SAB

Yes and I also have my ATM card delinked from my savings account and other accounts, except for checking.

sweetsailing

Abram,

Your is the best reason I have heard so far for making sure the credit card is available and functioning. I wouldn't want to miss any opportunity for my husband to buy me jewelery.

That jeweler was very trusting indeed!

happytrailstoyou

Yes, but it doesn't necessarily do any good.

Bank of America still gave me a headache with my Visa and ATM card on a 2006 visit to Spain.

It didn't help that they gave me incorrect information about which ATMs to use, except that, as a result, I was able to get a lot of usurious service charges reversed.

Patty

I never notify whether I travel in the US or abroad nor have any of my card issuers ever called while I was away to verify whether the charges were mine.

richardsonsnm

I find that it makes little difference, I have cards with 50k limits with nothing on them that get declined often because the charges don't fit my profile, but how can you create a profile if a computer declines the card? I decided to start using a British Air card to get FF miles, called them and advised them that I would be using my card in a big way for many things, after being repeatedly denied, I threw it back in the drawer with the rest of the cards I don't use and went back to my AMEX platinum, that NEVER gets turned down.

jlm_mi

I never have, and have thought that I should, but realize with others' responses that it probably wouldn't help.

I was purchasing drugs at a pharmacy for about $1200 in my home town and it was blocked. OK, I thought, I haven't done this before, so they think it's suspicious (though I question how many stolen credit cards are used at pharmacies . . .) So, I called them to say it was really me, and told them it would most likely happen again. They said there was nothing they could do. If I did it again, it may or may not be blocked, but they couldn't do anything about it beforehand. If it was blocked, call again.

So, I'm not sure there's anything they could do about foreign purchases in advance either . . . And this was a major credit card company in the US, not some small town bank.

IamBooth

It does not hurt to let the cc company know. It only takes a telephone call. If they go ahead and block the card anyway, well...I don't know. It has happened to me. I stopped using the card and took my business elsewhere.

joan

To those of you who have had your card blocked: Does a phone call resolve this, or did you need to have a second card?

I have never called, despite traveling to Caribbean etc. BUT we only use one credit card. What a nightmare if the only card I carried was unusable!

RedRock

I notified my credit card companies and they thanked me for doing so. I was told they make a notation on your account as to where and how long you will be in a certain area. It is also better to have an ATM card for use rather than the debit card. They provide a little more security.

matnikstym

Capitol One seems to be the only one who follows up on this. I told them I would be in South Africa, Zambia and the U.K. When I got home there was a message asking if I was in London?! I guess since I didn't answer the phone they knew I was gone and didn't freeze the card.

cmeyer54

Yes - we do as a matter of course. Its especially critical when overseas as they will deny charges haphazardly and its a bit embarrassing.

JBHapgood

Yes, I always notify the fraud department of my credit card companies directly, whenever I'm spending more than one day outside the county were I live. I learned to do that the hard way, when a hotel refused my credit card when I checked out (fortunately I had another credit card I hadn't used on the trip). When I got home, I found a message on my answering machine about some (authorized) charges I had made on my trip, less than 200 kilometers from home. Because I was traveling, I didn't get the message and couldn't react to it, so they assumed the charges were fraudulent and they froze my card.

When I finally called back, the fraud department told me that their computers automatically flagged any charge that deviated from my "known pattern" and called me to confirm it. If I didn't promptly return the call and confirm the charge, they would automatically freeze my card.

They recommended that if I take any trip away from home where I won't be able to reply quickly to their phone calls, I need to call them with my travel plans to avoid finding my card frozen. Alternatively, I can call my answering machine several times a day to check for messages and then promptly return any calls they might make. So I make a point of calling in a few days before I go anywhere, since it's easier than continually checking my answering machine.

ilovetotravel29

On my first trip, I definately did. And I think I did on my second trip, but not on my 3rd trip.

Do however, ask in advance the fees they charge....my bank on my first trip didn't charge fees, but on my 2nd and 3rd trip charged little fees that showed up later...nothing over a buck, but it was weird to see so many different transactions and fees in cents for things that had cleared a week or so before.

travelenthusiast

We always notify the bank and I now I ask to speak to a manager. A few years ago we called the bank and they still blocked our card in Aruba. It was on a Saturday when we discovered it was blocked and of course their office was not able to be reached. Ever since then I make sure that they know and that they call who they need to. I want to ensure before we go that we will never have a problem again. We also take a second credit card with us just in case.

Abby43

YES! This has saved my life. Since I now have a history with Citibank for calling when I leave the country to take a major trip when a girl used my credit card without my permission (she bought sweaters from a store in Hawaii) they called me immediately. I figured out what had happened and prosecuted her and won! I'm sure if I hadn't had this history of calling then my CC company might not have called and then I would not have figured out that this woman totally committed a crime and been punished.

Definitely call-it'll take 2 minutes and it's better than getting to a foreign country and having your card denied b/c they think it's stolen.

bigtyke

I haven't done that, but I plan to on my next trip. A couple of years ago, the bank called me to question a purchase in Anchorage when there were also purchases in Phoenix that day. Both were legit as we made purchases in the morning in Anchorage and later in the evening in phx.

Last month, the bank called to question the purchase of a bed in California since i live in AZ. again it was legit, but i'm glad they check. I had my card counterfeited about 20 yrs ago and the crooks were able to rack up abou 3000 in charges!

ccrosner

Another twist--

My parents called the cc company before an Alaskan cruise this year because they wanted to pay the bill before they left. They did that and when they arrived in Vancouver (first stop) the credit card was blocked! I think they just used another card but it was unnerving as they worried about reservations they had made for the trip on the card.

TravelTess

Last, month, AMEX froze our card. Our daughter was in Paris and they were already informed that she'd be there. Get this...the gal I called to clear matters up said that they had recent charges at "Louis Vui ton in Paris" (trying to spell that the way she pronounced it) and didn't know if the charges were legitimate. I cleared matters up but was not pleased. I called in advance, there's no excuse.