Using US contactless credit cars outside US

[NoWhiners]

Hi all

 

We are taking a TA/BI cruise this spring on the Royal. Then we will spend a week in London, planning to use the tube for almost all of our travel around the city.

 

We have Costco Visa Anywhere cards, which are contactless (at least that's the rumor, and the cards show the little wifi-like symbol). Has anyone actually used these cards overseas as contactless, especially for the tube in London? If they work, we can use them instead of getting Oyster cards.

 

Also, Citibank just announced that as of 1/26/18, there are no more foreign transaction fees on the Costco branded Visa cards

(http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/costco-anywhere-visa-card-update.php)

 

So, good news if you have this card.

 

Thanks for sharing any experience,

ML

[Valiamo]

You will be OK in Europe. The US is one of the last countries to get up to speed with contactless debit/credit cards.

 

 

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[NoWhiners]

You will be OK in Europe. The US is one of the last countries to get up to speed with contactless debit/credit cards.

 

 

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Good to know, thanks. Yes, we have been very slooow in adopting this technology. I notice you are from Canada, so maybe this next question isn't fair, but I have read that you might have to make 1 contactless transaction prior to trying to use it this way--do you have any experience with this?

 

I am going to call tomorrow to ask but I have doubts as to whether they can answer me!

 

Thx

ML

[Valiamo]

Yes, from Canada and I also work for a Bank. You need to do one PIN transaction in order for the card to work properly, contactless is automatic after that. The very first time your Pin needs to be entered twice to make it work.

 

Also, For every $100(or so) in purchases (cumulative), you will also need to enter your PIN, it is a safety feature of contactless if the card is stolen.

 

 

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[geoherb]

We have the contactless Visa cards from Costco. They did not work for the Tube. We were able to buy Oyster cards with them by inserting the chip and used those for our tube rides and bus rides. (From our hotel in Kensington, the bus was more convenient most of the time.) The contactless feature worked for some other purchases we made during our stay in London.

[diane.in.ny]

 

Also, Citibank just announced that as of 1/26/18, there are no more foreign transaction fees on the Costco branded Visa cards

(www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/costco-anywhere-visa-card-update.php)

 

 

Wow, I didn't know this! Just got one of these cards and was planning on leaving it home. Not now. :D

[Thrak]

I just wish the US would catch up with the rest of the world and give me a credit card with a PIN. I realize that we finally got cards with chips but they are "chip and sign" cards that won't work for any of the automated services in other countries. It's insane that we are so dang backward in this area. Why can't I get a chip and pin card without having to get some "special" card?

[john watson]

Hi all

 

We are taking a TA/BI cruise this spring on the Royal. Then we will spend a week in London, planning to use the tube for almost all of our travel around the city.

 

We have Costco Visa Anywhere cards, which are contactless (at least that's the rumor, and the cards show the little wifi-like symbol). Has anyone actually used these cards overseas as contactless, especially for the tube in London? If they work, we can use them instead of getting Oyster cards.

 

 

Thanks for sharing any experience,

ML

 

You may use contactless credit cards on the Underground in London and also the buses (which do not accept cash!) and as you correctly know the Oyster Card is the alternative. The thing is if you travel as a couple you will need two different cards of either type in general. A bonus with using the Oyster Card system is that they are daily price capped as soon as you reach the price level all extra journeys taken that day cost nothing extra. A credit card continues to charge for all journeys irrespective of how much of a bill has been run up.

 

The maximum daily charge on an Oyster Card on the Underground and buses totals are:

 

Zone 1 thru 2 £6.80

 

Zone 1 thru 3 £8.00

 

Zone 1 thru 4 £9.00

 

If you do not travel much per day a contactless credit card will be involve less messing about. Touching in on buses is flat rate per joiurney, currently £1.50 for each bus you use. HOHO buses don't accept Oysters but service buses do so catching a series of these can work out a cheaper way to tour if you know where you want to go. You can get Oysters at airport and locally and top up in shops or electronically.

 

Regards John

[ditmar2007]

Hi all

 

We are taking a TA/BI cruise this spring on the Royal. Then we will spend a week in London, planning to use the tube for almost all of our travel around the city.

