sdsearch

I am getting so fed up with Amex giving me new cards that are have identical last 4 digits as the old cards. I understand their system (how they use the last 5 digits, and how the last 4 digits are automatically generated), but I sure wish they'd change their system. Why can't they move the "100" to earlier in the number???

I'm trying to complete spend on one Amex to get the signup bonus, and a convenient way to do that in places where I would not have preferred to use another card normally was at some hotels I'm staying at this month where I don't have a card for that hotel program anyway.

I reserved a set of La Quinta brand stays (all the same property) with one Amex card that I got this spring that ends in 100N. Then when I checked into the hotel, I gave them my new Amex card that also ends in 100N. I kept checking the Amex website for the new Amex card, and the two stays I've had at that hotel so far were showing as pending (from the card swipe at check-in), but the charges never posted. Then this morning I happened to check my previous Amex card and the statement that just closed in much higher than I expected. I look at the details, and the hotel posted to that card.

My folid only shows that the card I used is an Amex ending in 100N. ("N" is the same for both of these Amex cards I got this year.) I don't see any way I can prove to the hotel that they used the wrong card, if the last 4 digits and type of card is all they look at.

I don't suppose I could call Amex and ask them to move the charge (on statements that already closed) from the card it posted on to the card that was authorized for it???

I know I can "claim" I lost the card and request a new card with a 200X number. But that won't help in this case, because I would need to use the both of these Amex cards this week on a trip which I'll leave on before my Monday snail mail arrives.

So I now I have to completely shuffle around how I'm going to complete the minimum spend on the newest Amex card, because I can't use it reliably for those La Quinta stays.

mia

The hotel made the mistake, not American Express. Ask them to issue a credit and re-run on the card that you presented at check-in.

sdsearch

But how do I prove this to the hotel, if all they keep is the card type and the last 4 digits?

mnCO

They have to have all the card numbers somewhere in their system. If you told them to charge the card you presented at check-in, it is their responsibility to do that. It's on them how they figure out how to do that with their systems. Worst case say that the old card is for business purposes and by charging the wrong card, your accountant may die an early death from the stress.

mia

I have done this once, at a Westin, but it was only a day or two after checkout. Deal with their accounting department, not the front desk staff. You shouldn't need to prove anything, just explain that the stay was charged to the credit card in your profile which was used to guarantee the reservation, but should have been charged to the card presented at check-in. You don't need an explanation, you are the customer.

sdsearch

Actually, it's weirder than I thought. The card I gave naded (that I wanted to use) was the same card that was used to confirm the reservation. The older card they billed to was neither linked to the reservation nor presented in person by me for this stay.

However, I had used that older card at this same hotel months ago. So I'm guessing they had the older card on file, and when they swiped the new card, it showed that there was an Amex card already on file with the same last 4 digits, and they presumably assumed it was the same card, and used the card they had on file, rather than the card they had just swiped.

This hotel's folios only show the last 4 digits for an Amex card, and so if their "match" system for repeat customers previous cards is the same way, I can see how it could tell one Amex card from another.


... But this last-4-digit confusion with Amex cards is a problem I see everywhere where companies keep cards on file. How many companies that keep cards on file present more than just the last 4 card digits when feeding back info about what car they have on file? (It doesn't usually result in billing errors this strange, but it does result in tons of confusion.) Is Amex educating merchants about the fact they need 5, not 4, digits in these situations??? I haven't seen any evidence of it!

Which of this should change: Zillions of individual merchants, or one bank (that does card numbers completely differently than any other bank)? It seems to me it would be easier for Amex to change it on their end than to successfully educate every one of the zillions of merchants about the fact that Amex cards go by the last 5 digits, not just the last 4 digits.

photaco

Probably too late, but If I ever acquired two Amex cards with the same last 4 digits, I would request them to reissue me a new card number so I can actually use it efficiently at all the merchants out there which only show 4 digits, not 5...

UserMark

walmart.com did the same to me, and they wouldn't fix it when I called. Hopefully you will get better results when calling.

sdsearch

I have my doubts that I'd get results when calling (at least not without a very long phone call).

Fortunately, this is a physical merchant (hotel) that I'll be passing by (during midday hours) on Monday, so I'll stop in while the manager's there and show them both cards, priintouts from amec.com of the right card being authorized and the wrong card being charged, printouts of the folios with only the last 4 digits showing, and hopefully with all that they can fix it. (Or, at the very least, they can presumably wipe the old card from their system so this doesn't happen again on my upcoming stays there.)

Matthew330Ci

So when I got my 2nd Amex card, I thought it was an annoying coincidence that the last 4 digits were the same, however it created confusion when I shop at places online where I store some cards and only the last 4 are shown. I found this annoying but then when I recently got my 3rd Amex, it had the same 4 digits again!!! Then I find this thread and see it's how Amex rolls. I didn't know you could call and request a new card with new digits though, so I could try that.

AllieKat

As you are aware this the way Amex's last four digits work, but for anyone else - they're much more likely to be identical than with the other card brands. The way they work is that they only include the issue number (as the 12th digit) and the checksum (as the 15th). 13 and 14 are always zeroes. As you will always start from an issue of 1 there are very few possible Amex last 4 digits...

I agree with you that sooner or later Amex will need to consider renumbering.

sdsearch

So I realize that I never did a final update.

Yes, the hotel was able to reverse the charge on the wrong card and put it on the correct card, at the front desk.

I then called Amex and had to "pretend" that I lost one of my 3 cards (with the same 100x) to get them to reissue it with 200x as the last 4 digits. It was a pretty weird phone call, where they basically coerced me into pretending I had lost the card, as they apparently needed those magic words to issue a 200x number. (They then spent money rushing me the new card, because they considered it lost, whereas if they'd been able to officially accept that fact that I just wanted an unconfusing account number they could saved money on postage. )

krazykanuck

This reminds me of a work trip last year where our completely incompetent corporate travel agent reserved all 3 (me and 2 colleagues) of our hotel rooms with my SPG Amex. Without telling any of us. Fast forward to the Monday after we checked out and I have a $1200 charge on my card, when since we were at a Hilton I charged it to my Citi Hhonors Reserve card.

When one of my colleagues checked, in the front desk said "keep it on the Amex?" and he mistakenly thought they had his Amex on file. Bit of a PITA, but alls well that ends well. I got reimbursed by our company for his room and then got the hotel to refund my Amex and re-charge the folio to my Hilton credit card so I'd get the bonus points. Hilton also gave me the Hhonors points for his room because above mentioned idiot TA listed my Hhonors number and home address on his reservation.

Eujeanie

I just got a second Amex card, different type, and all the numbers are different...except for the last 4 digits.

How often are you asked "what are the last 4 digits of the credit card you used" - well, how will I remember which credit card I used? Most receipts block out everything... except the last 4 digits.

My question is, have you ever gotten a new card and asked to have a different one/different number sent out? I really don't need this confusion. Will it be an issue to do this? I do want to use this card right away, so I don't want to make the change for a week or so.

Any problems with doing this? Will purchases already made transition smoothly to the new card?

mhdena

The expiration dates should be different. I have two with the same last 4 and two others with the same last 4. Its not a problem.