Informing your bank...

corblimey

Up to last year, every time I went away I would call my bank and my credit card company and tell them to expect charges and withdrawals from that country. A few months ago, I was heading to the States. I didn't call my bank cos I was bringing enough cash, but when I called my credit card (Tesco), I was told I didn't have to do it, and the agent implied I never needed to do it -- the chances of a duff charge being called out was random whether I was at home or abroad.

[Of course, 2 months later, my card is stopped because an order I tried to put through online (with a company I'd used before) didn't go through for some reason]

So do people contact this cc company when they're going abroad, or are those days now gone?

naughtysmurf

I inform my bank, last year we were in the US, I informed my bank & had no issues, missus didn't bother, used her visa debit card at an atm, no issues first time but card was stopped after that, she got a call from the bank asking her to get in touch, she rang them & confirmed where she was and the card was ok after that, both with Ptsb

BuffyBot

Always worth doing IMHO, unless instructed otherwise (and even then I'd double check before accepting the word of the first staff member I spoke to)

spurious

I always ring them. Takes a couple of minutes and avoids the card being stopped.

realgirl

I've used my credit card to access money abroad in several different continents since 1998, never informed the bank in advance and never had any problems. Until late last year when my online purchases started being security checked regularly and if I don't get on to the bank quickly the transaction gets cancelled. I definitely do not want that problem when I'm away in a foreign country so now I give them a call before heading off.

Gatica

I give the credit card company a call, have never bothered with the current account cards though. It's expensive enough to take calls abroad if they decide to call you to confirm transactions.
OH was in the US recently, didn't tell the bank and didn't bother answering his phone, is card got cancelled and he had to call them when he got back to get it reactivated. So I guess it's worth it after all.
No, you don't HAVE to call them. Sure saves lots of hassle though.

Fred Swanson

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Gatica

I think it depends on how much you're spending and where. OH was spending hundreds in NY and so got the security call which he didn't take.
I've not called and used card in US without a bother, but made sure to call when went to Russia. I think some places will just be higher risk.

Fred Swanson

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Ponster

I was in Vegas last week and a friend had his BoI Visa stopped after 5 days of using it.

I've had a Visa card stopped in Italy in 2005. My bank has an online form where you can indicate what countries you intend to visit while out of the country.