Call your credit card company before you holiday!

MSE_Martin

On the front page of this week's Sunday Times money section there's a small note saying "Barclaycard has launched a service for holidaymakers... to reduce the chances of cards being declined when abroad. Customers... are urged to tell Barclaycard about travel plans in advance by phoning 0870 010 0578".

This interested me for a number of reasons:

i. Barclaycard isn't good abroad. Don't spend on a barclaycarad when abroad, its very expensive, it adds to the exchange rate and has other fees. There are much better debit and credit cards to use (read Cheapest Way To Spend Overseas article).

ii. It's using a 0870 number - yuch! It's a revenue-making 0870 number (see Say No To 0870 article) which means you're paying to notify it!

This service isn't special, it's just general good practice!

Yet most importantly, this is standard practice for everyone. If you're going abroad, always notify your credit or debit card company (whichever card you're likely to spend on) and it'll put a note on your file which should reduce the risk of the card being blocked.

That's because most card companies have automatic 'fraud prevention systems'; if they notice unusual spending on your card - such as spending overseas if you don't usually - then the fraud team is notified, and often then can block the card to prevent it.

However if you've called up to say "I'm off to Spain" and the spending is in Spain, then this should be seen and there shouldn't be a problem.

This service is nothing new, it's just making a fuss about good practice that most card companies do! I've been calling up for years.

Bossyboots

Its not just abroad that this applies to. We went to Scotland last year which meant my card would have had an unusual spending pattern. I notified the card company in advance of my travel dates. They confirmed to me that had I not done so, and because our location meant there was no mobile 'phone coverage for them to ring to check security, the card would have been stopped the first time we used it on an unusual purchase.

KTF

My old credit card issuer used to like to put a block on my card then send me a letter telling me that they had done so (rather than calling me up) which isnt the best practice when you are thousands of miles away from your home address.

willij5

About 10 years ago I was in the states spending away on my credit card at the Virgin Megastore in Downtown Disney (Florida).

Suddenly my card was declined and thus began a lengthy phone call back to the UK to sort things 'out'. What made this worse was that it was midnight local time / 5am back home.

Ever since I've always made my credit card company aware...lesson learned!

user1234_2

To avoid the 0870 charge you can notify them using secure email once you've logged into your Barclaycard online account. They were more than happy to record my holiday details the last time I secure emailed them.