Credit and Debit card problems

A consumer program tonight on British TV tonight cited the problems some people have had using their credit and debit cards whilst abroad. The three cases they showed were from UK citizens while they were in the US, Italy and South Africa. The problem was that their cards were refused by ATM machines and terminals in restaurants and were informed to contact their bank even though they all had sufficient funds in their accounts.

On contacting their banks by cellphone and even after giving their security details it took up to four days before their accounts were reactivated. The reason the banks gave was that their computers had detected a suspicious transaction. Which in effect means if you get on a plane to another country and try and get your money out of an ATM there is a chance you could find yourself in the nightmare scenario of being thousands of miles from home without a bean to your name.

While on air their phone lines were busy with people calling in with similar stories. The cases highlighted involved Capital One and Abbey although they stressed all major banks use similar technology and it could happen to anybody.It was also stated that you were more likely to have problems in countries like the US which dont use chip and pin.

Personally Ive never had any problems with my Nationwide debit card although I always have a credit card with me as a back up just in case. The program suggested its worth telling your bank the dates you are going to be away but made it clear that it would not guarantee no problems. Otherwise its back to good old fashioned travelers cheques or cash to be totally safe.

Anybody out there with any tales to tell.

[1PR4BKK]

During my recent trip to Thailand I had trouble using just one of my credit cards. I called the other credit card companies before I left the USA to inform them I was traveling in SE Asia along with the dates. I had no problem using those cards. However, the bank of the credit card I usually keep in my travel folder was not notified about my travel details. I tried using that card at the airport and was told that the charge did not go through. I used another one at the time but was annoyed that my Bank of America card was refused. When I called them they said that it was because the card was used outside of the country. After providing information proving who I was they removed the alert and I was able to use my card within a few hours. This year was the first time this happened to me on a trip to Asia.

As far as getting money out of the ATM, I never travel anywhere without a few hundred dollars in cash on me, just in case I lose my credit cards or ATM card.

This has been happening for a while. I picked up on it about a year ago. My Nationwide card worked fine, but my American Express did not, I had to ring them when I returned to the UK.

Due to high amounts of fraud etc etc etc, I am all for this. I thought it would be common sense. Not sure why British TV has picked up on it, surely it must be a good thing. All one has to do is "get organised" before they go overseas.

With regard to Capital One, they are one of the most strictest credit card companies, there is nothing wrong with my credit rating, but they refused me a credit card. When you get refusals that can have a detrimental effect on applying for mortgages and such like. Anway, I appealed and they gave me one.

Mind you, if one does get stuck, say in Thailand with this problem, it costs hardly anything now to contact the credit card companies/banks in the UK. Most people have access to mobiles; there are cheap access numbers to the UK and other countries using a local sim/mobile; mind you having said that, that's me, I bet there's a lot of people out there who rely on hotel's phones and such like which must cost the earth.

[netrix]

i travel abroad from the usa quite frequently, all over asia, australia, UK, etc.
almost every time i travel anywhere outside the country including thailand,
my american express and visa and mastercard credit cards are "frozen", as
well as mastercard and visa debit cards. when i call my bank they can
clear it up immediately but it's a hastle every time. even when i call the
bank before travelling to alert them of international travel dates and sizes
of expected transactions, i often have to call in again when the cards are
deactivated anyway.

i have had good luck with my paypal debit cards and have never had
them deactivated. on a short trip i will take a few thousand dollars from
the ATM in the airport before departing my country and exchange it upon
arriving, just to have plenty of cash. hotels have been accomodating
and have placed the international call to my bank for me. most banks
have a 24 hour customer service department.

I, also, have had this problem. The solution, for me, has been quite easy; I did what CitiBank told me to do.. Call your credit card company before you leave on your trip and tell them what countries you will be in and the dates. That ended all of my problems with the credit cards and ATMs being frozen.

that the banks/credit card companies would inform people in their literature of these problems though to remind people. Instead, we have to find out for ourselves.

They know how to contact you when they want to sell something though. I had AX call me today, strangely enough, whilst I am in SE Asia firstly asking for me, and do I have a few minutes, to which I said no, but just tell me the salient point what you want to tell me, they did and I said no thank you, the end.

Off topic I know, but another sales pitch which happens pretty frequently lately is, your phone rings; you answer it; there is a pause; and an automated message is dictated; the last one was "do I want cheaper phone calls"; I don't know what it says after that, I just hanged up.

It appears that banks in the US are stricter than in the Uk. Over the years ive never been asked to inform any credit card company or bank about my travel plans and never been refused. Maybe its got something to do with the fact that nearly half of Brits go abroad every year whereas 85% of Americans havn't even got a passport. The administration costs of informing your bank every time you pop off to Spain for a long weekend would be prohibitive.

