Cadgirl

I called Bank of America today and waited on hold for about 1/2 hour just to tell them that I am traveling to London next Sunday (yippee!) and plan to use my BofA Visa credit card there.

I will also call my local bank and tell them that I will be traveling so that I can withdraw money using my debit card (Mastercard). My research indicates that you get the best exchange rates by withdrawing cash from ATM machines as opposed to actually using the debit card to pay for something.

Is there anything I am forgetting? I have read something about chips in credit cards but not sure what that is all about or if it applies to US credit/debit cards. I know my PIN number for my debit card, but would I need a PIN when using my credit card?

Please forgive me if these are silly questions. First time on the other side of the pond, and all that

Thanks!

Michael

Your ATM card will work fine with any ATM machine, and if your local bank is BofA, use a Barclays ATM so avoid the $5 fee otherwise imposed by BofA for a foreign transaction.

Your credit card will work fine except for some automatic booths; at least that is the case in France (gas stations without attendants and ticket booths in train and metro stations). However, if the chip is common in the U.K., you may have to point out that yours does not have one and should be swiped though a different slot.

greg

Do you have backup credit card as well as a debit card in case either stops working? And also, do you have a way to carry the principal and the backup cards at different places so you don't lose all your source of fund at the same time?

Do you know to reject dynamic currency conversion when a merchant offers or claims that because you are using a U.S. credit card that they must charge you in U.S. dollar at a lousy conversion rate?

Some crook cloned my CC card and tried use it in another state. The bank detected the fraud and blocked my CC account. It also turned the real CC card I was carrying into a useless piece of plastic.

ira

Hi CG,

>Is there anything I am forgetting?<

Mind the gap.

Enjoy your visit.

tahl

I second what Michael (the first commentor) said. Credit cards with a chip are common in the UK, uncommon (though not unheard-of) in the US. When I was in Wales and London in September, I found my credit cards did not work in ticket purchase (or pick up) machines for rail and the Tube.

They did always work when I handed them to waiters or store clerks to swipe through conventional card-readers. I did develop a habit of telling the clerk up front "it'll work even though it doesn't have the chip," because they would sometimes look at the card and start to reject it before trying it in the terminal.

Kate

'Chip and Pin' is now universal in the UK, so we've all had to get used to remembering every Pin for every card we own.

As tahl suggests, even automatic ticket machines now demand Chip and Pin, but as you can still talk to a real person at ticket counters in stations I can't see you having a problem. Retailers are well aware that cards from countries such as the US don't use this system, so will swipe and ask you to sign your slip as normal.

You will only need to know your CC Pin if you plan on withdrawing cash from your CC at a machine.

xyz123

tahl...

One slight correction before everybody in the US starts calling their banks....chip and pin does not exist in the USA at this point in time....the banks claim their studies show the cost of converting the USA payment system to chip and pin outweighs the losses due to fraud and in any event chip and pin can do little to prevent fraud on the internet. My experience on the London Underground, unless things have changed recently, is that the machines to take old fasioned non chip and pin credit cards.....my only real trouble comes withone particular merchant who insists he has to insert the card into the chip and pin portion of the terminal first and then swipes it.....the way the chip and pin reader works is that it begins to wear out the signature panel and my signature becomes unreadable. And unlike the USA, some as a matter of fact most, merchants actually look at the signature (I don't know the last time a US merchant has actually compated the signature on the sales slip with the signature on the credit card but that's for another time and place).

jent103

Agreed. The only place you might have trouble is automatic machines, some of which may require the chip-and-PIN cards. However, that shouldn't be a major issue; I'm struggling to think of an instance where a machine has been my only option.

In a store, just tell the clerk there's no chip in your card and they'll swipe it for you. And yes, they do look at signatures much more often than clerks in the US do, so make sure your cards are signed. Have a great trip!

BKP

Cadgirl -- it sounds like you're all set! My only quick word of advice is don't be too surprised (and don't freak out!) if your atm card is rejected. We live in the UK and 3 different sets of our American guests have used BofA and all 3 have had problems. All 3 called ahead. It only took a phone call to their bank to get it sorted. If I remember correctly, 1-800 #'s don't work outside of the US so you will need to bring a direct number for your bank.

