Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last few years

[billyfsu76]

Heading to France & Italy in the summer. I have heard some stories about people having issues with their credit cards working in Europe. Each person that's had a problem has said to me afterward that they were assured by their bank that they would be clear to use their cards while traveling overseas but, when they were over there, they did not always work.

Anyone have any specifics on avoiding this problem? I would ask about my phone too, as I've heard that can be difficult even if you have an international plan, etc. but I can get by without the phone. Not having my credit cards work while I'm over there for a month on the other hand, that would not be good.

 

[OrlandNole]

I was in Japan last summer and used cash the entire trip or paid through a travel agency.

I wouldn't fool with an international phone plan. As long as you can get WiFi, you can used a third-party app such as MagicJack and call for free. My S5 has a built-in WiFi calling app.

 

[Semiologist]

No matter where you are going, if you are traveling, you should always contact your credit card company to let them know you will be away, before you leave. There's no thrill like being somewhere else, and having your credit card stop working because it got flagged for possible fraudulent activity, based on location, an uptick in use, or any other reason.

 

[theFSUman]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by Semiologist:
No matter where you are going, if you are traveling, you should always contact your credit card company to let them know you will be away, before you leave. There's no thrill like being somewhere else, and having your credit card stop working because it got flagged for possible fraudulent activity, based on location, an uptick in use, or any other reason.

Agreed. And much of Europe uses chip/pin technology. I travel to Ukraine once a year and have never had a problem there. I did have some issues in Paris two years ago.

AmEx just replaced my cards domestically with a chip and I think the payment industry is moving in that direction. The moral is to definitely call the credit card companies and tell them where you're going.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[SeaPA]

I had no problems using credit cards in China last summer (though I did contact them in advance to let them know the dates I'd be there).

On the phone end, I didn't have an international plan & had no phone access. I just contacted family via email. I had internet access at each of the different hotels I stayed in; of course, China's a bit different in that they block various news and search sites.

One suggestion I'd make is to be sure to bring one of those electronic plug converter/adapters (and read up on what you plan to bring to make sure you get the type you need).

 

[seminole4life1]

I'm not an expert on how but I know they analyze spending patterns. I travel abroad 3-4 times a year. I always try to use my card at the airport before I leave and at the airport when I arrive in the foreign country. I figure the fraud alert is easier to trip if you use a card at the local target then three days later the next purchase is at a small shop in 5,000 miles away in a little village rather than airports showing travel by the cardholder.

I have never had a problem and used my card everywhere from small towns in Taiwan to restaurants in southern Africa.

 

[ncnole1975]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by theFSUman:

Originally posted by Semiologist:
No matter where you are going, if you are traveling, you should always contact your credit card company to let them know you will be away, before you leave. There's no thrill like being somewhere else, and having your credit card stop working because it got flagged for possible fraudulent activity, based on location, an uptick in use, or any other reason.

Agreed. And much of Europe uses chip/pin technology. I travel to Ukraine once a year and have never had a problem there. I did have some issues in Paris two years ago.

AmEx just replaced my cards domestically with a chip and I think the payment industry is moving in that direction. The moral is to definitely call the credit card companies and tell them where you're going.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

This is good advice. I have been to Italy several times and have had no problems with my cards working. Also, if you use cash, while they will take USD, convert the money to local currency first. The locals always swing the conversion rates in their favor
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[LesClaypool]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by ncnole1975:

Originally posted by theFSUman:

This is good advice. I have been to Italy several times and have had no problems with my cards working. Also, if you use cash, while they will take USD, convert the money to local currency first. The locals always swing the conversion rates in their favor
Posted from Rivals Mobile

This is bad advice.

They will almost assuredly not take USD abroad.

Don't ever convert your cash to currency, always make withdrawals from local ATMs to get the best/legit conversion rate.

