Credit Card

[flounder]

Do I need to tell my credit card co that I'm going to USA? Only I've heard horror stories of cards being refused abroad because the CC Co's think that they have been stolen

 

[Camac]

We always tell our CC the dates we are abroad and where we are going so they know the unusual activity on the card is by us and not by theives.

Camac

 

[princess jackson]

Yes we tell our card company, just so they do not get the fraud team to look at the card, and stop any transactions.

Once i forgot to inform the bank, luckly enough nothing was stopped, but when i went into the bank and asked what my account was like, the assistants face dropped, she asked have you been away.

The sight of relieve on her face was great. We laughed afterwards.

 

[kristieuk]

Gosh - I have never done this! I haven't had a problem, but maybe that's just luck. I will definitely do it this trip.

A word of warning though, after a trip to NY in February I came home to a Visa statement listing 2 hefty transactions at the Ritz! The daft thing was we had been there for a drink, but even taking into account it was the Ritz, it didn't come to over £500!
I felt so awkward explaining everything to the cc company - yes we were in NY, yes we did go there, but we paid cash. I only used my card once, in Bloomingdales! It was refunded in the end, and it helped that the actual date of the transaction was the day after we flew home (the entry on the statement was dated a few days later again), but it does go to show that even by warning the cc company, you could still have problems.

I still have no idea how someone came by my card details, because it was never stolen. It was just sheer luck that they didn't use the card whilst we still in NY - not sure how understanding the cc company would have been then.

 

[wicket2005]

We have been 4 times and have never informed the credit card company. We also have never had any problems using them abroad. The Nationwide one is a good one to get because you are not charged a fee per transaction.

 

[Frances999]

I never inform our CC companies either. We've never had any problems (although DH uses them overseas a lot anyway).

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Gosh - I have never done this! I haven't had a problem, but maybe that's just luck. I will definitely do it this trip.

A word of warning though, after a trip to NY in February I came home to a Visa statement listing 2 hefty transactions at the Ritz! The daft thing was we had been there for a drink, but even taking into account it was the Ritz, it didn't come to over £500!
I felt so awkward explaining everything to the cc company - yes we were in NY, yes we did go there, but we paid cash. I only used my card once, in Bloomingdales! It was refunded in the end, and it helped that the actual date of the transaction was the day after we flew home (the entry on the statement was dated a few days later again), but it does go to show that even by warning the cc company, you could still have problems.

I still have no idea how someone came by my card details, because it was never stolen. It was just sheer luck that they didn't use the card whilst we still in NY - not sure how understanding the cc company would have been then.

Its like in this country, the waiter/shop assitant takes your card away and runs it thorugh the machine but also runs it through a card reader which stores the details and then this is used to make a dummy card.
You are none the wiser as you have had the card handed back to you.

 

[tim june and sam]

With over 20 years in banking, I can assure you that telling your bank that you are going away would just go in one ear and out the other.... They have (undisclosed)(automated) methods of spotting fraudulent patterns of spending but these can't distinguish between New York and Newark.

(For those who don't know, Newark is a farming town in North Notts)

 

[kristieuk]

Its like in this country, the waiter/shop assitant takes your card away and runs it thorugh the machine but also runs it through a card reader which stores the details and then this is used to make a dummy card.
You are none the wiser as you have had the card handed back to you.

I think I must be completely naive! The damn lady on the Clinique counter in Bloomingdales is clearly a crook, for anyone else who might be going to NY. That is the only place I used my card. Kind of scary though isn't it.

 

[Lisash]

We always tell our CC the dates but last time we went I decided to do a little last minute shopping at home before departure and got my card rejected as they thought we were already away I still think it's worth telling them then at least if somebody tries to use your details at a later date the transaction will hopefully be rejected.

 

[xmasinorlando]

We will definately tell our cc company....thanks for reminder. Egg card was declined in spain last year, because we had not informed them we were abroad. Phoned the cc company from call box (not that easy) and had stop taken off card. They said on future trips, we should inform them of dates of travel.

 

[xmasinorlando]

I think I must be completely naive! The damn lady on the Clinique counter in Bloomingdales is clearly a crook, for anyone else who might be going to NY. That is the only place I used my card. Kind of scary though isn't it.

Thanks for warning... I intend hitting Bloomingdales big time for some pre-christmas shopping. I will be watching very carefully. It is scary that this sort of thing happens.

 

[Shooby doo]

Up until last year I have never bothered but for some reason,I think it was to inform them that we would be away when the payment was due & to request a paying in slip,the advisor at the time said that it is always best to let them know before you go,then there is less chance of a payment being slowed or stopped. I phoned up last week before buying our passes from Ticketmania & the transcation went thru no problem-can't really say if this would've happened anyway tho'.
SD aw:

 

[eyoreaud]

Hi all

We always phone the Nationwide to give them the dates when we are abroad. One year we were shopping at Premium Outlets (Nike, Adidas,Osh Kosh Begosh) then into Burberry and OOPS card rejected .
Luckly for me the nice lady phoned a number,then i had to confirm my password to get the transaction to go through .

 

[daipp]

I always tell my CC companies especially Egg as the first time I used it in Florida a few years ago it was declined for a paltry $17.99 - I'll never forget the embaressment.

Following that I made a call to Egg from a call box and they said I should ALWAYS tell them when I go abroad as it will have an automatic flag to decline otherwise.

David

 

[carolfoy]

WOW! I've never even thought of telling them, I go abroad usually 3-4 times a year and nearly always use my card, have only ever had a spot check once in Canada and that was because I was using a brand new card. I don't get embarrassed about it tho' my clients get spot checked A LOT on their cards in my shop but probably because they are using the card for transactions in the thousands.

 

[wilki32]

I'm one who always tell the cc companies but like t, j & s said I think it's in one ear and out the other.
A little story, last year we were happily eating away in the Rose & Crown and at about 8pm we finished and tried to settle the bill with my new capital one card. A rather embarrassed waiter came back to say card had been rejected Now this was a new card, used it a couple of times and no probs, quickly got out old faithful, barclaycard, and everything was fine. I then found a quiet corner to phone capital one and was told that they update the systems at 1am, 8pm Florida time! Even though I informed the cc company that I'd be in Florida nothing was mentioned.

 

[TheTexasKid]

Interesting. Not really a reply to the question, but . . . credit card companies must be different here in the U.S., then they are in the U.K. I have only two credit cards a platinum American Express and a platinum Disney Visa. I've used them in Canada. I've used them in France. I've used them in Ireland. I've used them in Mexico. And I've even used them in the U.K. And never ever have I any problems using them. But, I have also never ever told either credit card company that I was going out of the country. I think the first they knew I was out of the country, is when the credit charges started appearing on my account.

 

[kristieuk]

Interesting. Not really a reply to the question, but . . . credit card companies must be different here in the U.S., then they are in the U.K. I have only two credit cards a platinum American Express and a platinum Disney Visa. I've used them in Canada. I've used them in France. I've used them in Ireland. I've used them in Mexico. And I've even used them in the U.K. And never ever have I any problems using them. But, I have also never ever told either credit card company that I was going out of the country. I think the first they knew I was out of the country, is when the credit charges started appearing on my account.

I think it must depend on the provider. I have never had any difficulty making payment in any country - but it sounds like it's something that could happen more and more.

I do think credit card companies should make it much clearer that stops could be placed on transactions if you don't tell them you are abroad. I would be extremely annoyed if it just happened out of the blue - and it's one thing not to be able to buy a souvenir, but quite another if you are paying a restaurant bill and have no other payment options. It's not always easy to find or use a payphone if you don't have a mobile.