Banking problem on holiday that could have left me stranded

gt94sss2

friolento said:

gt94sss2 said:

2. Receiving UK text messages overseas to UK mobiles (including in Japan) is free. No need for a VPN as suggested by others and in fact that can cause problems.#

A VPN has not been suggested for receiving text messages but for accessing online / app banking in the event access from abroad is barred.

Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

eskbanker

gt94sss2 said:
Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

Which ones do that?

eDicky

gt94sss2 said:

friolento said:

gt94sss2 said:

2. Receiving UK text messages overseas to UK mobiles (including in Japan) is free. No need for a VPN as suggested by others and in fact that can cause problems.#

A VPN has not been suggested for receiving text messages but for accessing online / app banking in the event access from abroad is barred.

Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

eskbanker said:

gt94sss2 said:
Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

Which ones do that?

It's happened to me, back in the days when I still carried a computer around, but I can't remember which bank.

Conversely I've never experienced being denied online access to any bank account because of being outside its home country, and can't imagine such an event as likely.

eDicky

gt94sss2 said:

1. Always take more than one debit/credit card with you. It is not uncommon for banks to block cards if they are used overseas even if you have hold them you are going in advance.

Not only the chance of the bank blocking a card, which may be less common these days, but the occasional communication glitch, unexplainable failure and other events such as card swallowed by ATM, loss or theft etc. I would always travel with a half dozen or so suitable cards.

friolento

eskbanker said:

gt94sss2 said:
Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

Which ones do that?

I know that Coventry BS do/did, for their app. But their online banking is/was working over VPN. This leads me to think that it’s a bug in their app (which they may have fixed by now). 

flaneurs_lobster

friolento said:

eskbanker said:

gt94sss2 said:
Conversely, there are also financial institutions who will block your access if they believe you are using a VPN.

Which ones do that?

I know that Coventry BS do/did, for their app. But their online banking is/was working over VPN. This leads me to think that it’s a bug in their app (which they may have fixed by now). 

Accessed CovBS via app using Vpn this AM, not because of any access concerns, just forgot to turn it off after iPlayer-ing from abroad. 

Nasqueron

Brie said:

My biggest problem when travelling is if I have to do any banking they want to send a code to my mobile.  And because I'm travelling I get a sim which I never know the number for in advance so can't set that up on my account.

So try to move money, OTP goes to my UK phone which I can't access in wherever I am.  So online banking is impossible.  I've asked my bank how I can get around this and have been told flatly that I can't.

Net result is that I have everything set up in advance.  So if I know I will want money transferred from my bank account to my travel credit card I do it before I leave and guess at the timing for it to be on my card.  Likewise - set up any payments to any other accounts or for bills in advance.  

And in addition to my travel CC (no fees and good rates) I take my everyday bank account debit card and at least one other credit card.  There's fees on both of those but I've rarely needed to use them.  Ultimate back up (like you) is to have someone in the UK who can do things on my behalf.  

While you may have managed to avoid any problems, do note that pre-loading credit cards with money to put them in credit is against the terms of pretty much every card on the market and they can simply shunt the money back to the sender at best, at worst, warn you and ultimately close the card for mis-use of facility 

Gerry1

Although cards are widely accepted in hotels, shops, restaurants and the railways, many ATMs only accept Japanese cards.  However, ATMs at the main Post Office opposite Tokyo station were OK, ditto Citi ATMs (e.g. at Narita).

gt94sss2

Gerry1 said:

Although cards are widely accepted in hotels, shops, restaurants and the railways, many ATMs only accept Japanese cards.  However, ATMs at the main Post Office opposite Tokyo station were OK, ditto Citi ATMs (e.g. at Narita).

I've always found the ATMs at 7-eleven stores very useful if you have a foreign bank card

penners324

Instead of getting cash out everywhere, use your card normally. Tap & pay etc.

Also get a travel friendly credit card.

The issue I suspect was trying to use the nin UK sum card whilst on the banking app.