IB Avios Credit Card Fraud Rejection
 

I am trying to buy a VY award ticket for myself using IB Avios but it keeps rejecting my CC (saying that there was suspicious activity on my card) and cannot be processed at this time. I've tried it two days in a row but it's still being rejected. I've checked with 2 different CCs and they told me that my CC works fine and I used it in between those few transactions.

I called IB+ service center and they told me they can't do anything about it, but if I need to use their service, a 25€ fee will apply and they won't waive it.

Does anybody have any experience in this? Cheers and Happy New Year! :)

Not that I can help, but I would share my own experience.

I got in on the 90,000 Avios promo. Following the T&C, I was trying to use up the miles for real flights. I tried for days to book IB and VY flights on IB's website. Every single try, my credit cards were rejected. I tried more than 20 cards, from Visa to Mastercard to AMEX, and none worked. I tried debit card. I even tried my parents' cards which were issued from another country outside of the US. I called, and of course no meaningful help was given.

For one flight, I gave up and just bought the VY tickets with my credit card without Avios on VY's website. Magically my card worked flawlessly in my first try.
For another flight, I simply bought tickets with Air Europa.
About the Avios? I just transferred all of them to BA. My IB account does have a negative balance, but I don't really care at this point since I can never buy tickets or redeem Avios from my IB account with a credit card anyway.

Interesting. I was on the Avios promo too. CC doesn't even show an attempt from Iberia. I don't have a negative balance on IB Abios (used according to terms, didn't book last minute and didn't transfer to BA). Tried a few CC and none gone through. I called IB+ service center and was told different reasons (from I should use US website, to use country of origin flight website, to wait for 24 hours because it'll reset etc.). Thank you for letting me know I am not alone :)

You are lucky to have been able to use your IB promo Avios. I tried for days to use them a few weeks before the expiration, but I had to pay a small fee and tax with a credit card to book the flights. That's when I could not get through and just gave up.