18.3ppm is still going to add up if she get's bounced around, put on hold or whatever. I don't pay the bearded one 30.6ppm, because I subscribe to his Talk International option - 3.06ppm Daughter's coming home for Christmas so she can call from here next week if necessary. Gives the card transaction(s?) time to hit as well.

It dawned on me that the most elegant solution to the problem (which, from contributions above, clearly happens from time to time) is for the store put a hold on your card for the amount (much like hotels and car rentals do) and only process the transaction after you've flown away clutching your stuff. It would also stop them getting on the CC companies radar for too many chargebacks. Who knows? Maybe they do. We'll see.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Happy holidays:-: