Just figured out why my business transfers kept getting flagged

I run a small online shop and for weeks my bank kept putting a hold on payments I sent to my suppliers (like, 3 to 5 days each time). I called support and they just said it was 'security', which wasn't helpful. It turns out I was sending the exact same amount every time, which their system saw as weird. I started varying the amounts by a few dollars and the holds stopped completely. The whole thing took me almost a month to sort out. Has anyone else had a bank's fraud check be that sensitive to routine payments?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_black1mo ago

That security flag is actually for duplicate transactions, not just the same amount. If you send $100 to Supplier A on Monday, then send another $100 to Supplier B on Tuesday, it's usually fine. The system gets suspicious if you send the exact same amount to the exact same account repeatedly. It looks like a billing error or a scammer testing a stolen card. Changing the amount by a dollar just breaks the duplicate pattern.

the_rowan1mo ago

Yeah the "exact same amount" thing is such a weird rule. I mean it feels like everything is set up to flag normal human behavior now, not just banks.

the_piper1mo ago

My friend got flagged for paying back her roommate, @the_rowan, the same rent amount twice.