seat61: bahn.de won't take credit card iinfo
 

Do help, please - trying, as laid out on seat61.com, to purchase Prague to Cologne overnight in October. Created account and got email confirming, but keep getting the message: your credit card cannot be processed, please check expiry date and security code. Tried changing cards, still won't go through. Any advice, please? Trying for the deluxe sleeper for self and spouse. Thanks!

aha! just got a call from the credit card fraud department, alerting us to the fact that "someone" was trying to use the card for an overseas train ticket.....so, thought I'd just share that if you're trying to do something like this, do alert the credit card people! We always call before we leave, but I've booked hotels already without alerting them - so it didn't occur to me.
So, in the words of Gilda Radner: "Never mind........"

Ah, good. Bahn.de doesn't usually have any problems with cards.

Have a great trip!

We went through the same trying to use Rail Europe, then SNCF-- you must call your credit card company and request 'clearance' for this charge. There are such notations, in very small print, about obtaining secured credit cards, but we did not do so till thoroughly frustrated. And as you stated, we booked hotels, tours, and rental card without issue. C'est la vie, huh.......

Nowadays, you pretty much always have to notify CCs if you intend to use them online abroad, it seems they all have methods in control that just don't allow those transactions without you notifying them. At least all mine do. I think maybe AMEX once claimed they didn't, but those websites usually never take AMEX anyway.

I am constantly amazed at the behaviour, or shall I call it paranoia, of US banks and credit card companies. I have never notified my bank of anything, no one I know ever has, and I'd go berserk at them if they blocked my card for nothing.