Tell your credit card provider before travelling overseas
Posted July 15th, 2009 If you’re planning a holiday this summer here’s some incredibly handy advices, make sure you call your credit card provider before you go overseas. Make sure to tell them where you’re going and how long you’re going for and a number they can contact you on. What can happen is that banks assume that any overseas transaction is a fraud and block your card, without bothering to call you.. This generally happens at the most inopportune moment. Being trapped in another country and needing to get in contact with your bank so you can buy food or pay for a hotel, is something no one needs. Trust me.
In an interview with the Guardian, Rupert Lee-Browne, chief executive at Caxton FX said
Many issuers use anti-fraud software programmed to flag up small transactions. This is because many fraudsters try out a card by making a small purchase before going in for the kill.
In addition, a spokesman from APACS, the UK payments association said
“Banks have intelligent fraud detection software so that if any purchase is out of the norm it will get flagged up. We have seen an increase in fraud abroad, so it is entirely possible banks are programming their systems to be especially sensitive to transactions overseas.
“One of the key pieces of advice is that you should ensure your card issuer has a 24-hour number for you and that you have the 24-hour contact number for your issuer so that if you do get a situation where your card is blocked, you can call them to resolve the issue.”
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Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers
| Credit Card | Card Details | Interest Rate | Cash Advance Rate | Balance Transfer Rate | Annual fee | Interest free days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Halifax All in One Credit Card |
The Halifax All in One credit card offers a great introductory rate, and is perfect for saving you money now as well as in the future. | 15.9% APR | 27.95% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 9 months | No Annual Fee | 59 Days interest free |
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 Virgin Credit Card |
As well as a great rate, the Virgin Credit Card comes with:
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16.6% APR (variable) | 27.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 16 Months (2.98% fee on balance transfers) | No Annual Fee | 50 days on card purchases |
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 Capital One Classic Visa |
This card is designed for people with bad credit ratings, this is why the rate is quite high. |
Typical 34.9% APR variable | 34.9% APR | 34.9% APR | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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As well as earning Flying Club miles which you can spend on brilliant rewards like flights, upgrades, car hire and more, a Virgin Atlantic Credit Card gives you up to 46 days interest free on card purchases. |
17.9% APR typical rate | 20.9% p.a. (variable) | 0% for 6 months (2% handling fee) | No Annual Fee | Up to 46 days on card purchases only. |
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The Virgin Prepaid MasterCard from Virgin Money is a prepaid Mastercard that you can add funds to, and use these funds for normal purchases. |
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
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5% cashback on purchases in your first three months (up to £4,000 of spend). Thereafter, earn 0.5% on the first £3,500, 1% on £3,501 to £10,000, and 1.5% after £10,001. |
18.9% p.a. | 27.9% p.a. | 18.9% p.a | No Annual Fee | 56 days for purchases. 0 days for balance transfers and cash. |
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Vanquis Visa Card is designed for people with no credit history or who have previously had bad debt. Representative 39.9% APR (variable) |
Representative 39.9% APR (variable) | 39.9% | N/A | No Annual Fee | Up to 56 days on card purchases only |
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The award winning prepaid card with no credit check or bank account needed. | Funds in your Account will not earn interest | Prepaid only - N/A | Prepaid only - N/A | £59.40 p.a. (£4.95/month) | Prepaid only - N/A |
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