Does the credit card name have to match your name in account to use miles?
Aug 5, 2022, 4:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
Does the credit card name have to match your name in account to use miles?
My name is different on my credit card vs what's in my account (like a shorter version of it). Anyone know if the credit card must match the name when using frequent flyer points?
Aug 5, 2022, 4:54 pm
#2
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Yes..I can't comment on whether your specific case is close enough that it will work or not though. If it's a middle name or a dual last name, I haven't seen any issues in the past. If it's a totally different name, it won't work.
Aug 5, 2022, 4:59 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
First name difference. Think like Elizabeth vs Liz. Or William vs Bill. The rest is the same.
I recall having an issue where the card and my name didn't match and couldn't complete the transaction. But I can't remember if it was with AA or not.
I recall having an issue where the card and my name didn't match and couldn't complete the transaction. But I can't remember if it was with AA or not.
Aug 5, 2022, 6:38 pm
#4
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It could be an issue. They are sensitive to people selling miles, and a red flag for that is if someone is using someone else's account to book travel. In your case that's not what you're doing, of course.
There have definitely been cases where people have complained about it not working when the names are completely different.
I would think that there would be some way around this. People regularly change names when they get married, for example. I'm not sure if you can change the name on your account to match.
There have definitely been cases where people have complained about it not working when the names are completely different.
I would think that there would be some way around this. People regularly change names when they get married, for example. I'm not sure if you can change the name on your account to match.
Aug 5, 2022, 7:07 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
It could be an issue. They are sensitive to people selling miles, and a red flag for that is if someone is using someone else's account to book travel. In your case that's not what you're doing, of course.
There have definitely been cases where people have complained about it not working when the names are completely different.
I would think that there would be some way around this. People regularly change names when they get married, for example. I'm not sure if you can change the name on your account to match.
There have definitely been cases where people have complained about it not working when the names are completely different.
I would think that there would be some way around this. People regularly change names when they get married, for example. I'm not sure if you can change the name on your account to match.
Aug 5, 2022, 7:20 pm
#6
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One workaround is if your card offers free authorized users you could always sign up for an AU in the name that matches your AA account.
But before you go through that trouble I would just try booking an award first, if the names are close like Bill/William or Liz/Elizabeth I doubt you'll have a problem booking over the phone. I would just give them the first name that matches the AA account and see if the system will take it, not sure how "strict" it is.
But before you go through that trouble I would just try booking an award first, if the names are close like Bill/William or Liz/Elizabeth I doubt you'll have a problem booking over the phone. I would just give them the first name that matches the AA account and see if the system will take it, not sure how "strict" it is.
Aug 6, 2022, 8:28 am
#8
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Just use your "account name" as the cardholder name. Easy peasy. Done it dozens of times. The cardholder name is never verified. You could use "Mickey Mouse" and it would still work.
Aug 6, 2022, 8:46 am
#9
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Good point - it is a front end page validation only. I've bypassed it by just calling the method directly as well
Aug 6, 2022, 9:01 am
#10
Join Date: May 2010
Location: DFW Area
Programs: AA ConciergeKey; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 394
As above I don’t think it checks the name other than against the aa account. My old card had junior on it but my new one doesn’t. It works everywhere but aa, which makes me add the junior in the card name field to match my aa account or the payment fails due to non matching name.
Aug 6, 2022, 10:16 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 138
One workaround is if your card offers free authorized users you could always sign up for an AU in the name that matches your AA account.
But before you go through that trouble I would just try booking an award first, if the names are close like Bill/William or Liz/Elizabeth I doubt you'll have a problem booking over the phone. I would just give them the first name that matches the AA account and see if the system will take it, not sure how "strict" it is.
But before you go through that trouble I would just try booking an award first, if the names are close like Bill/William or Liz/Elizabeth I doubt you'll have a problem booking over the phone. I would just give them the first name that matches the AA account and see if the system will take it, not sure how "strict" it is.
Aug 6, 2022, 10:50 am
#14
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However, if you put your name and someone else's card, the back end takes it with no issue. As you said, it validates the card #, cvc and zip.
AA seems to have skipped coding 101 - never rely on UI validations alone.
Aug 6, 2022, 12:00 pm
#15
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The AA.com bank card name field need not be filled in per the name on the bank card being used for the transaction. Some customers just take the name as on the FFP account to enter into the bank card name fields on aa.com while ignoring the actual names on the bank card.
Changing the bank card account address to be the same as the FFP account address is not even generally necessary for the transaction to process.
Changing the bank card account address to be the same as the FFP account address is not even generally necessary for the transaction to process.
Last edited by GUWonder; Aug 6, 2022 at 12:37 pm