Thread: Notify credit cards that you are traveling?

The standard advice given by frequent travelers is to notify your bank(s) when you are traveling so they will be aware that you will be making purchases outside of your normal spending areas.

Well, I found something very interesting on my American Express web site when I was checking my account tonight.

TRAVELING SOON?
Please be aware that we need no notification of your travel plans in order for you to continue using your card.

Has anyone else been advised by their bank that it is not necessary to inform them of your travel plans?

Char, I haven't, BUT our credit card companies know our pattern of going back & forth to our place in the mountains. When we first bought the place, we had a fraud alert when we returned home. Now if they see charges from places in that vicinity we have no problems, but one time I went to Atlantic City and while using my card the cashier said she needed to see my ID for the approval to go through.

Since it appears you do a few cruises each year on certain cruise lines maybe AMEX is noting in your file that travel pattern?

Hi char, I haven.'t had any such problems myself, but I have heard it mentioned on a recent consumer programme on the TV.
What concerns me about notifying these people is that someone outside my family or close friends know that my house is going to be unoccupied at certain times.

I do have an agreement with them however, that any charges above a specified level results in a call to my mobile phone (I can take calls in any country) where I give answers to certain security questions before payment is agreed.

Originally Posted by ziggysun

Char, I haven't, BUT our credit card companies know our pattern of going back & forth to our place in the mountains. When we first bought the place, we had a fraud alert when we returned home. Now if they see charges from places in that vicinity we have no problems, but one time I went to Atlantic City and while using my card the cashier said she needed to see my ID for the approval to go through.

Since it appears you do a few cruises each year on certain cruise lines maybe AMEX is noting in your file that travel pattern?

Judy, I think this was a blanket statement for all AX card holders, not on my American Express account page. Plus, we don't use that particular card for travel expenses. We have one Visa card that is used almost exclusively for travel and I have never notified them.

I've not head that about AM EX cards and find it kind of odd. All the other cards tell me they want you to let them know if you might be using them outside the country. A note about AM EX, I found it to be readily acceptable in South American countries. Far more than other cards.

i never notified any of my c.c companys and havent had a problem yet

On a past trip (not a cruise) to Cancun, I used my Amex card to reserve a Scuba certification course and four open-water qualification dives befor leaving home. The total charge also included hard copies of the course material. Once I arrived in Mexico, the trip course and dives were cancelled. I asked for a refund, but was told by the dive shop manager that "there is no one here right now from the internet sales department, but they would process my refund later that day and send a confirmation to my hotel." Fortunately for me, I asked the manager to "put it in writing."

Sure enough, the dive shop never processed the refund, however, since I had his statement in writing, I faxed a copy to Amex and they promptly refunded the amount & charged back the merchant.

The moral of the story is... GET IT IN WRITING!!!

Never told them & only had a problem when a hotel double charged the "reserve" amount, that at the time was more than the card limit!

Originally Posted by Char

Has anyone else been advised by their bank that it is not necessary to inform them of your travel plans?

Yes ma'am

In fact I saw the heading of the thread (before I read the post)and was going to post that I received such a message..

Still, I think folks ought check beforehand! After I had a call from my bank/credit card issuer(because I had done some unusual charging they thought worth confirming), I began to think that, if they don't know I'm traveling and suddenly there's a ginormous charge from Timbuktu, maybe they'll deny it and I won't be able to talk with them . . .

Anyway, I've begun to tell the bank when I'll be away. It eases my mind, if nothing else! And, since my mind is pretty feeble, a little ease is a Good Thing!

I'd think that there might be nothing worse that wanting to charge that gazillion dollar diamond you don't need but being told, "I'm sorry, sir, but your credit card has been declined!"

SWR