And by “nameless,” I mean those gotten without an individual’s name printed on it or associated with it (I’m assuming you have that option, but even if not I think it might be worth using just for peace of mind, since the card is not tied to any bank account).
I asked this question in the subscription announcement thread, but I’m pretty sure it’ll get lost in all the discussions and questions, and I wanted to give this its own thread to introduce this option to people concerned about anonymity and giving out credit card/bank account numbers.
You (meaning readers or mods/admins) can read about these cards here.
So, one would buy oneself a VISA debit card in one’s own name with $4.95 on it (if you’re only gonna use it just this once for the SDMB). Then you use it to register with the SDMB using your real name and address. Yes, that means the SDMB will know your real name and address, but, they won’t have a credit card number that can be hacked and used to ring up a huge credit card bill that you’ll receive in the mail and give you a heart attack.
Ed just posted in the subscription discussion thread that he thinks they can be used, but he’s checking to make sure. He’ll probably post the answer there once he finds out for sure.