 

[AdNole]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

All U.S. merchants are supposed to be EMV compliant by this October which means your cards are supposed to have the chip by then. I don't think the U.S. EMV regs require chip and pin and it is looking questionable on whether or not U.S. merchants are even going to make the deadline. When it comes to card regulations, U.S. merchants, payment processors and card companies are notorious for not meeting the deadlines. With that being said, a card with only a mag stripe could cause issues in Europe.

Originally posted by ncnole1975:

Originally posted by theFSUman:

Originally posted by Semiologist:
No matter where you are going, if you are traveling, you should always contact your credit card company to let them know you will be away, before you leave. There's no thrill like being somewhere else, and having your credit card stop working because it got flagged for possible fraudulent activity, based on location, an uptick in use, or any other reason.

Agreed. And much of Europe uses chip/pin technology. I travel to Ukraine once a year and have never had a problem there. I did have some issues in Paris two years ago.

AmEx just replaced my cards domestically with a chip and I think the payment industry is moving in that direction. The moral is to definitely call the credit card companies and tell them where you're going.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

This is good advice. I have been to Italy several times and have had no problems with my cards working. Also, if you use cash, while they will take USD, convert the money to local currency first. The locals always swing the conversion rates in their favor
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[southgateNOLE]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Always call the CC company before you travel abroad. Also, try and get the updated CC's with the chip on the front. These are used in Europe and Canada. Like another poster mentioned, all you need is WiFi access and you can use your phone without an additional international plan.

 

[Dr. Nole]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Went to Europe last year...London and Scotland.

Called the cc companies before to let them know....still had random issue with the Amex not working so had to use the Visa Card.

Visa had the chip but amex did not. (just recently got an amex with the chip so....)

My advice would be to have more than one type of credit card available.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by Dr. Nole:
Went to Europe last year...London and Scotland.

Called the cc companies before to let them know....still had random issue with the Amex not working so had to use the Visa Card.

Visa had the chip but amex did not. (just recently got an amex with the chip so....)

My advice would be to have more than one type of credit card available.

From my experience the cards will not work when run as debit but will work if you tell them to run it as credit and they swipe it at the register for signature rather than you doing it with the pin. And you should definitely give them your itinerary as it will cut down on some problems but not eliminate it. Even when I let my bank know ahead of time they still usually freeze it once or twice a trip requiring me to pay international rates on a long call to unfreeze it. It blows and happens every time.

This post was edited on 4/1 10:11 AM by FSUTribe76

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Call your CC company in advance just to let them know. AND call your bank where you have your checking/savings account.

However, my suggestion is that you plan to use the CC only for hotels and the larger chain-type restaurants/stores and use cash for everything else. Smaller merchants and restaurants, particularly outside the major
cities, often get grumpy if you try to pay with a credit card. Taxi drivers hate credit cards, and many will refuse to take you if you want to use one (especially in Italy). If you are taking a taxi from a hotel, make sure you tell the desk to get you a car that takes credit cards.

Cash is king and just makes things easier. Do not mess with converting currency before you leave the US. Hit the ATM at whatever European airport you first land in. There are ATMs everywhere, of course.

 

[Dr. Nole]

The odd thing was when I called the credit card company ahead of time (amex) to let them know that I was going to be travelling abroad, they said I didn't need to do that!?

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by Dr. Nole:

The odd thing was when I called the credit card company ahead of time (amex) to let them know that I was going to be travelling abroad, they said I didn't need to do that!?

It may depend on what company you're using. Like I said I called ahead and literally gave them my itenary and they still froze it at two different locations when I was country hopping (between France, England, Scotland and Wales). Apparently "no one" travels between those countries like I was even though it's all in an area barely bigger than Florida.

 

[FSUTribe76]

Originally posted by Formerly Rockymtnole:
Call your CC company in advance just to let them know. AND call your bank where you have your checking/savings account.

