Card Blocking

dlorde

For the second time this month, my Nationwide CC has been blocked. Both times for purchases involving amounts over £200, but prior to the second purchase, I rang them to let them know to expect a payment, specifying the retailer and the amount involved - the idea being that they need not block it if they had advance notice.

Naturally, they blocked it anyway, and I had to ring them to get it unblocked - passing through three departments and answering multiple security questions for each.

When I asked if calling and notifying them in advance of a specific purchase would prevent my card being blocked for that purchase, they were extremely reluctant to give a definite answer - but I persisted and eventually they admitted that, no, they couldn't set up any prior notifications on the system.

I understand and appreciate the need for this kind of security, but given the hassles and waste of time for retailer, customer, and card security team when a card is blocked, I don't understand why, if I can call them afterwards and get the card unblocked, I can't call them in advance to prevent it being blocked in the first place... it sounds like an obvious time and money saving facility.

Does anyone know of a card that will accept and act on prior notifications of specific purchases to prevent blocking?

dingends

had similar issues with HSBC credit card and stopped using it. however, my Amex always goes through, even if I dont enter personal details when prompted online.

Ben8282

It's possible to call AMEX to pre-approve unusually large charge card transactions, but I have a feeling that your problem stems from the retailer/nature of the transactions.

cheesetoast

If you don't mind, who are you spending the £200 with?

chattychappy

I use cards overseas alot, so am familiar with this problem.

However sophisticated individual CCs might be, they are part of international networks spread over many jurisdictions. The system ends up being the lowest common denominator when it comes to the kind of intelligence you wish for.

I have found that telling a CC in advance about a particular transaction or travel plan makes absolutely no difference in preventing a block. The most I can say is that if I have told a CC in advance about my activities, then though a transaction might be declined (and indeed a card blocked), it will often unblock subsequently without further intervention from me.

There seems to be little logic either. I recently had £6000 of BetFred transactions go through on my Ltd company debit card. No block. The card had never been used for gambling before and in its entire history had only been used for a small transactions at a handful of retailers. The bloke at Lloyds said it was against the T+Cs to use if for gambling anyway. By coincidence, the following week, my personal Nationwide debit card got blocked on a single gambling transaction of £500 (which to be fair was the first time I've placed a bet in my life).

Halifax Clarity has proved pretty good - never had a block overseas, even when pulling out large amounts of cash on consecutive days. Then it got blocked in the UK.

Anyway, cutting the waffle, I've found that all cards I have have gone through a period of getting blocked, and then have been fine. Only way around this is to carry a couple of cards or more if you are abroad. On the subject of Amex - mine often blocked on using it on the Eurostar website. But that was many years ago, I don't carry Amex anymore.

dlorde

cheesetoast wrote: »

If you don't mind, who are you spending the £200 with?

The first transaction was with Dell, the second with HTC. They were both considerably over £200.

MEM62

I would imagine that the blocking is not human intervention and unblocking is.

Systems would need to be more complex to be able to record advance information relating to retailers and amounts to pre-approve.

The inconvenience is just the price we all pay for a level of security.

dlorde

OK, thanks all - looks like it's something we just have to live with for the time being.