 

We have Costco Visa Anywhere cards, which are contactless (at least that's the rumor, and the cards show the little wifi-like symbol). Has anyone actually used these cards overseas as contactless, especially for the tube in London? If they work, we can use them instead of getting Oyster cards.

 

Also, Citibank just announced that as of 1/26/18, there are no more foreign transaction fees on the Costco branded Visa cards

(www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/costco-anywhere-visa-card-update.php)

 

So, good news if you have this card.

 

Thanks for sharing any experience,

ML

 

I have used my Danish Visa as Oyster card. Make sure to register it so you can benefit from the capping if you travel a lot

[john watson]

The Transport for London website is a very useful source of information for travellers. Newcomers to London and people who have not been to London for years might be surprised that there is now an integrated Riverbus Services range. This is useful for sightseeing as well as visiting attractions such as the Cutty Sark and Royal Museums at Greenwich. You can pay for Riverbus services using an Oyster Card but the money does not count in the cash cap limit. There is a Cable Car service across the Thames Called The Emirates Air Line Cable Car which gives a £1 fare discount per ticket bought using an Oyster Card. Again good vantage point and cheaper than The London Eye. Consider a snack in the Shard for a good view.

 

Regards John

[newport dave]

Not all US issued contactless cards will work on the Tube, you will just have to give it a go. If it doesn't then you can purchase an Oyster card instead.

 

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless/what-are-contactless-payment-cards?intcmp=8610#on-this-page-1

Edited January 31, 2018 by newport dave
Additional info

[DrivesLikeMario]

I agree. Not all US credit cards will work on the Tube. UK issued ones will, but the US ones are still hit and miss.

[antsp]

Try buying gas at the gas station with a UK credit/debit card, no zip no chance. America is so insular with so many things, yet the amount of overseas visitors must be huge

[railman]

I just wish the US would catch up with the rest of the world and give me a credit card with a PIN. I realize that we finally got cards with chips but they are "chip and sign" cards that won't work for any of the automated services in other countries. It's insane that we are so dang backward in this area. Why can't I get a chip and pin card without having to get some "special" card?

 

I wish restaurants in the US would catch up with the rest of the world in not giving your credit card to a waiter who leaves your sight. In all other countries I have been to they bring a wireless device to your table and the card never leaves your hand.

[voljeep]

You mean like the RFID Speedpass used by Mobil and Exxon gas in 1997?:rolleyes:

[Thrak]

I wish restaurants in the US would catch up with the rest of the world in not giving your credit card to a waiter who leaves your sight. In all other countries I have been to they bring a wireless device to your table and the card never leaves your hand.

 

Yes, I like it that way. It's much better than giving your card to someone to wander off with.

[NoWhiners]

You may use contactless credit cards on the Underground in London and also the buses (which do not accept cash!) and as you correctly know the Oyster Card is the alternative. The thing is if you travel as a couple you will need two different cards of either type in general. A bonus with using the Oyster Card system is that they are daily price capped as soon as you reach the price level all extra journeys taken that day cost nothing extra. A credit card continues to charge for all journeys irrespective of how much of a bill has been run up.

 

Regards John

 

John

 

Thanks for this. I knew about the daily caps (and a Brit on our roll call says that these are frozen thru 2020) and I thought I read on the TFL site that you could use a credit card and it would mange the daily cap, but I might have this wrong.

 

We do both have Costco Visa cards and were hoping we could use them but I think we will just plan on getting Oyster cards. But I don't think we'll be able to get back the fee we have to pay for the card--is that right?

 

The Transport for London website is a very useful source of information for travellers. Newcomers to ...ntegrated Riverbus Services range. This is useful for sightseeing as well as visiting attractions such as the Cutty Sark and Royal Museums at Greenwich. You can pay for Riverbus services using an Oyster Card but the money does not count in the cash cap limit. There is a Cable Car service across the Thames Called The Emirates Air Line Cable Car which gives a £1 fare discount per ticket bought using an Oyster Card. Again good vantage point and cheaper than The London Eye. Consider a snack in the Shard for a good view.

