Informing Credit Card Company of Your Holiday Plans

[Stella11]

Its very easy and always worth doing. I've had a few occasions where I have had my card blocked until I phoned them. Its easily done (if you have a phone with you) but its very inconvenient.

I can notify my bank using the online banking facility, but OH prefers to phone them. We always do it now, its just become routine to us like telling the milkman we are going away.

[Mary A]

Always tell mbna by phone when ds who's an additional card holder isn't travelling with us so they know he'll be in UK . On this trip card was declined in Nashville but got text to ask if transaction was legitimate, answered yes and then all ok after that. That was about 5 days into holiday . Pleased that the security works but we always take a spare card just incase our va amex is blocked!

[johnandmaz]

Last October, We tried to pay £1000 with Ocean Florida with Tesco cc over the phone and it got blocked as a suspicous transaction. When we came to pay the balance of over £10,000, I phoned tesco in advance and they said they can put a marker on but it's no guarantee that the fraud department wouldn't flag it up and block it as suspicious. What's the point of ringing? It went through fine though.

Tried to pay hotel bill in Lyon in June and in Publix a few weeks ago in Orlando. Blocked both times. So annoying. Wished I'd rung them beforehand.

[ChrisS]

Our Capital One always advise no need to inform, I reply for me there is, please place a note on the account! We advise all our ccc's that'll we'll be out of the UK for 6 months, outlining the area where they'll be used... at the end of the day we can only do so much to ensure they're aware. So far, so good, no blocking.

[WendyBelle]

Our bank advise no need to inform, yet our first use of the holiday 2 years ago resulted in a block. Sorted after a phone call but inconvenient nonetheless.

[Gilly120]

Never had any trouble paying with my Barclaycard.

Walmart had offers on mini ipads which I ordered with my debit card online in the villa to have them sent to a store, whilst it was going through the verifying with your bank stage I had a text from my Bank asking had I made the transaction and did I want to proceed, just texted yes back and it went straight through.

[stupet11]

I tell 'em all!
B'cays not interested.
Post Office and Halifax Clarity are interested (did Clarity on line).
I had one problem with Clarity - I told them, but it still got stopped...just a small shop in a supermarket (non chain - maybe why?) - got declined at till... I had to call them and it was ready to go next day, they reimbursed me over and above the phone call charge and made a goodwill payment as I had told them. It was an automatic thing apparently... some algorithm got triggered.
So... turned out to be well worth me telling them... and that was only incident in 6 visits of hammering the plastic!

[Gabsnoot]

Originally Posted by johnandmaz

Last October, We tried to pay £1000 with Ocean Florida with Tesco cc over the phone and it got blocked as a suspicous transaction. When we came to pay the balance of over £10,000, I phoned tesco in advance and they said they can put a marker on but it's no guarantee that the fraud department wouldn't flag it up and block it as suspicious. What's the point of ringing? It went through fine though.

Tried to pay hotel bill in Lyon in June and in Publix a few weeks ago in Orlando. Blocked both times. So annoying. Wished I'd rung them beforehand.

See more...

We are with Tesco for our CC too. I make DH phone them every year before we head off on holiday to let them know we are going, every year they tell him that they don't need to know but I make him ring them anyway. We only have one credit card and I'm freaked out incase there is an emergency and we need it and it's been blocked We been ok so far so I'll be getting to give them the annual phone call in a few weeks time

[novocastrian]

we always do (this is M&S CC)

even with that had mine stopped in reebok last year after using it 3 times in quick succession... flagged up as suspicious on database, but once they checked was all ok again, but 20 mins hassle on the phone

had no issues this year

[Geeman]

Thanks Bank and cc companies now been informed. Thanks so much for everyone's advice