credit cards - in port use

[Tex Gal]

I am going to call my credit card company today and let them know that we will be in the Caribbean for our vacation. (Thanks CC for this tip!) I am really just wanting to call American Express - but I don't know if they take AmEx where I am going (Jamaica, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman). Does anyone know if they accept AmEx at these ports - or should I just go ahead and call my MaterCard company, too. We don't like using our other cards unless we need to - just personal preference. Thanks for your help ~ A

[dc-snoopy]

I am going to call my credit card company today and let them know that we will be in the Caribbean for our vacation. (Thanks CC for this tip!) I am really just wanting to call American Express - but I don't know if they take AmEx where I am going (Jamaica, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman). Does anyone know if they accept AmEx at these ports - or should I just go ahead and call my MaterCard company, too. We don't like using our other cards unless we need to - just personal preference. Thanks for your help ~ A

 

Unless you plan to carry enough cash for your purchases, I would make sure that you have a backup CC. All it takes is one unusual action on your card for them to block. Sometimes you will be places where you cannot easily all the CC company (in your case AmEx) to get it resolved at the time. I would definately call the MC company just in case. Hopefully you won't need it, but what if you do?

[Tex Gal]

Thanks - I see what you are saying. Do you know if most places accept AmEx?

[gtalum]

Thanks - I see what you are saying. Do you know if most places accept AmEx?

 

I would take a Visa or MC with you, just in case. I find that AMEX is not as universally accepted in the rest of the world as it is in the US.

[mrmrscheese]

We were in those ports in 05 and we made some pretty hefty jewlery purchases and used our AmEx. We too perfer to use ours when we travel. I was suprised we didn't get a block on ours as we failed to call them and let them know. But had no issues at all. I do think their was one jewlery store that added a 1.5% fee for using AmEx but that was stated up front to us.

[yst347]

I used my American Express card on our Conquest cruise last January. I also took a Visa card for backup. I called both cards and gave them our itinerary before leaving. I would have to check my billing records at home to see if I used the Visa at all but I don't recall doing so. That being the case I only used the Amex as it is my preferred card.

[jaddsnana]

I have never heard of this before. You mean if you use your CC in other countries that your credit card company might block it because they think the card has been stolen? I have never heard of calling your CC company to let them know that you will be traveling out of the country and that you will be the one using the card. Is this a common practice? WOW, learn something new every day!

[yst347]

I have never heard of this before. You mean if you use your CC in other countries that your credit card company might block it because they think the card has been stolen? I have never heard of calling your CC company to let them know that you will be traveling out of the country and that you will be the one using the card. Is this a common practice? WOW, learn something new every day!

 

Yes, it is a very common practice. It can even happen traveling in the USA. This is why I like to have several credit cards as we travel frequently.

[gtalum]

I have never heard of this before. You mean if you use your CC in other countries that your credit card company might block it because they think the card has been stolen? I have never heard of calling your CC company to let them know that you will be traveling out of the country and that you will be the one using the card. Is this a common practice? WOW, learn something new every day!

 

It's ridiculous. I have dumped several cards over the years for cutting off my credit while I'm overseas due to "suspicious" charges. I refuse to call and ask my credit card issuer for permission to use their card overseas. Currently I use an AMEX and a Bank of America Mastercard, and neither requires me to call ahead. They're protecting their own interests by requesting that you do this.

[yst347]

It's ridiculous. I have dumped several cards over the years for cutting off my credit while I'm overseas due to "suspicious" charges. I refuse to call and ask my credit card issuer for permission to use their card overseas. Currently I use an AMEX and a Bank of America Mastercard, and neither requires me to call ahead. They're protecting their own interests by requesting that you do this.

 

You are right, they are protecting their interest but Amex will refuse charges as it has happened to me in Germany. If you don't want to call ahead that is your choice but I would keep those scissors handy. ;)

[gtalum]

You are right, they are protecting their interest but Amex will refuse charges as it has happened to me in Germany. If you don't want to call ahead that is your choice but I would keep those scissors handy.

 

 

AMEX has never refused a charge on me in 9 years now, and I do a lot of international travel. Bank of America hasn't done it either, but I've only been using that card for a couple of years now.

 

Regardless, when I "dump" a card, I don't actually close teh account. That's bad for your credit score. It just gets relegated to the bottom of the drawer. Unless of course I'm feeling spiteful, and then I start charging $0.01 worth of gas on it every month to force them to send me a statement. :D

 

I refuse to be a profit-maker for companies that forget who's the boss and who's the employee. ;)

[bguppies]

I have never heard of this before. You mean if you use your CC in other countries that your credit card company might block it because they think the card has been stolen? I have never heard of calling your CC company to let them know that you will be traveling out of the country and that you will be the one using the card. Is this a common practice? WOW, learn something new every day!

 

Basically the problem is, when the card company questions a charge from Cozumel, when 99% of your regular activity is from Chicago (or hometown USA), they call the contact number listed on your account, to verify it is you using the card.

Of course, your contact number is your home, which is a problem, as you are in Cozumel.

If they can't reach you to verify, they block the card to prevent anymore fradulent charges, IF your card had been stolen or lost.

 

It happened to us on a vacation to Florida years ago with our Bank of America Visa card.

Got home and had a message from the securtiy department wanting us to call and verify the charges in Florida were ours.

 

I don't have a problem taking the 5-10 minutes to notify the 2 card companies of the cards I intend to take on vacation with me.