Have fun!

jent103

BKP is correct that 1-800 numbers don't work outside the US, but my card has the direct line printed on the back, so it shouldn't be a big deal if you do need to call (and you can find very cheap international phone cards at any newsagent). If it helps calm your nerves, though, over five trips to the UK I've never had trouble with my ATM card being rejected, and I also have BOA. (On my last trip I did think my card was being rejected, but that particular ATM was actually just out of cash.)

Michel_Paris

I was London in May and one of my ATM cards (I have several) did not work in one bank's machine. So I walked half a block to anoterh bank's machine and it worked fine. I would not worry at all that an ATM card would not work, unless it was on some weird network. Mine was on Plus. Other common one is Cirrus.

xyz123

Correction...US toll free numbers (800, 888, 877, 866 prefixes) most assuredly do work from the UK or anywhere else in the world. The only thing is you will get a message saying that the number you are calling is not toll free if called from outside the United States. If answered, you will be billed at international direct dial rates. If you do not wish to be charged, please hang up now.

That having been said, many credit card companies will accept collect calls if dialed on the direct dial US number (although it can be a pain in the rectum to make a collect call). Also you should be aware, ah ha, that on many UK prepaid mobile sim cards, you can directly dial the US from the UK for as little as 3p/minute timed to the second! (Of course, you don't want to have to be put on hold for 30 minutes...why that would cost almost £1+....so it's no problem either or any way.

jent103

True - I should have said "1-800 numbers don't work in terms of being toll-free."

BKP

Thanks for the corrections -- you're right -- they will work, but aren't free. Our guests just used our phones but we have VOIP so I wasn't sure if the numbers would work on other lines. Good to know that they do!

janisj

Every bank/credit union/credit card I deal w/ has a dedicated phone number where they accept collect calls from overseas. I have no need whatsoever to use the 800/888 number and pay those huge fees.

So yes the 800 #'s "<i>work</i>" - but they are not at all practical. It is better to think of them as not working IMO . . . .

xyz123

Just to clarify, I wasn't trying to be a wise guy with my remark about US toll free lines; there are other reasons on might wish to call a US toll free number other than credit cards if that's the only number you have....as janis points out the vast majority of credit card companies but not quite all do give you a US (if it's a US cc company of course) non toll free number and generally accept collect calls but the art of making a collect call, what with the disapearance of a lot of pay phones and even on a hotel phone, is not always the easiest thing in the world...there are also calling cards of course. But what the hell, I spring for the 3p/minute when I have to call US toll free numbers on my UK mobile...so mangnanimous of me don't you think!

Cadgirl

Thanks everyone. My bank with the debit card is actually Charter One Bank. Bank of America is a credit card. I do have a few more credit cards (don't we all ) that I plan to call and have ready as back ups.

One more question. Does it make more sense to get cash here at my own bank's ATM and exchange it when we get there? Or wait to get cash out in London? In other words, which would probably cost less in terms of fees? I think the bank said today that the fee is 3% plus ATM fees.

Michael

There are no ATM fees levied by the European banks. Any fees that you incur will be possibly from Visa (1%) and whatever your bank decides to levy.

cyndyq

at a magazine/news store, I purchased a 250 minute calling card to anywhere in the US for 6.40 eu About 10.00 I think thats a great deal! This was just a cpl of months ago. And yes, some of the smaller shops have the hand held machines to swipe your credit card through . .. and they did not work in a cpl of places I shopped. It's good to keep enough cash just in case you NEED whatever it is . . . or can walk down the street and purchase the same. I believe Discover card only charges 2% Just ck with your card and back companies. You're going to have such a wonderful time.!!

xyz123

Discover has not in the past been accepted outside the USA; although as I remember they bought into some interest in Diners Club; although it is rare today for anybody to take Diners Club.

Cash? Well I'll tell you, I spent a week in London last summer and not once did I have to pay cash for anything. London has become a lot like New York....almost everybody takes credit cards and although English law is not as favorable to consumers as is American, that is in England merchants are allowed to set minimums for use of a credit card (they are not allowed by mc/visa regs in the USA), fewer and fewer English merchants, especially the grocery stores, the fast food places do not bother with minimums (although I must admit even I will never try to use a credit card for less than £1; more than £1 and the merchant has credit card decals, out comes the plastic)...