[adman5000]

I had my card from the USA frozen several years ago when I was checking out of the hotel in Thailand. They told me it was because of high amounts of fraud from SEA countries. Now I call before leaving and give them specifics and have had no problems.
But just in case, I set up a bank account in Thailand, replenish it with a wire transfer before going, get best available great market exchange rate and then use the Thai bankcard at ATM's while I am there. I don't carry much cash but always have a significant amount of traveler's cheques if needed, but seldom use them.

[ikarus]

I had similar problems recently in Japan and Singapore with my US credit cards (including the ones which in theory at
least) destined for international travel (like Harvard alumni world card issued by Barclay subsidiary in US).I do not use
credit cards in Thailand. These type of problems never happened before. Folks, the problem is not only with fraud (which is on the rise) but with credit crunch too. Be ready for the bright ,new world where you will be forced more and more to pay in cash rather than in credit. As for ATM cards, I am now using exclusively E-trade debit card linked to my brokerage account. Gives commercial exchange rate and no ATM fees (at least in my experience) anywhere in the world. No problems and no questions from Etrade. The only problem is that they have 1000 US daily withdrawal limit which I found impossible to change.That is the only reason I still keep Etrade brokerage account. As somebody mentioned, keeping banking account in Thailand is also not a bad idea.

$1000 daily limit for an ATM card is higher than most Debit cards. I use an Internet Bank ATM card because there is no ATM Charge or "currency exchange charge" BUT the limit is $300 per day, so I have to plan ahead.

I use Capital One because they are the only US credit card with no "foreign currency exchange Charge". I do inform them of my travel plans and have not had any problems with some BIG purchases in BKK (but they have emailed me anyway to make sure I am the one using the card).

On my trip to Switzerland (before I got the current ATM card), I could not get my WAMU ATM to work and the bank could not tell me why. Luckily I was able to get cash advances from my American Express.

Always best to have several possible sources of Cash and DON'T carry them all around at the same time!

[Brad the Impala]

They know how to contact you when they want to sell something though. I had AX call me today, strangely enough, whilst I am in SE Asia firstly asking for me, and do I have a few minutes, to which I said no, but just tell me the salient point what you want to tell me, they did and I said no thank you, the end.

Off topic I know, but another sales pitch which happens pretty frequently lately is, your phone rings; you answer it; there is a pause; and an automated message is dictated; the last one was "do I want cheaper phone calls"; I don't know what it says after that, I just hanged up.

I hope that you are using your local sim, otherwise you are being charged for the overseas element of incoming calls.


Most people have access to mobiles; there are cheap access numbers to the UK and other countries using a local sim/mobile; mind you having said that, that's me, I bet there's a lot of people out there who rely on hotel's phones and such like which must cost the earth.

[ikarus]

$1000 daily limit for an ATM card is higher than most Debit cards. I use an Internet Bank ATM card because there is no ATM Charge or "currency exchange charge" BUT the limit is $300 per day, so I have to plan ahead.

I use Capital One because they are the only US credit card with no "foreign currency exchange Charge". I do inform them of my travel plans and have not had any problems with some BIG purchases in BKK (but they have emailed me anyway to make sure I am the one using the card).

On my trip to Switzerland (before I got the current ATM card), I could not get my WAMU ATM to work and the bank could not tell me why. Luckily I was able to get cash advances from my American Express.

Always best to have several possible sources of Cash and DON'T carry them all around at the same time!
Be careful with your Capital one credit card. I used to have one and used it excusively for overseas trips just because of the features you mentioned. That was before one Sunday afternoon when I received a call from them saing that my card was charged 30000 US. To their credit, they never tried to get anything from me but what was suprising that they canceled the card and offered to send me the new one during the same phone call. It was one of that stupid VIsa signature cards. I agreed but ask them to law the cash limit to
2000 US to avoid the problem in the future. They declined! I canceled the card immediately. The charge (more precisely several charges) was made within US but I never used the card inside the country which made me wonder how safe their database is.

The administration costs of informing your bank every time you pop off to Spain for a long weekend would be prohibitive.
There are NO administrative costs worth worrying about. All it takes is a phone call before you leave to your bank/credit company (a few pence) or better still an e-mail/message on their secure web site (free).

I've used the latter system for the last 5 years each time I travel abroad and never had any problem with using credit or debit cards.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

yes yes and yes again.

nothing but trouble with credit cards and I refuse to ever use them except as ID at hotels or car hire. Even then I pay the bill in cash.

I now have a special debit card I load up with enough cash I think I'll need and use that.

I've never failed to return home to have the Visa or Mastercard phone me and say that suspicious bill of $5000 has turned up on my credit card-hence I no longer use them.

But this is the new scam and at least the credit card companies are on to it...they will phone you and say a suspicious item appears for an odd sum of about $1.25 cents. Odd you think but this is to see if it will be accepted and then larger and larger amounts begin to appear until your limit is reached.