However, my suggestion is that you plan to use the CC only for hotels and the larger chain-type restaurants/stores and use cash for everything else. Smaller merchants and restaurants, particularly outside the major
cities, often get grumpy if you try to pay with a credit card. Taxi drivers hate credit cards, and many will refuse to take you if you want to use one (especially in Italy). If you are taking a taxi from a hotel, make sure you tell the desk to get you a car that takes credit cards.

Cash is king and just makes things easier. Do not mess with converting currency before you leave the US. Hit the ATM at whatever European airport you first land in. There are ATMs everywhere, of course.

Just make sure that the ATM has your specific credit cards real time transfer system (Cirrus, Visa Plus etc) as they will charge you out the %+%. We're used to every ATM working for every credit and debit card system here for free, but depending upon which country you're in that probably isn't true. It usually still works but you will get a huge fee.

 

[billyfsu76]

Thanks for all the responses. I knew this was a good place to get info. Appreciate it.

 

[Semiologist]

IMPORTANT: Do NOT pay for hookers with credit card. This will not end well.

 

[Lemon Thrower]

chip and pin reduces fraud so i can see why the europeans require it. was there a few years ago and got by OK, but if you have a chip and pin card take it. in the u.s. we have been slow to upgrade because it requires new equipment that someone has to pay for. Costco for example is requiring all merchants who process cards through them to upgrade their equipment.

also, if you have unusual travel patterns, you could have some trouble. i took a train from amsterdam to brussels, lunch in brussels, then train to paris. go to use the ATM and the machine takes my card due to fraud concern. fortunately i have more than one account. as noted above, solution is to tell your companies where you will be traveling. atm's and credit cards will give you the best rates on FX. dont bring cash or travelers checques.

 

[NoleFan2U]

Reading this thread reminded me how difficult it was for me to use my AMEX without the chip in Canada last month. I just called AMEX, and will have a card with the chip by Friday. The entire call took less than 2 minutes.

 

[montconole]

Use cards that don't charge an international transaction fee.

 

[kc78]

I simply always contact my banks and alert them to where I'm travelling before I do so. I've never had any issues. The only place that I ran into issues was with one card when I traveled to Barcelona, however I was told ahead of time that my card would not work there. Apparently Barcelona has the highest rate of card skimming in the world and they simply won't authorize any payments there. While I was there, one of my co-workers had their card skimmed which we discovered later.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Originally posted by FSUTribe76:

Originally posted by Dr. Nole:

The odd thing was when I called the credit card company ahead of time (amex) to let them know that I was going to be travelling abroad, they said I didn't need to do that!?

It may depend on what company you're using. Like I said I called ahead and literally gave them my itenary and they still froze it at two different locations when I was country hopping (between France, England, Scotland and Wales). Apparently "no one" travels between those countries like I was even though it's all in an area barely bigger than Florida.

I can just see the conversation at the VISA fraud department: "Yep, nobody in their right mind would travel like this. Looks like someone got his number...let's shut 'er down."

 

[wdnole]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by LesClaypool:

Originally posted by ncnole1975:

Originally posted by theFSUman:

This is good advice. I have been to Italy several times and have had no problems with my cards working. Also, if you use cash, while they will take USD, convert the money to local currency first. The locals always swing the conversion rates in their favor
Posted from Rivals Mobile

This is bad advice.

They will almost assuredly not take USD abroad.

Don't ever convert your cash to currency, always make withdrawals from local ATMs to get the best/legit conversion rate.

Ummm... very much depends on the country you are visiting. And with the wild swings in the euro exchange rate lately, getting cash from a reliable source might be the thing to do.

For example, I've been working in Argentina for the past 6 months and the last thing in the world I would do is take cash from an ATM. It would have to be emergency only to do this, unless I just feel like getting legally robbed or something.

Exchange rate from an ATM is around 8.6 pesos per dollar... exchange rate from any money changer in the tourist district of Buenos Aires will be around 13 pesos per dollar. I've been in Arg for 6 months and only hit an ATM once when I first arrived.

Not sure exactly how its working in Europe, but with the crazy swing (in our favor) of exchange rate recently, I wouldn't be surprised to see something like this going on in some of the countries. But not nearly as pronounced.

