This actually makes sense

The whole article

Quote :

MasterCard is testing a new program to protect purchases made on credit cards by using smartphone geolocation. A new partnership with Syniverse lets shoppers limit foreign purchases made on those cards unless their smartphone is also in that location. That measure is designed to keep fraud at bay, while minimizing calls to banks to alert them to travel, something that can make a card useless unless the bank or credit card company knew you were traveling. With this system, the credit card company will simply check the location on your smartphone to see if you're in the same place as your card.

Of course, if you forgot your phone on a run to the grocery store, and the charge is refused, you are going to be pissed. Also, how will Mastercard police online purchases?

Another issue is that my phone consistently shows my location over 5-miles from my house. Accuracy is a little better in town. GPS is worthless in Alaska. If I try to use it, even going somewhere on the Alaska Highway, "Wanda" (the voice of the lady who reads the directions to me) tells me to turn onto "unknown road." :/

Hopefully, it will give you the option to opt out.

The 5-mile thing will probably work. MasterCard and Visa generally get antsy when you are in a different state than you usually are located.

It's amazing now that most people who have an iphone can be located almost immediately if someone has the computer knowledge to do it. My son is responsible for at least 4 criminals being arrested over the last few months by locating people who had stolen from the business he works at. The thieves had stolen money but they also  stole employees iphones.  They were stupid enough not to turn the phones off after they took them.  My son  had suggested that the employees phones be hooked up with icloud so the employees could be located in an emergency, and instead was able to help the police find these 4 street thugs within a half hour after the robberies. They're all off the streets and safely in jail now.
There's something to be said for giving up just a little privacy nowadays.
If the employees hadn't been willing to hook their phones to icloud, I doubt they would have recovered their money or their phones.

riceme wrote:

Another issue is that my phone consistently shows my location over 5-miles from my house. Accuracy is a little better in town. GPS is worthless in Alaska. If I try to use it, even going somewhere on the Alaska Highway, "Wanda" (the voice of the lady who reads the directions to me) tells me to turn onto "unknown road." :/

When we visited Fairbanks a few years ago we'd lose phone service about five miles away from Fairbanks...and the coverage wasn't all that great in town...But becaue we were just visiting...it was a little more relaxing and quiet not hearing the phone but to have to deal with it full time and especially as some have to travel through some remote areas it may not be relaxing and/or enjoyable...

mediawatcher wrote:

riceme wrote:

Another issue is that my phone consistently shows my location over 5-miles from my house. Accuracy is a little better in town. GPS is worthless in Alaska. If I try to use it, even going somewhere on the Alaska Highway, "Wanda" (the voice of the lady who reads the directions to me) tells me to turn onto "unknown road." :/

    When we visited Fairbanks a few years ago we'd lose phone service about five miles away from Fairbanks...and the coverage wasn't all that great in town...But becaue we were just visiting...it was a little more relaxing and quiet not hearing the phone but to have to deal with it full time and especially as some have to travel through some remote areas it may not be relaxing and/or enjoyable...

Yeah, if I need to make a phone call I have to drive into Fairbanks. I sometimes get enough of a signal in North Pole, but it's not reliable enough for me to drive there. I am lucky to get an intermittant 3G connection here at the cabin so I can read the news, some email and chat with you all.

Did you enjoy your visit, mw? Fairbanks itself is a big icky city, but you get one minute outside of town and it's gorgeous.