Originally Posted by
Happy
Seriously, most people in Manila or Philippines for that matter, speak English, not Tagalog... Dont you all notice these days the call centers have moved from Bangalore to Manila now? With the historical American influence, the Filipinos are very fluent in English and their accent is easier to understand than the Indians.
I have the 123 card that is from the old Schwab conversion. It is not a CHIP card. And I never see it advertised in BofA branch that this is a CHIP card. When you walk into a BofA branch, the 123 card ads are prominently displayed everywhere. You cannot miss it. Not a single word mentioned it about being a CHIP card good for international travel. The 123 card is geared to the 1%, 2% and 3% earnings (with a very low cap that the BofA ad never mentions.)
BofA has a Travel Award Card which someone has posted it just 2 pages upthread - that one is a CHIP card. I believe the rep is mistaken.
A chipped B of A 1-2-3 card is available upon request. However, other than the grandfathered holders of the late Schwab card who were dumped into the 1-2-3 card and were granted amnesty from the hideous foreign transaction fee of 3%, all other 1-2-3 cards I believe that have no annual fees have that immoral 3% foreign transaction fee. But as I said, upon request, they will issue a chipped version.
However, B of A has a new card, the travel rewards card with no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and is always available as a chipped card.
As it stands today, the late Schwab card doing business as a 1-2-3 card, does not charge a foreign transaction fee but that is subject to change, not that I am saying it is going to happen soon, at any time.