Using credit card abroad

ThorOdinson

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

Their website says you don't need to tell them that you are going abroad, but clearly you do because you often find it gets blocked.

That doesn't follow - anti-fraud algorithms used to be much more rudimentary and so notifying foreign trips would be advised, but nowadays they're more sophisticated and such notifications wouldn't influence them.  That's not to say that they're perfect of course, but just that telling them where you're going wouldn't make any difference....

Is there anything that can be done to stop them declining payments, especially online? It's very frustrating not being able to book train tickets or SIM cards.

I'm not aware of anything, no, so best bet is to have multiple cards with you in order to offer some contingency.  Where are you travelling to, or where have you experienced repeated declines previously?

Tried that, once one declines they seem to all do it.

There is no connection between credit card companies that would allow any sort of collusion, i.e. transaction authorisation is an entirely autonomous and independent process, so that would imply a 'you' problem rather than a 'them' one, or at least an issue caused by your choice of merchants rather than your choice of credit cards.

Wouldn't it be MasterCard, the same company for all of them?

ThorOdinson

strawb_shortcake said:

Is this something in your settings? I've used my Clarity card across Europe and The Caribbean and had no issues, this includes online purchases for excursions too. I get no SMS or in app approval requirements.
The only time I have trouble is when I forget that I've limited the contactless limit.

I had a look just now, and nothing is limited or frozen.

400ixl

Use my Halifax Clarity card abroad all the time. Very rarely have any issues. About the only one was trying to do a Walmart online purchase in the US last year. But quickly sorted and the only issue in dozens of trips.

If it does need to do an authorisation (only some online purchases) then it works through the app as it does in the UK. There is no reliance on SMS. Have you selected SMS in some way rather than in app? Its far less secure and more problematic if you swap sims abroad.

They do not require you to inform them you are going abroad either.

eskbanker

ThorOdinson said:

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

eskbanker said:

ThorOdinson said:

Their website says you don't need to tell them that you are going abroad, but clearly you do because you often find it gets blocked.

That doesn't follow - anti-fraud algorithms used to be much more rudimentary and so notifying foreign trips would be advised, but nowadays they're more sophisticated and such notifications wouldn't influence them.  That's not to say that they're perfect of course, but just that telling them where you're going wouldn't make any difference....

Is there anything that can be done to stop them declining payments, especially online? It's very frustrating not being able to book train tickets or SIM cards.

I'm not aware of anything, no, so best bet is to have multiple cards with you in order to offer some contingency.  Where are you travelling to, or where have you experienced repeated declines previously?

Tried that, once one declines they seem to all do it.

There is no connection between credit card companies that would allow any sort of collusion, i.e. transaction authorisation is an entirely autonomous and independent process, so that would imply a 'you' problem rather than a 'them' one, or at least an issue caused by your choice of merchants rather than your choice of credit cards.

Wouldn't it be MasterCard, the same company for all of them?

MasterCard may be the overall scheme owner for all of them but isn't involved in real-time transaction authorisation for any of them.

eDicky

Halifax used to require that they be informed about foreign travel and card use, but this has not been the case for maybe ten years already. Sophisticated methods have replaced that requirement and it's very unlikely your problem comes from its absence.

Often when using my Clarity card online it requires verification using the Halifax app, in common with other banks' card use. Are you not using banking apps on your phone?

ThorOdinson

I have the Halifax app but it never requires me to use it for authorization, it always sends me a code by SMS.

I looked in the app settings but there is nothing in there about it.

I'm not sure it would help anyway. The train booking website just says that the transaction failed. When I've had a similar issue with booking airline tickets, I had to call Halifax and use their phone robot, and then put it through again. That would be fine if it worked for train tickets as well.

Maybe the app has been updated to do the authentication since I last tried a couple of years ago.

jimjames

ThorOdinson said:

I have the Halifax app but it never requires me to use it for authorization, it always sends me a code by SMS.

This is the problem with Halifax, SMS is used for much of their authorisation and authentication. Had a problem in the USA where card payment was declined and then received a text that unless I replied by SMS my card would be blocked. Unfortunately I had no roaming setup and was only using Wifi and a eSIM data plan. In the end there was no way to confirm the payment without taking out roaming with my provider as there is no facility within the app or to use Wifi to reply to messages. 
Other payments all went through ok, this was a website used to pay for a meal via QR code so maybe looked more suspicious than an in person transaction.

ThorOdinson

Considering that the selling point of this card is no foreign transaction fees, Halifax certainly are quite frustrating.