Avoid having your card declined when using overseas
A new TSB survey uncovers why such a high number of cards are declined overseas.
When you go on holiday, you just want to tell everyone how excited you are that you’re going somewhere exotic, whether it's your Gran, the person you sit next to at work, even your pet hamster. But the one that many of us forget to tell is our bank.
According to TSB, 77% of travellers who have had their credit card declined overseas failed to inform their bank that they would be out of the country before they left.
57% said they hadn’t realised they needed to call the bank, 38% felt they shouldn’t have to and 12% simply forgot. 7% said they didn’t have the time to spend on hold to speak to an operator, while 4% said they felt the notification process was too complicated.
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Why you need to tell your bank
Many banks use an automated fraud detection system, which is why it's so important to tell them if you're heading abroad. If your bank notices any unusual activity on your account, such as increased spending and transactions in foreign countries, it will automatically block your card to stop further spending.
It’s likely that the bank will follow this up with a text or phone call to make you aware of this activity.
Unfavourable consequences
When their card was declined, 55% of respondents to TSB's survey said they worried that they couldn’t pay for goods and services they had just received, while 73% were "just plain embarrassed".
Your phone bill could also balloon because of calls and texts that you receive from your bank when you’re away, even if it’s just a short call checking that you are aware of the card usage.
Do I need to contact my bank?
Different banks and card providers have their own ways of dealing with overseas spending, so we’ve collected the important info that you need about using your card abroad. In all cases, make sure your contact details are up-to-date so that they can get hold of you if necessary.
|
Bank |
What you need to know |
|
American Express |
Call the number on the back of your card if you plan on using it overseas. |
|
Bank of Scotland |
Contact Bank of Scotland in-branch or over the phone before you travel. |
|
Barclays |
No need to tell Barclays that you are going abroad. Can withdraw up to £300 a day from cash machines that display a Visa sign. |
|
Barclaycard |
No need to inform Barclaycard. |
|
Capital One |
Same as above. |
|
Halifax |
Contact in-branch or over the phone before you travel. |
|
HSBC |
Let HSBC know you’re travelling by clicking ‘going abroad’ on your internet banking account or calling customer services before you go. |
|
Lloyds |
You must contact Lloyds before you travel. |
|
NatWest/RBS |
Inform them at least 24 hours in advance. Log your details through your online banking account by selecting the ‘using your card abroad’ option from ‘our products’. It can also be sorted in your local branch. |
|
Nationwide |
This can also be done through your online account. Select ‘travel notifications’ under ‘account services’. |
|
Santander |
No need to inform Santander before travel. You can withdraw money from any machine with the Cirrus sign. |
|
Tesco |
No need to contact. |
|
TSB |
Call TSB to let them know of your travel plans in advance. |
|
Virgin Money |
Phone Virgin Money before you travel. |
Keep track of what’s going on though, as it has been reported that some banks were told about travel plans and they still blocked cards anyway.
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Has your card ever been declined overseas? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
More on holidays:
How to avoid blowing your holiday budget
The cheapest last-minute summer holiday destinations
The worst summer holiday rip-offs
Most Recent
Comments
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Your facts on Santander are simply Not true ' No need to inform Santander before travel. You can withdraw money from any machine with the Cirrus sign.' YOU DO NEED TO TELL THEM !! - I informed them I was going to Brazil in 2012 and they still blocked my card, I questioned them when I returned from holiday and they said even though a 'flag' was put on my account the system over rode this as the 'transaction deemed suspicious' (cash withdrawal of £130 at RIO airport ). This happened again this year, I informed them I was going to the Philippines and again a flag placed on my account but a 'suspicious transaction' of £135 from Manilla airport (the day I landed) failed. To resolve this I was told to go into a bank to prove my identity or Fax a copy of my passport to a number in the UK. When I informed the customer service person it was Saturday, there are no fax machines at Manilla airport plus I didn't have any money therefore I was unable to do either of these options, I was told to 'sleep at the airport until Monday' Please get your facts correct about Santander, you DO need to tell them and the withdrawal may still be stopped.
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The worst bank- that isn't reviewed here- is the Co-op bank. In 2009 they stranded me in Austria because they thought there was 'suspicious activity on my account' this delayed me checking into my hotel. It turned out this was two internet transactions I had made in the UK, using verified by visa prior to leaving for Dubai. I notified them that I was going to Dubai and Oz to no avail. I have had the same problem every year since, when either booking flights, car hire or hotels abroad(whilst still in the UK.) This is highly suspicious, apparently. I repeatedly get told that these measures are for my protection, but let's be fair given I haven't had any fraudulent activity on my account ( then Barclays since about 1998,) this protection is actually for the benefit of the Co-Op to save them having to refund customers who have genuinely been targeted by fraudsters.this is to the benefit of the bank and the detriment of the 'customer.'
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The breakdown in the 3rd para seems to add up to 118%??? It might also have been helpful to say why calls from the bank to your mobile when abroad cost so much. It is because you pay for the international leg unless you have overseas roaming. I have been abroad many times in the past, but not recently. In those days, there was very little by way of security verification anywhere. I think that it is a good idea that many of the banks are screening our purchasing routine for our security. I had a call from Barclaycard last year to check if I had made some purchases through PayPal. I hadn't as I have never made more than 1 at a time and they spotted 3 in a couple of days, so they cancelled the payments. Good for them. I am thinking of going to France soon and think that it is helpful for them to know if you are going somewhere you haven't been for some time. You never know there might be a clone of your card staying in this country. My only concern is whether I can now use my cards in automatic fuel pumps in France. Does anyone know? Previously I wasn't able to because their systems were not compatible with the Internationally agreed standard which our cards follow. Mike
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29 July 2014