DebitNM

Actually, SW VISA does not charge 3% fee anymore if you have a Premier card, which I do.

Patty

I've actually never notified any of my card issuers of my travel plans and never experienced any problems. It wasn't until I read about it on Fodors that I was even aware of the practice. I mainly use Amex, Citi and Chase.

Judy

I received the same message a while ago from Amex. I rarely use that card in Europe because of the currency conversion charge so I did stop notifying them.

Several years ago I did have a Visa charge denied and have called since then.

Christina

I don't have a SWA Premier card, I don't believe in paying a lot just to have a credit card. In fact, the SWA Visa is the sole card I have where I have any annual fee, and I only do that because I do fly SW a lot so use the points. Chase administers the SWA cards, so their products are similar to other Chase credit cards in terms of having to pay a lot to have the lower foreign transaction fee (it's just like the Chase Saphire Preferred card, only they actually charge a higher fee for the SWA one). I have a Cap One without a foreign transaction fee which is free. And, in fact, my AAA Visa, which is also free, is my backup card as it only has a 2 pct foreign fee.

The Premier card costs $30 a year more than the regular SWA Visa and there aren't any greater benefits, just no foreign transaction fee, I won't pay $30 for that when I don't have to. I might have if you earned more points some way, but you don't.

I never used to notify my cards in the past, either, but that's because they never used to reject foreign charges the way they do now, they have changed in their fraud control methods. Cap One pretty much automatically rejects any foreign charge now, at least if made online.

29FEB

Above: "<i> 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."</i>

Why so confrontational?

Do you think no one changes their plans and forgets to notify Cap One?
I'd be glad for the query.

DebitNM

Actually, upon annual renewal you earn 6000 points with SWA Premier card whereas you only earn 30000 points with the plus card - that alone makes up for the $30 difference. Add in the 3% saved and you are ahead. Of course, if you only visit foreign countries via armchair, I guess that doesn't matter.

My back up cards are Cap One (no foreign fee) which does have online travel notification ability and Andrews FCU VISA which is a true chip/PIN card. We used the Andrews card extensively in Europe last trip but now that SWA VISA is fee free, we will use that predominantly to earn points and the Andrews card when we need chip card.

rialtogrl

29FEB, thinking back to that call I would say my tone was more "freaked out" than "confrontational."

I am sure people change their reported plans all the time but in my case I had just made a purchase in Beaune the night before and to then have $8K charged, by me, ten hours later in four superstores in the suburbs of Toronto would have been fairly impossible.

Having said that, I am glad I made that call and also that charge to show that I was no where near Toronto.

ira

Hi DNM,

>... we may still decline charges that appear fraudulent.

However, if you call and get a name you can raise holy hell when they decide that your hotel bill in XXX is fraudulent.

ira

PS,

How can it not appear fraudulent if there is suddenly a charge to your account from a store you have never used in a country you have never been for a product that you have never before bought?