for U.S. residents who frequently travel int'l
Jun 7, 2014, 6:03 pm
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: New York, NY, USA
Posts: 12,482
I hate those security locks too. 
I just had an opposite problem last week. My purchase in NYC was declined and account locked. I called and was asked "aren't you in Netherlands?"; "No, that was last month." Apparently, Citi travel notifications are just memos, they are not automated.
I just had an opposite problem last week. My purchase in NYC was declined and account locked. I called and was asked "aren't you in Netherlands?"; "No, that was last month." Apparently, Citi travel notifications are just memos, they are not automated.
Jun 7, 2014, 7:07 pm
#17
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,194
I hate those security locks too. I just had an opposite problem last week. My purchase in NYC was declined and account locked. I called and was asked "aren't you in Netherlands?"; "No, that was last month." Apparently, Citi travel notifications are just memos, they are not automated.
I just had an opposite problem last week. My purchase in NYC was declined and account locked. I called and was asked "aren't you in Netherlands?"; "No, that was last month." Apparently, Citi travel notifications are just memos, they are not automated.
Jun 7, 2014, 7:36 pm
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Madison, WI, USA
Posts: 14,162
I've traveled overseas multiple times each year for 20 years and I've never called a CC issuer beforehand about my travels. I believe once or twice something was declined, but the occurrence was so rare it hardly mattered, and just responding to the subsequent email or going online fixed the problem. I do carry multiple cards just in case, mostly Chase.
Jun 7, 2014, 9:10 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: USA
Programs: All of em...
Posts: 1,265
Gosh, in several years of traveling & touring I don't think I've ever had a transaction declined overseas by Chase, Citi, or Barclays. Mostly Chase & Barclays, with the most purchases and countries visited being on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Plus/Bold, Chase United Explorer pers & biz, and the Barclays Arrival Plus.
Jun 8, 2014, 1:04 am
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: RDU
Programs: AA LTP, Bonvoy Titanium; AA CK before I retired
Posts: 1,597
Jun 8, 2014, 12:17 pm
#23
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
I've traveled overseas multiple times each year for 20 years and I've never called a CC issuer beforehand about my travels. I believe once or twice something was declined, but the occurrence was so rare it hardly mattered, and just responding to the subsequent email or going online fixed the problem. I do carry multiple cards just in case, mostly Chase.
Bear in mind that the Amex-network cards issued by Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank etc are serviced by the issuers, not by American Express.
Jun 8, 2014, 12:51 pm
#24
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SF
Programs: UA, VX, QF, EY, VA
Posts: 756
If you told us who the issuer was we could give better advice.
Have not had any issues internationally with Amex, Chase or Citi. Chase gives me more grief for US txns, but a quick call with "I'll take this spend to Amex" fixed that.
I never tell them before hand. Most large issuers have decent fraud systems, though they mostly outsource to Falcon.
I carry an Amex Plat, a Chase CSP (Visa) and a Citi AA Exec (MasterCard). That way I have redundant cards across three banks and networks.
Have not had any issues internationally with Amex, Chase or Citi. Chase gives me more grief for US txns, but a quick call with "I'll take this spend to Amex" fixed that.
I never tell them before hand. Most large issuers have decent fraud systems, though they mostly outsource to Falcon.
I carry an Amex Plat, a Chase CSP (Visa) and a Citi AA Exec (MasterCard). That way I have redundant cards across three banks and networks.
Jun 8, 2014, 12:53 pm
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 632
This is exactly my experience. No notifications, although I told Chase that we have a UK residence, and that they would see recurring charges even when we were in the USA. I do not recall ever having a transaction declined due to travel. Nonetheless, I carry one each American Express, MasterCard and VISA from three separate issuers because any issuer or network may experience a technical fault.
Bear in mind that the Amex-network cards issued by Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank etc are serviced by the issuers, not by American Express.
Bear in mind that the Amex-network cards issued by Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank etc are serviced by the issuers, not by American Express.
OP - I'm not a ...... such as yourself, but I've never had a problem with my Chase Sapphire since I got it. I go online to Chase.com, put in my destinations, and it works just fine.
Jun 8, 2014, 1:29 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,141
Jun 8, 2014, 4:03 pm
#27
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,944
Re travel notifications: as noted, sometimes these work (or things would have worked anyway!) and sometimes they don't. My daughter notified Cap One of her travel to the UK, they blocked the first purchase as suspicious, and then tried to contact her on her US mobile. Not impressed!
Jun 8, 2014, 4:23 pm
#28
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Canada
Programs: BA Gold (OWE), Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,194
I wonder if you haven't had any problems with your chase card is because its probably EMV (and I'm assuming some of your other cards aren't). In the 11 years I've been doing EMV transactions, I've never ever had an EMV transaction declined (As the issuer knows the card is genuine).
Jun 8, 2014, 4:32 pm
#29
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3,537
I wonder if you haven't had any problems with your chase card is because its probably EMV (and I'm assuming some of your other cards aren't). In the 11 years I've been doing EMV transactions, I've never ever had an EMV transaction declined (As the issuer knows the card is genuine).
Jun 8, 2014, 4:48 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,928
I had Citi block a purchase in the USVI on an AAdvantage Executive Card. They allowed me to buy lunch but not groceries even though I had notified them of the trip and received an email acknowledgement. I also had Chase block a local purchase of $500 worth of beer immediately after $400 of groceries, but I hadn't told them I was catering for 200 people!