 

Regards John

 

The TFL site is very helpful, and I didn't know about the Riverbus. And thank you for explaining what the Emirates Air Line is--I couldn't find that but I didn't look really hard. It was shown on the tube map but it wasn't clear what it was!

 

We will be staying about a block away from the London Eye (Premier Inn Waterloo) and will try the Shard--can you tell me where it is?

 

I am trying to find a decent pub near our hotel, that we can use as our 'go to' place for dinners or after dinner drinks. Do you know of any in the are of waterloo station? I saw one (the Hole in the Wall) that could work for us, so we will check it out.

 

Thanks for your help

ML

[NoWhiners]

I have used my Danish Visa as Oyster card. Make sure to register it so you can benefit from the capping if you travel a lot

 

Thanks ditmar, I'll make a note of this, just on the off chance our Visa cards work :)

 

ML

[newport dave]

Thanks ditmar, I'll make a note of this, just on the off chance our Visa cards work :)

 

ML

Its certain contactless cards from the US that don't work, though some do. I think its just a process of giving them a try to see if they do.

 

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[Jojiboy]

Just curious, can Apple Pay, Android Pay, or Samsung Pay be used at the Tube? Might be an alternative if you have these smartphones.

 

 

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[t&atravel]

John

 

 

We do both have Costco Visa cards and were hoping we could use them but I think we will just plan on getting Oyster cards. But I don't think we'll be able to get back the fee we have to pay for the card

 

ML

 

We did the BI cruise this past Sept with 4 days in London pre cruise. It was our understanding after much research that if you pre-ordered a “vistor” oyster card the £3 (or $3 can’t remember) was not refundable. We bought the card instead at a tube station. The fee in that case was £5 but fully refundable as was any amount that we loaded onto the card that wasn’t used. The station agents were very helpful. They came to our aid within a few minutes as they saw we were standing at the machine reading how to use it. We turned the card in on the last day and received our unused money and the fee.

[NoWhiners]

Its certain contactless cards from the US that don't work, though some do. I think its just a process of giving them a try to see if they do.

 

Sent from my VFD 900 using Tapatalk

 

Yes, thanks. The TFL site says Visa cards are hit or miss and to try them and see what happens. Another part of the adventure :)

 

ML

[NoWhiners]

We did the BI cruise this past Sept with 4 days in London pre cruise. It was our understanding after much research that if you pre-ordered a “vistor” oyster card the £3 (or $3 can’t remember) was not refundable. We bought the card instead at a tube station. The fee in that case was £5 but fully refundable as was any amount that we loaded onto the card that wasn’t used. The station agents were very helpful. They came to our aid within a few minutes as they saw we were standing at the machine reading how to use it. We turned the card in on the last day and received our unused money and the fee.

 

That's interesting. i didn't even think you could pre-order them, at least not online. The TFL site mentioned that you needed a UK address. It would be great if we could get back the fee for the card and any remaining funds. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jcr70]

Just curious, can Apple Pay, Android Pay, or Samsung Pay be used at the Tube? Might be an alternative if you have these smartphones.

 

 

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Apple Pay can. I use my Apple Watch to pay when travelling on the tube.

[railman]

Hi all

 

We are taking a TA/BI cruise this spring on the Royal. Then we will spend a week in London, planning to use the tube for almost all of our travel around the city.

 

We have Costco Visa Anywhere cards, which are contactless (at least that's the rumor, and the cards show the little wifi-like symbol). Has anyone actually used these cards overseas as contactless, especially for the tube in London? If they work, we can use them instead of getting Oyster cards.

 

Also, Citibank just announced that as of 1/26/18, there are no more foreign transaction fees on the Costco branded Visa cards

(www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/costco-anywhere-visa-card-update.php)

 

So, good news if you have this card.

 

Thanks for sharing any experience,

ML

 

The wording on the Costco VISA says no foreign transactions while "Shopping or at foreign web sites". Does "Shopping" include all purchases such as hotels, tours, food, or is it restricted to purchasing merchandise?