Four Cards Tested:
1) Capital One No Hassles Cash Signature Visa
2) Capital One No Hassles Cash Business Platinum Visa
3) Charles Schwab 2% Cash Back Signature Visa
4) Citibank Chairman American Express


Four separate and identical purchases made for $20.52 on afternoon of 4/22/09 (Australian East Coast Time) at Woolworth’s in Potts Point (Sydney). All purchases made within a two minute period.


OANDA Daily Exchange Rates for AUD $20.52 on different dates:
April 21, 2009: US$ 14.60
April 22, 2009: US$ 14.41
April 23, 2009: US$ 14.50
April 24, 2009: US$ 14.54

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RESULTS:

Capital One No Hassles Cash Signature Visa
Temp Auth on 4/22/09 (US 4/21/09) immediately posted online: $14.60
Transaction Date: 4/23/09
Posting Date: 04/24
Actual Charge Listed on Statement: $14.64


Capital One No Hassles Cash Business Platinum Visa
Temp Auth on 4/22/09 (US 4/21/09) immediately posted online: $14.60
Transaction Date: 4/23/09
Posting Date: 04/24
Actual Charge Listed on Statement: $14.64


Charles Schwab 2% Cash Back Cash Back Signature Visa
Temp Auth on 4/22/09 (US 4/21/09) immediately posted online: $14.60
Transaction Date: 4/23/09
Posting Date: 04/24
Actual Charge Listed on Statement: $14.64


Citibank Chairman American Express
Temp Auth: None
Transaction Date: 4/22/09
Posting Date: 04/23
Actual Charge Listed on Statement: $14.44

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Notes:

I didn't expect there to be a difference between the Cap One cards but wanted to check.

Perhaps the reason that the "Temp Auth" amount is different than the actual charge posted to my statements for the first three cards (Cap One, Cap One & Schwab) is because the banks use a different date to calculate the charge that posts on the statement than that from when the charge authorizes.

Also note that the $14.64 actual charge posted to the statement on the first three cards (Cap One, Cap One & Schwab) is almost exactly 1% more than the OANDA exchange rate from the "Transaction Date" date calculation ($14.50) for those charges. Not sure if this is relevant as I haven't seen a 1% charge in the Schwab ever before.

It took me almost 20 minutes on the phone with the rep from Cap One to get a travel auth posted to my two Cap One cards. I did not call for travel auth (I never do) with Charles Schwab nor Citibank Chairman Amex. All charges processed without any problems (and no "fraud" telephone calls (yet)).

I am very surprised that the Chairman Amex was the lowest (I was expecting it to be the highest) but perhaps this is a result of the lower exchange rate from the earlier "Transaction Date" of the charge on this card.

I will try and repeat with larger purchases on the Schwab and Chairman Amex cards to see if the pattern persists. I don't care to go through the travel auth procedure again with Cap One. Although the rep from the foreign call center was kind, being on hold and then being forced to listen to disclosure statements, etc., for each card was a waste of time.

Any other suggestions for a repeat analysis?