Credit card cancellation
Discussion
Call me paranoid but I had a bad experience of having my credit card cancelled whilst on holiday in China even though I told the bank I was going there.
Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
I've never told a card issuer that I'm travelling anywhere.
If they suspect fraudulent activity I'd expect a phone call (and probably an SMS) - but certainly not cancelling my card unless I didn't respond to their attempts to contact me.
ETA - more recently I've had to approve or confirm some purchase in a bank app on my phone, but then further ones are fine.
If they suspect fraudulent activity I'd expect a phone call (and probably an SMS) - but certainly not cancelling my card unless I didn't respond to their attempts to contact me.
ETA - more recently I've had to approve or confirm some purchase in a bank app on my phone, but then further ones are fine.
Edited by Carbon Sasquatch on Friday 16th September 17:15
sherman said:
I know on the rbs/natwest app you can say you will be in X country between X date and Y date so they dont lock your card.
I assume the other banks can do this or just pop into a branch and let them know.
I can do that online with my bank. Nationwide. For some stupid reason known only to them, you have to do it separately for your debit and credit card. And as I recall if it's your debit card, you just say "Europe", but for your credit card you have to specify the country (assuming you are going to Europe that is). I assume the other banks can do this or just pop into a branch and let them know.
I would advise them as a precaution, although it's not always foolproof.
I was travelling to the US once, and told my bank. A few days in my card got cancelled. When I called the bank they said it was cancelled because the card was used in Italy, but they knew I was in the US. I was in Naples...Florida.
I was travelling to the US once, and told my bank. A few days in my card got cancelled. When I called the bank they said it was cancelled because the card was used in Italy, but they knew I was in the US. I was in Naples...Florida.
One thing I found out last time on holiday (Malta) is that your card can get refused but your own bank knows nothing about it. I tried to hire a car, and my card was refused, so I had to use the missus's. A few days later I used my card to pay in a pub, and expecting it to be refused, I mentioned it to the lady behind the bar and she said that happens all the time. But it worked fine. When I got home I had a pop at my bank about said refusal and they replied and said they had checked their records and there was no record of a failed transaction. They told me that quite often the bank in question can't be arsed (not quite my bank's words) to attempt verification, so all the vendor gets is an declined message.
Drawweight said:
Call me paranoid but I had a bad experience of having my credit card cancelled whilst on holiday in China even though I told the bank I was going there.
Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
It depends on the bank. Sometimes even if you tell them it won't make a difference if their auto-fraud-blocking system is triggered. Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
Best advice you'll get form a seasoned traveller is never travel with just one card. Have a backup, then a backup for the backup. Monzo/Starling accounts are pretty easy to get, no account keeping fees and with Starling, no international/currency conversion fees (abysmally low £300 cashpoint limit though). I use my card almost exclusively for travel.
captain_cynic said:
It depends on the bank. Sometimes even if you tell them it won't make a difference if their auto-Monzo/Starling accounts are pretty easy to get, no account keeping fees and with Starling, no international/currency conversion fees (abysmally low £300 cashpoint limit though). I use my card almost exclusively for travel.
Interestingly we are in the US at the moment and in a restaurant last night the a couple sitting close to us had issues paying with their Starling card. The manager said that the card machines that they had didn’t accept chips and needed to read the mag strip. He talked them through how to activate the strip on their card so that they could pay.Worth checking out if you have a Starling card.
skeeterm5 said:
captain_cynic said:
It depends on the bank. Sometimes even if you tell them it won't make a difference if their auto-Monzo/Starling accounts are pretty easy to get, no account keeping fees and with Starling, no international/currency conversion fees (abysmally low £300 cashpoint limit though). I use my card almost exclusively for travel.
Interestingly we are in the US at the moment and in a restaurant last night the a couple sitting close to us had issues paying with their Starling card. The manager said that the card machines that they had didn’t accept chips and needed to read the mag strip. He talked them through how to activate the strip on their card so that they could pay.Worth checking out if you have a Starling card.
They use the pointless system of chip and signature now. Not even chip and pin.
They do have contactless if they have a chip though but getting them to understand that witchcraft is not worth the effort half the time.