 

[ncnole1975]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by LesClaypool:

Originally posted by ncnole1975:

Originally posted by theFSUman:

This is good advice. I have been to Italy several times and have had no problems with my cards working. Also, if you use cash, while they will take USD, convert the money to local currency first. The locals always swing the conversion rates in their favor
Posted from Rivals Mobile

This is bad advice.

They will almost assuredly not take USD abroad.

Don't ever convert your cash to currency, always make withdrawals from local ATMs to get the best/legit conversion rate.

Agree with the ATMs to get local currency but Italy takes USD all day!
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[uMayCallmeWolf]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last


It has been covered but there are two separate factors -- (a) the embedded chip; and (b) notifying your bank ahead of time.

As has been pointed out, Europe uses the embedded-chip technology.
While US banks seem to be in the process of moving toward embedded chips, the fact that they are 'in process' tells you that not every bank issues cards with embedded chips; and some banks are not issuing cards with embedded chips to every customer.
This is easily determined --> look at your card. If it doesn't have an embedded chip, ask the bank for one. [And while you're at it, please obtain one that doesn't have foreign-transaction-fees

].

On notifying the bank of your travel plans . . . . some are sticklers, some are not.
For example, if you have Bank of America, you are nuts if you don't inform them ahead of time.
Again easily determined -- ask the bank.

On ATMs, we took a fair amount of currency, for example, Euros, with us but had no trouble in Paris, Madrid, Tuscany, nor even Bali in using ATMs [fwiw we used debit card for ATM, credit card for all else].

Good hunting.

 

[S3M1N0L3]

Just got back from Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria and I live in Japan..
Europe uses the new cards with the chips but most places also still have the swiper and you can use your cards at most places.
The ATMs in Germany took my US debt card with no issues. I would pull / carry about 500 Euros with me at all times. That way if I wanted to buy something or a hotel wouldn't take my card, I could pay cash. It worked out perfectly for me when that happened at my apartment in Rome.

Oddly, two of my CCs with my bank got fraud blocked on my last trip to the US but none of my cards got blocked on my 2 month trip to Europe.

Hope that helps. If you can upgrade your CCs to the new chip version, you should have no issues at all, I would imagine. My bank doesn't start shipping them for another few weeks.

Enjoy!

 

[Lemon Thrower]

Re: Question for those who have traveled internationally in the last

Originally posted by uMayCallmeWolf:

It has been covered but there are two separate factors -- (a) the embedded chip; and (b) notifying your bank ahead of time.

As has been pointed out, Europe uses the embedded-chip technology.
While US banks seem to be in the process of moving toward embedded chips, the fact that they are 'in process' tells you that not every bank issues cards with embedded chips; and some banks are not issuing cards with embedded chips to every customer.
This is easily determined --> look at your card. If it doesn't have an embedded chip, ask the bank for one. [And while you're at it, please obtain one that doesn't have foreign-transaction-fees

].

On notifying the bank of your travel plans . . . . some are sticklers, some are not.
For example, if you have Bank of America, you are nuts if you don't inform them ahead of time.
Again easily determined -- ask the bank.

On ATMs, we took a fair amount of currency, for example, Euros, with us but had no trouble in Paris, Madrid, Tuscany, nor even Bali in using ATMs [fwiw we used debit card for ATM, credit card for all else].

Good hunting.

+1.

the jargon for the embedded chip is "pin and chip". Not sure if you can call and get this but it doesn't hurt to ask.

its just getting rolled out in the U.S. Its a modest expense to banks, a bigger expense to merchants who need new equipment.

as for fraud blocks, realize that if your card is stolen most of the loss falls on the bank. its the banks that have their act together who freeze your card if you haven't notified them. they are covering their butts. its not about them being strict or whatever, its about them having a clue. if you bank with some local credit union they probably don't have a clue - you lose your card your account might get drained.