Nationwide Cc Beware

[debchard]

Are in Orlando at the moment and using the cc. It was blocked yesterday as we had used it 12 times during the day (I assume that's a UK day) and that is the most you can use it. This was easily done when we went shopping yesterday with both of us using the card. Just thought I would let you all know of this. There is nothing on their website to tell you this and am now waiting for written confirmation as well.

 

[tony64]

Thanks for this, we phone to say we were going and they told us there is no need to notify them anymore.?

I think I'll call again just to make doubly sure now.

 

[heatherbelle]

Nationwide do recommend that you phone them before you depart on holiday, so that they know you will be away using the card. I phoned them yesterday and they have an option available just for that.

The debit card people said I didn't have to phone them, but they told me to the phone the credit card people.

 

[Lizzybear]

Good to know, thanks! I don't think i'd be using it 12 times in one day (me and my bf have separate cards) but i'll be more aware just in case.

I'm guessing this is to do with number of transactions in a day rather than it being used in the US..

 

[TraceyL]

Yes - this happened to us last year & having had a card cancelled on holiday before, we rang them. They said it was due to the number of transactions in one day (even though we'd notified them we were travelling & would be using teh card a lot ) & would be fine the following day

 

[Goofyish]

This problem was highlighted on Watchdog earier this year - even if you notify your bank it does not guarantee that your card will not be stopped!

Some banks use a comuter to monitor transactions and if it spots something different to your usual spending pattern it automatically stops the card (it doesn't know you have told the bank you are on vacation).

 

[RobinHood's merrymen]

Not wanting to move away from the 'holiday' theme but I need to have a rant!!!
I left Nationwide last year for this very reason!! ......... and this only for use in the UK!

I went into a store and tried to buy lunch for less than a fiver and my card was declined. When I rang the bank to ask why, they said it was because my account had been used 6 times that day. My DW had been into town on a shopping spree. (I don't call that unusual) I rang and wrote and basicly had unsatisfactiry answers, needless to say I closed my account due to the poor service. Hope no DIS's get caught out!

Feel better now!

 

[jackieleanne]

Not wanting to move away from the 'holiday' theme but I need to have a rant!!!
I left Nationwide last year for this very reason!! ......... and this only for use in the UK!

I went into a store and tried to buy lunch for less than a fiver and my card was declined. When I rang the bank to ask why, they said it was because my account had been used 6 times that day. My DW had been into town on a shopping spree. (I don't call that unusual) I rang and wrote and basicly had unsatisfactiry answers, needless to say I closed my account due to the poor service. Hope no DIS's get caught out!

Feel better now!

After only 6 transactions surely they should know what us women can be like with our shopping sprees. I dont use Nationwide but ill be letting my bank know im on holiday just incase but tend to spend on my fairfx card or in cash.

 

[barbarah]

I like Nationwide and always use them for trips abroad and always phone in advance. I have had problems in the past with Visa and Nat West Access stopping cards for a lot of use in US. I once was picking up spectacles and they declined. Very embarrassing and had to ask to use their phone to sort it out.

My son had his Nationwide card stopped in UK whilst Xmas shopping in the middle of Toys R Us with a long queue just for a lot of transactions in one day. Do these people not know that if you are Xmas shopping all in one day then you would use the card a lot. Surely you do not have to ring and say I am going Xmas shopping.

 

[Laurafoster]

Ive had several problems with my Nationwide card in the past. Usually when ive been Christmas shopping and they say ive made too many transactions in one go. Ive had it stopped once in Florida as a put a large transaction on it - (it was a last minute trip and i paid for the Disney Hotel on it when we arrived). So they stopped it. I phoned them before to let them know we were going but they still stopped it. Was fine for the following day. This i dont mind so much as id rather my card be stopped and checked that someone getting away with lods of fraudulent transactions. And this is the same with most banks/credit card companies.

