topic Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary? in Credit Cards

Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

trant3 — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:45:41 GMT

So I am going on my first international trip next week (Carribean Cruise) and was pondering whether or not it was necessary to provide a travel notice to the lenders? I planned on using my Amex Plat and CSR. I was beginning to provide travel notice to Amex but realized that their fraud detection is "industry leading" and thus do not need advance notice. On the other hand, Chase and others have an option to provide notice. At this point, I can easily just provide the notice but was wondering what others; experiences are with it?

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 20:50:53 GMT

As this is your first international trip, I probably would notify. If you travel a lot, some of the systems adapt and don't get concerned about out of country charges.

Just be aware (and I'm sure the notices also say this) that this doesn't prevent charges from being declined. My daughter had a poor experience with Cap One a few years ago, she provided a travel notice with her foreign contact info. First charge, they denied and called her US number to check it was her making the charge. Strangely enough, she wasn't there!

So certainly take cards from more than one issuer.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 21:06:40 GMT

I would tell them in advance and take mutiple cards from visa, mc, amex on different banks. I was once in a place where Visa was accepted but could not get approval. Also take cards that have low or no ftf.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

wasCB14 — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 21:14:35 GMT

@trant3 wrote:
So I am going on my first international trip next week (Carribean Cruise) and was pondering whether or not it was necessary to provide a travel notice to the lenders? I planned on using my Amex Plat and CSR. I was beginning to provide travel notice to Amex but realized that their fraud detection is "industry leading" and thus do not need advance notice. On the other hand, Chase and others have an option to provide notice. At this point, I can easily just provide the notice but was wondering what others; experiences are with it?

Amex Platinum: No notice, no problems.

CSP: No notice, no problems.

Discover: Yes notice, yes problems.

Barclaycard Arrival: Yes notice, no problems, but limited use.

Prestige: No notice, no problems.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 01:09:33 GMT

I've used AMEX and Chase cards in the Caribbean without notice and without issue. I've had issue with acceptance of Discover, but never needed to provide notice. If it makes you feel better, it takes less than a minute to provide your bank notice.

To make life easy, I typically only carry one Visa and one AMEX, but do carry hard currency as a backup and for minor purchases. Some smaller vendors will balk at card use on these small value transactions, especially in Europe. USD tends to be pretty well accepted in the Caribbean.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:22:31 GMT

I would notify, just in case, I don't have either of those cards...I just traveled to the west coast (I live on the east coast), it wasn't out of this country, but I had issues on one card after not notifying them.

my results were:

Citi - No Notify, first use was declined and got a phone call within seconds.

BofA - No Notify, no issues.

Discover - Notify - no issues.

Fidelity - Notify - no issues.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:55:03 GMT

If you were taking a Citi card, I would highly recommend to notify them. I worked in credit card cs for them for a while. They WILL deny transactions that are outside of your usual spending area. The notification is usually quick and easy.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 11:56:02 GMT

LOL,

It probably took you way longer to post on here, then it would have to go to the app and put in the travel notifcation....

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 13:27:26 GMT

I always notifiy using online tools. I only use cards with no foreign transaction fees when traveling so it is only 2 cards plus my debit so isn't much effort.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 15:36:29 GMT

I always call or online chat with each company just as a precaution. I was told by AmEx two weeks ago that it's not necessary because of the chip technology but they would note the account for me. She said if there was any issue with the card being declined to call them collect at 336-393-1111. I didn't have any problems even when the hotel charged twice for exactly the same amount. AmEx was smart enough to realize I had booked two rooms at the same rate for each. I only used the one card while I was gone since it's my daily Hilton card.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

yfan — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:03:34 GMT

It certainly depends on the issuer, but informing them anyway is probably a good idea. I learned a hard lesson on my weekend trip to Tahoe. Citi put a fraud alert on my DC when I tried to use it there, and getting it unblocked was a nightmare.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:55:00 GMT

I always notify when I travel abroad....no problems as of yet.

Because I travel moderately in the US, I don't notify. So far, no problems.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

pipeguy — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 16:59:09 GMT

I take a 4-5 day annual golf trip to Myrtle Beach SC with 7 other drunken idiots (no wives, just golf and beer) last year my Fidelity card with a zero balance and a 5 figure CL was "declined" for a $60+/- charge on the first day - yes I got it unblocked by calling, but that's not what one wants to run into when they are only 400 miles from home and the beer is getting warm.

This year I notified NFCU ($23,500 CL) and BoA Travel ($25,000 CL) that I'd be in MB for a week - didn't spend that much on golf or beer, but there were no worries about being declined and NO I didn't bother to take the Fidelity card....

I used to travel to EU 4 to 6 times a year and around the USA maybe 8 to 12 times a year, never once got declined on any of my cards "traveling"....guess times have changed.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

driftless — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 17:05:14 GMT

Amex does not require notice. FWIW - Chase has an online travel notification tab and one CSR told me that they prefer that you provide notification.

CapOne has been the only cc that I have had problems with while traveling, and that was traveling within the US and not abroad.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

iced — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 18:31:36 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
As this is your first international trip, I probably would notify. If you travel a lot, some of the systems adapt and don't get concerned about out of country charges.

Just be aware (and I'm sure the notices also say this) that this doesn't prevent charges from being declined. My daughter had a poor experience with Cap One a few years ago, she provided a travel notice with her foreign contact info. First charge, they denied and called her US number to check it was her making the charge. Strangely enough, she wasn't there!

So certainly take cards from more than one issuer.

I agree with this advice. If you never leave the country, it may raise a red flag but frequent international travelers tend to find the banks just learn to expect it and they work just fine.

Depending on bank, you may also receive a text message/call/email if/when the card is declined asking if you want to allow the charge, so if you're stuck you can usually hash it out with the bank right there and get it to accept a minute later.

Re: Travel Notice: Is it Necessary?

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 20:03:59 GMT

I generally will provide notice if i am going out of town/country. I had an issue with my Discover a few times where it was denied because purchases were made in a place that wasn't in the same state I live in. I have never had an issue with any of my other cards, but figure better to be safe than sorry.