Halifax Clarity Card Rejected in Spain

Silvershark1234

I took Moneysavingexpert's advice and took out Halifax Clarity card for my holiday this year in Spain but I've been disappointed that it has been rejected on about 1 in 5 occasions so far. All for three figure amounts. The outlets concerned have just said "it's been rejected" - no reason given. Is this a common problem in Spain for a Clarity card?

chanz4

3 figure amount, did you tell them you were going abroad?

reclusive46

I've experienced this with the Clarity in Spain as well, I even made a thread about it a while ago. The card will work fine in some places and then just randomly decline at other merchants (Consistently). Upon calling Halifax they can't see any declined transactions and they blame the merchant but other cards work just fine.

guesswho2000

reclusive46 wrote: »

I've experienced this with the Clarity in Spain as well, I even made a thread about it a while ago. The card will work fine in some places and then just randomly decline at other merchants (Consistently). Upon calling Halifax they can't see any declined transactions and they blame the merchant but other cards work just fine.

I didn't have this issue in Spain (well, Mallorca) recently, but did in China & Hong Kong last October - random declines for no reason for both purchases and ATM withdrawals, despite them knowing my wherabouts and the card subsequently working at another location in the same country. Other cards substituted fine, so it didn't seem to be a merchant issue, and Halifax couldn't offer an explanation!

Mikhail

If you call Halifax and inform them about your holiday abroad it might help, as it might be fraud preventive measures.

Also, in regard to Spain, make sure that they charge you in Euros and DO NOT convert transactions into Pounds because Spanish banks add commission for that.

reclusive46

Mikhail wrote: »

If you call Halifax and inform them about your holiday abroad it might help, as it might be fraud preventive measures.

In my situation I did but Halifax didn't even seem to be acknowledging the transaction ever happened.

guesswho2000

reclusive46 wrote: »

In my situation I did but Halifax didn't even seem to be acknowledging the transaction ever happened.

Same here, I rang them from Heathrow before I boarded the flight in fact! I'd been in South America the week before, so just put it down to random anti-fraud measures but, since it subsequently worked again, without my intervention, I wasn't so sure!

zagfles

Happaned to me too, in NZ. Two random declines but worked fine an hour or two later somewhere else. And yes I did tell them I was going there.

On the first one I got an automated anti fraud call but then got stuck in a long queue waiting for an agent paying a fortune to receive the call so just hung up - the card continued to work fine.

The other 30 or so transactions went through no problem, and the failed ones worked OK with another card.

PeacefulWaters

I had a Barclaycard declined in Sweden. It happens.

Always take a backup card. And a back up to your backup card. Ideally at least one Visa and one MasterCard. Spread across different banking groups.

And have your travelling companions do the same.

reclusive46

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

I had a Barclaycard declined in Sweden. It happens.

Always take a backup card. And a back up to your backup card. Ideally at least one Visa and one MasterCard. Spread across different banking groups.

And have your travelling companions do the same.

Yeah this, I feel like I shouldn't have to many problems, I carry a UK Visa, MC and Amex and also carry a US Discover card (which also runs on the Diners Club network, China UnionPay Network and JCB network). A Diners Club or Discover card is sort of imperative if your travelling to China or Japan though (Although Amex is accepted most places JCB are in Japan through a partnership).

To be fair though, in all my years of travelling only my Clarity has ever declined or failed on me and I'm out of the UK most of the year (Usually in the US).

giblet10

I carry my favourite card of the moment - my MBNA American Airlines Amex, back up Visa of the same stable. I also have my Halifax Clarity Card Mastercard, Lloyds Amex Avios, Post Office Mastercard and Diners Club. I think I'm reasonably well covered. And well stuffed if I lose my wallet.