Comments on: Call your credit card company before you travel

By: Heather Dugan

Heather Dugan — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 15:35:24 +0000

Good advice and insights, Donna. I’ve always called before out of the country trips -but for fear of being declined for out of the ordinary spending.

I’ll always remember having to phone my credit card company while on “empty” at a gas pump (and racing to get somewhere) because I’d made a furniture purchase the day before. I know their diligence is for my own financial security, but…!

By: Mark @ TravelWonders

Mark @ TravelWonders — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:34:08 +0000

I have used AMEX and Visa for years and twice mex have stopped my card while travelling overseas – very painful. No such experience with Visa. I similarly ring both to tell them I’m away. That being said, Amex have been excellent in removing fraudulent charges and have not required months of painful forms or anything liek that. Interesting article.

By: Beth Whitman

Beth Whitman — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:34:21 +0000

Last year when I was traveling in Thailand and Bhutan, I did the right thing by calling my banks, including WAMU, before leaving the U.S. Seems they could TAKE a message but they couldn’t KEEP it.

I couldn’t use my WAMU debit card because they stopped allowing charges when one came through from, uh, Thailand. They marked it as fraudulent and I was stuck without the use of my ATM card for a couple of weeks.

I did have a credit card that worked as well as travelers checks.

By: Lifecruiser

Lifecruiser — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:34:17 +0000

I call them too, because one time my bank did freeze my account when it reached a certain limit with withdrawals abroad. I had no idea of that limit before that.

I always have at least 2 cards with me, just in case something happens.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:12:21 +0000

I almost always call, especially if we’re going to a more far flung place.

Our local bank REQUIRES a call to alert them if you are going to be using your ATM card out of the country (also a debit card although I don’t use it that way). Last summer we used the ATM card in Turkey and when we returned, even though there were no fraudulent attempts to use it, the bank called and said as a precaution they were issuing a new card since they had seen incidents of fraud happen in Turkey way after people returned from their travel

A big advantage to calling is that they won’t decline a normal charge when they know you are in a foreign country – many people have had that happen and had to get in touch with the card company to tell them that all is OK. To me that’s more of a pain than calling before you leave. They all have intelligent fraud protection that will pick up patterns – ie a quick $5 movie ticket or gas purchase just prior to a big item purchase is a tip off.

By: Joan Nova

Joan Nova — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:12:58 +0000

Thank you for sharing this valuable info. I’ve been alerting credits cards for a while now but never new the ramifications/benefits if it is actually frauded. I’m passing your post on to all my travel friends.

By: Donna Hull

Donna Hull — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:49:35 +0000

Thanks for expressing your views. Perhaps the fact that they do have more world travelers is the reason AMEX doesn’t feel it’s necessary to be notified. Personally, I feel more comfortable having it on my record and I think I should have that option as their customer.

I do agree about the Capitol One card. I know many travelers who have one just to use on their international travels. We have considered it.

By: luxe traveler

luxe traveler — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:36:35 +0000

That’s quite a leap to assume Amex wouldn’t have blocked the charges just because they didn’t have your travel itinerary. Their level of fraud is far lower than Visa/MC and I’ve never ever had a problem with them reversing a charge that wasn’t mine. They don’t make you go through the hassle of calling them every time you leave the country because a large percentage of their cardholders are world travelers and they realize it’s a pain. I leave the country six times a year and every time I have to call my Visa or MC holder and wait on hold, just to tell them I’m off again.

But having said all that, I do call Capital One each time because Amex now charges a 2% foreign transaction fee. Incredibly short-sighted considering how many frequent travelers have stopped using it as their primary card abroad. (Most other Visa/MC issuers charge 3%, on top of the exchange profit they are scraping off the top, and on top of the merchant charges they are getting for each transaction.)