The main issue i had with Nationwide was that my cards have been completely cancelled twice. I had the card declined in a restaurant, and when i got back i phoned them to find out why. All they would tell me is that for security reasons they have cancelled my card and re-issued new ones which would be with me in 14 days. I was about to go away so was not able to take my nationwide card with me so i wasnt happy. I eventually got new cards but no explaination. I called and spoke to a manager about it, they eventually advised that they had reason to believe that my account details may have been leaked and as a security measure they closed my account and reopened a new one. Appeciate that this was a good thing to do but was not happy that they had let my details be leaked in the first place or that they closed all my accounts with no explaination.

 

[tennisfan]

I work in retail & we have had cards declined or referred to the bank/provider if they have been used a few times in a short amount of time. I don't blame the card providers doing this even though it disrupts people as this is the pattern that people who clone your card use.

I used my nationwide credit card in France on Saturday & had no problems as I phoned before I went & they marked my account.

I always phone to inform it will be used abroad even for a day, as before another card provider we had said we didn't need to inform them but they always blocked the card when we did

 

[tttessa]

Hiya,
we always inform ours too
- tesco one- I know they charge a bit more, but don't use it that much.....

It was cloned over there this year though - so watch out!!!! Had to be at a diner -only place they take your card away... I know they say don't let the card out of your sight - but how exactly.....

Tesco rang straight away and let me know when we got back - they had cancelled all the weird stuff and put a new card in the post and cancelled the old one as soon as they knew we were home (we had let them know in advance) "we wouldn't leave you stranded with no card". So full marks to them!
Tessa

 

[Cyrano]

Thanks for this, we phone to say we were going and they told us there is no need to notify them anymore.?

I think I'll call again just to make doubly sure now.

They said the same to us too. But I've always erred on the side of caution and phoned as we use the Nationwide CC almost exclusively when on holiday

 

[Lisa1976]

This problem was highlighted on Watchdog earier this year - even if you notify your bank it does not guarantee that your card will not be stopped!

Some banks use a comuter to monitor transactions and if it spots something different to your usual spending pattern it automatically stops the card (it doesn't know you have told the bank you are on vacation).

This is exactly the problem I had in January with Halifax. I rang a few days before our departure date to tell them that I would be using my credit card in Florida, fine they said thanks for letting me know.

Got to about a week in and I couldn't use it, apparently one computer didn't bother to speak to the other so it blocked me. Not much help as I couldn't get the voicemail on my mobile phone to work so didn't know why it was blocked until I got home, I was very angry to say the least, especially as I had done what i thought was correct and notified them in advance.

 

[Ann B]

For the Nationwide CC there is a form online that we always fill in before we go to inform them. They ask you to tell them a couple of weeks before you go, giving them your dates when you will be in the US and where abouts you are travelling to.

We have used ours alot and never had any problems.
Ann

 

[wicket2005]

Never had any problems over there with any of my credit cards and always ring before hand.

However, we always take more than one specifically in case something happens to the card, ie stolen or lost so I carry a different set to my husband. Obviously this thread has highlighted the point that even if you do inform the companies concerned because of security issues your cc could still be blocked.

This year we also took the Abbey Zero card which offers the same benefits as Nationwide as well as free ATM withdrawals.

 

[debchard]

Well it's good to hear I'm not alone. I emailed Nationwide to ask if it was true that we could not make more than 12 transactions in one day and the response was 'I'm really not sure ring this number to find out'. How helpful is that? I am not ringing them from the US on my mobile that's for sure. Never had any problems before with cards or last year with this Nationwide card so it seems pretty random. Oh well, still having a great time, though we have the tropical storm at the moment and all the shops were shutting early today!

 

[debchard]

Had another response from Nationwide and they confirm the limit is 9 times per day per account (not per card) using UK time. This obviously isn't strictly adhered to as we were blocked on our 13th time. Wonder if the Post Office card has the same restrictions. Fortunately we have a reserve card with us just in case but the rate won't be so good on it. Weather still lousy today but it meant we could get on all the rides within 5-10 mins so that was great!