Chase says "don't need to tell us your are traveling anymore"
 

This email just came:

<i>Dear debitnm:

As part of our continuous efforts to improve your experience with your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards card, we've made an update to your account.

In the past, you may have notified us of your travel plans to ensure uninterrupted service while traveling. Because we value your business and your use of this card, you no longer need to provide us with your travel information.

Our fraud detection systems will continue to protect and monitor your account, and we may still decline charges that appear fraudulent.
Your account satisfaction and security is our priority. Should you need us while traveling, call the number on the back of your card anytime. Thank you for choosing Chase. </i>

It's funny, because I have been paying for things online for the past 2 months or so for our upcoming trip to Europe. Every charge went through, no matter what currency and with no glitches. I do have email notifications set up for online transactions and foreign transactions but I am still surprised by this change.

Because they already read all your e-mails and transactions and know your plans better than you do?

Well, there's that....

DebitNM:
AmEx has always told me the same thing. I still call them. What the heck.

The "we may still decline charges that appear fraudulent" is a pain. Yeah, I'm happy "they" are watching, but my MasterCard will shut my card down mid-transaction as soon as I'm a time zone away domestically.

I just don't bother using that one overseas, and I hesitate using it 100 miles from home.

On the flip side, I stopped calling my local bank when I left the country. They are totally clueless, and usually, they tell me that I must use my Visa-associated check card (which they insist on sending me even though I have said, "I'm not using this!") rather than my plain old ATM card.

As I've often said, I have a $350 limit domestically. I can consistently pull 600 Euros overseas per transaction with the plain ATM card.

My husband, who can pull $500 domestically can't pull more than 200 Euros.

I like "owning" him. :)

We got the same letter.

I got that too.

is Chase just mentioning Southwest Air who does not fly to Europe? Or, does Chase mean all destinations with all airlines? I'm just asking. :)

I imagine it's a Southwest Airlines credit card, travelintoes.

btw - we got this email (have United Chase card) probably 18 months ago now - haven't had any problems on multiple o/s trips.

Amex, on the otherhand - well, I've just stopped using them o/s. They put a hold on my card every time, and they charge me foreign transaction fees which they didn't used to - and which Chase don't. No bother really as it's the least useful of the cards overseas anyway.

In November, I traveled to California and Capital One declined my card at Babies R Us. I called and they said it was because I was in California. So I am in California again now and I called Capital One to tell them that and got someone who may have been a machine, I'm not really sure, and he (or it) told me that I no longer have to notify them when I travel domestically.

I am taking a wait and see attitude. It is a pain when the card gets declined.

Capital One is my exclusive card for Europe -- for the 0 % transaction fee. I just called to check their current travel notifications. Like Nikki said, seems ok not to call them for domestic travel --but still want international travels noted on the account. Nice to know. Fidelity still wants travel notifications.

Chase is ahead of the game with no notices necessary.

It is a pain to make sure your travels are in the system. For my 2011 European trip, I had to call Capital One 3 times because I had no goes on a coupe of reservations. They finally got all info posted on my account and smooth sailing from then on!

Does Capital One not have an online form for travel notifications? Chase does, that's how I used to do it - much easier than calling!

We continue to send AX and Chase our exact travel plans in Europe. Usually Chase appreciates knowing our destinations and AX always says it is not necessary .

We just let everyone know where we are going to be.

Especially our ATM with a local bank. They honored our withdrawals in Spain but took no responsibility for fraud.

I always call. My ATM is a Charles Schwab account, and they told me I don't have to call but I do anyway.

In summer 2012 I was in Europe and had given Capital One my complete itinerary before I left. In France I got a call from Capital One asking if I had charged $2000 at a store in Toronto, Canada. There were FOUR $2000 charges on my card that morning in Beaune, all in Toronto. I asked Capital One, how the heck could I be in Toronto when I told you I would be in France?

They didn't really have an answer for that.

Hex-- Yes, as I now know. I didn't have online notification set up in 2010 and 2011 while getting the trip together. And at that time, they never suggested it to me-just told me to call them. But they did tonight when I called them. At that point, I didn't use online accounts as much as I do now.

I'll know the easy way next time! And I'm already getting my travel mode on for my next adventure!

Does Capital One not have an online form for travel notifications? Answer: Yes, they do. I use it.

The CapOne online notification is so nice. It's one less call to make.

Sidenote: I love my Schwab debit card (set to a mere $.01 for purchases) and I have found dealing with them to be so painless. One of the associates told me when I called about travel plans to use an airport or close by ATM at each destination ASAP. Apparently, that confirms where I am, and it helps them track.

My speculation is, that transactions may now have a code indicating purchase of a travel product (airline, rail, even rental car) such that the CC company computer can determine what is a truly 'foreign' transaction (i.e. a transaction made on your card in an area remote from what the travel product purchase suggests would be the area you'd be in at the time.)

Just speculation at the moment. Sure would like to know if it's true.

That would make perfect sense, Sue.

I know I was buying gift cards for various restaurants and hotels for my kids at Xmas and the security people for both my Visa and MasterCard were freaking out because they could NOT determine what they were.

Of course, little did we know that was about the time of the Target intrusion.

I haven't got that notification, wonder if I will. I don't really use my SWA Visa abroad anyway, though, due to the 3 pct foreign transaction fee.

I buy some things from foreign companies online that are not travel products, there are plenty of other things you may buy that are legit. I kind of doubt if that's the way an algorithm would work, saying it's okay to buy train tickets but not opera tickets, but I don't know.