 1084 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 21st, 2019 11:52 am

Tangerine's email alerts are almost instantaneous

Oct 21st, 2019 4:33 pm

#17

threadhead: Deal Addict; Jan 23, 2018; 1123 posts; 1543 upvotes; The Dawg Pound

Oct 21st, 2019 4:33 pm

yesnomaybe wrote: ↑ Tangerine's email alerts are almost instantaneous

Same with the Brim MasterCard

Oct 21st, 2019 10:55 pm

#18

MusicBox [OP]: Banned; Dec 15, 2017; 1847 posts; 598 upvotes; Toronto

Oct 21st, 2019 10:55 pm

robsaw wrote: ↑ Generally these are set through an "alerts" feature accessible on the online account for that card. Do you have online account access for both the BMO and TD cards? I know TD can be a pain getting online account without any other banking accounts.

I have BMO online banking but not TD since Im don't have money with them. So you are telling me this is 2019 and we don't automatically get this feature? We have to jump to hoops and loops to get it?

BATCAVE says the alerts get annoying but it won't in my case, I'm the only one using it, not my partner.