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Recently I tried to get gas with my Chase Preferred card, and I used the zip code of my "permanent" address, which is my parents' address. It wouldn't accept my information. Finally, I put in my current zip code, and it worked.

I just bought something online with my credit card and it only accepted my most recent address. This seems to make sense, right?

Only problem is.... I never changed it!

They must be gathering this information some other way, and I have no idea how. Maybe from my credit check when I moved into my new place? It concerns me that they could control this when I never requested this change. (I purposely use my family address as my permanent address, because I move frequently, and a lot of things fall through the cracks with mail during that transition time)

Any idea how this could happen without me choosing it?

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    Did you set up any mail forwarding with USPS to the new address? (I'm guessing not since you specifically said you want to use your family's address as your permanent address.) But this would explain it if you did...(Or maybe your parents did it without telling you?)
    – TTT
    Mar 29, 2017 at 20:03
  • @TTT Unless OP's parents know her account info/password, that wouldn't be possible. Also, I'm not sure how this question deals with personal finance.......
    – Michael
    Mar 29, 2017 at 20:25
  • @MichaelC. - I meant her parents could have forwarded her mail for her. (Thinking they were doing her a favor or if they were tired of receiving it.)
    – TTT
    Mar 29, 2017 at 20:54
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    @MichaelC. - and IMHO, strangely, whether this question is relevant might depend on the answer! If the answer turns out to be- someone forwarded her mail, then Chase found out when they sent her the next statement and auto-updated it, it probably isn't relevant. But if Chase did a soft pull of her credit report, saw the new address and auto-updated based on that, I think it's very relevant. Though I think the former is much more likely than the latter.
    – TTT
    Mar 29, 2017 at 20:59
  • @TTT makes sense! Kinda scary to think that they can just update stuff without telling you.
    – Michael
    Mar 29, 2017 at 21:00

1 Answer 1

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The way the question is asked, much is left to speculation. The only way to know for sure how and why your address was updated is to call the credit card company and ask. One common way for companies to get your updated address is directly from the post office.

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  • Yeah, even if you didn't file a "move" request with the post office, there are lots of 3rd party address services that are quite smart at figuring these things out.
    – Joe
    Mar 29, 2017 at 21:17
  • @Joe But the credit card companies shouldn't believe the third party services, they leave a lot to be desired. Most of the databases out there list my mother as living here--she never did. Many list my father--despite the fact that this house was built after his death. I don't think any of them realize they're dead.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Mar 30, 2017 at 1:19
  • (shrug) They do, nonetheless, to some extent. They know about the problems with the address correction services, but they make the decision to use them (sometimes) because the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, to them.
    – Joe
    Mar 30, 2017 at 16:01

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