Can I pay online for MobileMe with a "gift card"?

[MacAhoy]

When I go to sign up for MobileMe, I see on the second page that I'm requested to enter credit card information -- including card #, security code and expiration date (either VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card is accepted).

I would be much happier about signing up if I knew that I could use an American Express "gift card" (to avoid connecting my credit card with an online identity). But I don't think that gift cards typically have a "security code" like credit cards do -- so I'm skeptical that I'll be able to use a gift card to sign up for MobileMe...

Can anybody tell me if this will for sure work or not?
(I don't expect that just leaving the "security code" blank will work too well..)

Thanks!

 

[TEG]

All credit cards have the 3/4 digit security codes.

The actual odds of having a credit card stolen online at a legitimate website are 1 in 3.402 x 10^38, effectively infinity.

TEG

 

[MacAhoy]

All credit cards have the 3/4 digit security codes.

The actual odds of having a credit card stolen online at a legitimate website are 1 in 3.402 x 10^38, effectively infinity.

TEG

1. Right, but do GIFT cards have security codes?

2. My concern is not that my credit card would be "stolen online at a legitimate website." I have posted elsewhere -- and read on Apple's own discussion forums -- that MobileMe usernames are somewhat insecure, so there is a slight risk that someone who isn't me could get into (and muck around with) *my* Me account.

(quote from a different thread:

".. any linkage of online identifying info (such as my username) with my credit card has potential for unhappy consequences -- even if I never have to pay a penny for unauthorized use of my credit card number...someone who knows my username could potentially gain access to my Mobile Me account online -- pretending to be me -- and change things around, steal data, or abuse data that is *supposed* to be accessible only to me (and Apple, of course)....
Possibly quite nightmarish -- so if someone can wake me up from this particular nightmare, please do!.."

 

[TEG]

You were talking about an AMEX Gift Card which is a Credit Card.

With the account linkage, simply change your settings after purchasing to remove the credit card. I did that to my iTunes/Apple ID, now everything is either not linked, or linked to my paypal account.

TEG

 

[MacAhoy]

You were talking about an AMEX Gift Card which is a Credit Card.

With the account linkage, simply change your settings after purchasing to remove the credit card. I did that to my iTunes/Apple ID, now everything is either not linked, or linked to my paypal account.

TEG

Oh, this sounds good -- but let me make sure I get what you mean:
you're saying that after the transaction is completed, I can remove my credit card/gift card info from my online MobileMe account? (I haven't been inside there yet, so don't know if it is perhaps archived online...?)
I don't use PayPal, by the way.

(Other problem though is that I'd have to leave the card info online for 60 days while I do the "free" MobileMe trial, unless I just went ahead & paid for it without doing the trial.)

Thanks.

 

[MacAhoy]

You were talking about an AMEX Gift Card which is a Credit Card.

TEG

I used an AmEx Gift Card a long time ago (maybe a year ago), so don't recall if there is or isn't a security code on the reverse side like there is on my ATM or credit card. Are you certain that there is a security code on these AmEx gift cards?

-Thx-