mia

Chase uses VISA or MasterCard's transaction network, while American Express uses its own. To determine if the problem is at Chase, rather than VISA, you would need to try a VISA card from another issuer.

On the web purchase I assume you were required to enter your card account billing address. Some online merchants will reject foreign cards as a matter of policy, and there is variation in how precisely the address must match. For example, if the software is configured for a Post Code in the UK format it may not recognize a five digit numerical Zip Code, even if the merchant believe it is setup to accept foreign cards.


There is a 1% Foreign Transaction Fee.

LHR Wannabee

I did not know this. This could be the reason that I am having the problem- different networks with Amex appearing to be more capable of being used for foreign transactions and using a different matrix for fraud detection.
Like the earlier post from the person who wanted to use their card for an upgrade from CDG, but was denied, I always found it odd that an airline branded card could not anticipate charges from the destination of a ticket purchased with the card (it appears that my Amex does).


For the problem transactions online, it was the same billing address and zip code for both cards, but the Amex worked. (What frustrated me was that Chase supervisors could not authorize the transaction and claimed it was a merchant problem.)

M60_to_LGA

I disagree with this. In my experience (I have Chase, Cap One, BoA, and Citi cards that I use regularly) Citi is the card most likely to declare odd fraud alerts and decline transactions.

An example: For almost four years until last year, I lived in Silver Spring, MD. Virtually every week during this time, I purchased a weekly Metro pass from the vending machines at the Silver Spring station (no monthly passes, grr...) For no apparent reason, my transactions suddenly stopped going through on the Citi card, while other cards worked fine. I called, and Citi said it was because they suspected fraud. This happened repeatedly, despite the fact that I called multiple times to complain, and I noted that I had been making this same transaction every week for years, at a location that was about a five-minute walk from my home. Sigh...

As to the broader issue of cards not working abroad, I used to have this problem with my US-issued MasterCard cards all the time in continental Europe, particularly in Spain and France. I would try the transaction, but it wouldn't go through - but Visa would work fine. When I got home and complained to the bank, they said there was no record of an attempted transaction in their system. It could just be a glitch or breakdown in the communications network.

misterfuss

We just got back from a Scandinavian cruise that had a 2 day stop in St. Petersburg, Russia. We paid for our tour there in Rubles using our Chase Presidential Plus mastercard and it went through without a problem. I half expected it to be declined and expected a phone call on our answering machine when we returned. We didn't get any message of suspicious activity. Also, I forgot to make a call pre-trip to notify them of our travels either.

Happy

Many times it is as simple as that.

I have this issue happens quite a lot in Spain and France where some cashiers just are not familiar with the mag cards. (another topic altogether). When they swipe the card too fast, or too slow, the transaction would not go thru, and then after another try, they become frustrated, and either keep swiping it even quicker or even slower... of course it would not go thru.

After enough such experiences I decided to take the matter to my own hand and just motioned to the cashier that I would swipe it myself - then every single time the transaction went right thru! My guess is, when swipe too fast, the machine did not read all the necessary info on the mag strip. When swipe too slow, the reading process got time-out.

Another note about no authorization / attempt of charge on the record is, if the "communication" never is connected, there would not be any record. One time I tried to purchase tickets on Agean's site which insisted me to "verify" my address on record - and I dont have ever an address on record with Agean! After a few very frustrating tries I decided to call FIA (the old Schwab card) and with a supervisor on the phone and I tried to make the purchase again - did not go thru - supervisor said there was not a single attempt from the merchant to make an authorization. I could only conclude that, there wasn't even a connection in the communication between the merchant's website billing system and my bank.

AggieTraveler

I've used my Chase CSP, BA and Freedom cards overseas. I always let them know beforehand which countries I'm traveling to (I include layovers as well) and I've never had a charge declined.

ULMFlyer

I never call to inform Chase I'll be abroad and I've never had any issues - not even in Brazil - with my Chase CO OnePass/UA MP Mastercard.

PHLyer82

I also never call to let them know where I will be and the plane tickets purchased on a different card. I have never had an issue using the card internationally in Africa, Europe, Asia or South America.

isle-hawg

I recently was in London for several day and used exclusively my Chase Sapphire Preferred for everything except plane tix. No problems at all.

abaheti

Just got an email from Chase saying that I no longer need to register my international travel with them. Not sure how sensitive their systems will be moving forward. I don't mind registering my trips, and would hate to get cut off when abroad. Anyone else get this? Other companies following suit?

mia

I have never notified Chase (or American Express, or Bank of America , or Citi, or Diners) of travel plans and charges have never been declined.

TAHKUCT

Same here.

abaheti

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9930; en-US) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.580 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

Years ago I had a Visa not work when hitting multiple countries during a single trip, and once my mother's AMEX worked but they called to make sure it was really her. For whatever reason, the patterns generated a flag. Since then, no problems, but I notify when going abroad aside from Mexico and Canada. I guess the monitoring is sophisticated enough now that I need not bother.

JEFFJAGUAR

And what are you going to do if they don't? Complain to visa on the spot and force them? Have a confrontation with the manager?

Actually, I have only once had a problem in the UK with my non chip card (which I no longer use in Great Britain) on this issue where a merchant (it was a T Mobile UK store) told me up front no chip no good....but I would agree the times they are a changing.

abaheti

Once in the UK I just inquired about how they handled disabled customers and magically he figured it out. But I'm with you, if they don't want to take it you'll never win. Same thing with them checking IDs in the USA, which I don't believe is allowed by the card companies but happens at almost every airport magazine shop I'm in. I wish the USA would just join the chip+pin standard and be done.