If they do tap they quite often stand there expecting to be given a receipt to sign.
Drawweight said:
Call me paranoid but I had a bad experience of having my credit card cancelled whilst on holiday in China even though I told the bank I was going there.
Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
Had similar in Thailand. Caused no end of problems. Now I tell them. Do I need to inform my bank that I’m going to be using my card in Europe or is it so common it’ll go unnoticed?
I haven’t been abroad in quite a few years.
I use a Halifax Clarity card when I'm travelling.
You used to be able to enter the details of what country you'd be in and and on what dates, but it wouldn't let you say that you'd be in two different countries on the same day. Could prove be problematic on long haul flying west? It was, and they don't ask for any details now!
You used to be able to enter the details of what country you'd be in and and on what dates, but it wouldn't let you say that you'd be in two different countries on the same day. Could prove be problematic on long haul flying west? It was, and they don't ask for any details now!
sherman said:
skeeterm5 said:
captain_cynic said:
It depends on the bank. Sometimes even if you tell them it won't make a difference if their auto-Monzo/Starling accounts are pretty easy to get, no account keeping fees and with Starling, no international/currency conversion fees (abysmally low £300 cashpoint limit though). I use my card almost exclusively for travel.
Interestingly we are in the US at the moment and in a restaurant last night the a couple sitting close to us had issues paying with their Starling card. The manager said that the card machines that they had didn’t accept chips and needed to read the mag strip. He talked them through how to activate the strip on their card so that they could pay.Worth checking out if you have a Starling card.
They use the pointless system of chip and signature now. Not even chip and pin.
They do have contactless if they have a chip though but getting them to understand that witchcraft is not worth the effort half the time.
If they do tap they quite often stand there expecting to be given a receipt to sign.
But this is why you carry a backup... and have a backup that you dont carry. As well in place like the US, cash as a backup, backup, backup.
sherman said:
It is amazing the amount of Americans without a chip in their card.
They use the pointless system of chip and signature now. Not even chip and pin.
They do have contactless if they have a chip though but getting them to understand that witchcraft is not worth the effort half the time.
If they do tap they quite often stand there expecting to be given a receipt to sign.
First time I went to the US (mid 90s), I was amazed how they got you to sign the credit card receipt after they give your card back once they had swiped it. So what's the point of me signing then ?They use the pointless system of chip and signature now. Not even chip and pin.
They do have contactless if they have a chip though but getting them to understand that witchcraft is not worth the effort half the time.
If they do tap they quite often stand there expecting to be given a receipt to sign.
Their ATMs are equally odd; put your card in the machine, it reads it and then spits it back out. Only then do you put your PIN in.
I'd be tempted to try and take a couple of cards from independent institutions.
I had one card rejected in a hotel in the Far East and fortunately the other one worked (same bank) and I have no idea why as both had money in them and you'd have thought any bank algo thinking one transaction on one card was dodgy would apply to the other card too.
When you're several hours ahead in a foreign country faced with a language barrier and international mobile phone charges it's better to have a couple of backup options if possible IMHO.
I had one card rejected in a hotel in the Far East and fortunately the other one worked (same bank) and I have no idea why as both had money in them and you'd have thought any bank algo thinking one transaction on one card was dodgy would apply to the other card too.
When you're several hours ahead in a foreign country faced with a language barrier and international mobile phone charges it's better to have a couple of backup options if possible IMHO.
skeeterm5 said:
captain_cynic said:
It depends on the bank. Sometimes even if you tell them it won't make a difference if their auto-Monzo/Starling accounts are pretty easy to get, no account keeping fees and with Starling, no international/currency conversion fees (abysmally low £300 cashpoint limit though). I use my card almost exclusively for travel.
Interestingly we are in the US at the moment and in a restaurant last night the a couple sitting close to us had issues paying with their Starling card. The manager said that the card machines that they had didn’t accept chips and needed to read the mag strip. He talked them through how to activate the strip on their card so that they could pay.Worth checking out if you have a Starling card.
Now I only use starling for cash machine withdrawals (revolut is my absolute main travel card even for atm)
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