 

Bill

[dms_cruisers04]

Regardless, when I "dump" a card, I don't actually close teh account. That's bad for your credit score. It just gets relegated to the bottom of the drawer. Unless of course I'm feeling spiteful, and then I start charging $0.01 worth of gas on it every month to force them to send me a statement. :D

 

I refuse to be a profit-maker for companies that forget who's the boss and who's the employee. ;)

Actually, an open line of credit increases a person's liability and can have as much adverse effect on their credit score as an account closed by the consumer.

 

And unless you're paying finance charges every month you're not making the credit company any profit.

[kylescoolmom]

How far in advance should I call the credit card company? And should I call back to verify the notes/block was taken off?

 

This is one of the greatest tips I got off this site... Thank you all

[yst347]

How far in advance should I call the credit card company? And should I call back to verify the notes/block was taken off?

 

This is one of the greatest tips I got off this site... Thank you all

 

I call the week before I leave. I just tell them the time frame I will be gone and the nations I will visit. I have never called to say I was home.

[kylescoolmom]

I call the week before I leave. I just tell them the time frame I will be gone and the nations I will visit. I have never called to say I was home.

 

 

Thank you....:)

[gtalum]

Actually, an open line of credit increases a person's liability and can have as much adverse effect on their credit score as an account closed by the consumer.

 

This is not true. One of the most important factors in your credit score is your debt to available credit ratio. The more available credit you have, the lower this ratio will be with a given debt level. Since I cycle 0% interest credit card offers through my savings account (and make ~$1000 per year after taxes doing it!) I keep all credit card accounts open. I have an 800+ credit score, so it seems to work for me.

 

And unless you're paying finance charges every month you're not making the credit company any profit.

 

 

Again, not true.

 

They make more than 2% every time you use the card. Granted, they make more if you carry debt and pay interest, but they make money even if you don't.

[bakechef]

Actually, an open line of credit increases a person's liability and can have as much adverse effect on their credit score as an account closed by the consumer.

 

This is not true. One of the most important factors in your credit score is your debt to available credit ratio. The more available credit you have, the lower this ratio will be with a given debt level. Since I cycle 0% interest credit card offers through my savings account (and make ~$1000 per year after taxes doing it!) I keep all credit card accounts open. I have an 800+ credit score, so it seems to work for me.

 

And unless you're paying finance charges every month you're not making the credit company any profit.

 

 

Again, not true.

 

They make more than 2% every time you use the card. Granted, they make more if you carry debt and pay interest, but they make money even if you don't.

 

You are absolutely correct. Think of it this way if you have 1 card with a $1000 limit and you carry a $500 balance, you are 50% maxed out, FICO does not look at this favorably, where if you have 10,000 avail credit and a $500 balance you are now at 5% and will look much more favorable therefore raising your score. If yo must carry a balance on a credit card (one of the most expensive loans out there) keep the balance well under 30% to maintain a good score.

 

As far as looking like a liability for having a lot of available credit, if a lender tells you that, walk away and find someone else. When applying for a loan, if it goes to manual review they will see that you have all of this credit available but have been extremely responsible with it, this would make you a very low risk.

 

I have been fixing past credit mistakes, and this advise is tried and true, there are whole message boards dedicated to this.:)

 

but it does amaze me how much misinformation there is out there

MAC

[bakechef]

And to respond to the OP, yes always take a back-up. I am a little paranoid so I carry 2 cards with me and have 1 in the hotel/ship room safe in case I were to loose or have my wallet stolen. This way if the wallet does go missing I am covered until a new card can be issued.

 

MAC

[Knights on the Beach]

It's ridiculous. I have dumped several cards over the years for cutting off my credit while I'm overseas due to "suspicious" charges. I refuse to call and ask my credit card issuer for permission to use their card overseas. Currently I use an AMEX and a Bank of America Mastercard, and neither requires me to call ahead. They're protecting their own interests by requesting that you do this.

After dealing with some fraudulent charges on our Visa (debit) card last fall, I am VERY happy that Visa contacted us immediately to ask if the charges were valid. We were at home, in Orlando, but our number was being used in MEXICO. Not only had we not been to Mexico since 2004, we've never even used that card anywhere outside the country! I'm more than happy to take a few minutes to call our credit card company before we travel -- but I won't be using a debit card.

[bakechef]

After dealing with some fraudulent charges on our Visa (debit) card last fall, I am VERY happy that Visa contacted us immediately to ask if the charges were valid. We were at home, in Orlando, but our number was being used in MEXICO. Not only had we not been to Mexico since 2004, we've never even used that card anywhere outside the country! I'm more than happy to take a few minutes to call our credit card company before we travel -- but I won't be using a debit card.

 

good idea, credit is so much safer, as long as you don't overspend!:D

 

MAC

[MizzCard]

If you travel frequently, or out of the Continental US, the credit card company wouldn't bat an eyelash at any purchase.....especially AmEx. On the other hand, if there's going to be a big change in your normal routine, making a quick phone call to your credit card company can't hurt.

[Peto]

If you use the same credit card for your S&S, the fraud detection systems will not ramp up your risk score as fast due to foreign transaction. the models are smart enough to recognize the T&E transactions due to the type of merchant code the cruise co. uses.

 

 

Always take a second card with you on the boat in case you lose one and need to move your S&S account over to a new one.

[bakechef]

On my last cruise on the majesty, there was a couple in quite a bit of distress because their credit card account had been frozen(bank of america I believe) in the middle off their cruise, and they didn't bring another one, I don't know how the story ended, but relying on one card when traveling caused them quite a bit of stress on what could have been a pretty stress free vacation.

 

I will call my credit card companies, and avoid these problems, it is a quick call no big deal to me.

 

MAC

[needtocruisenow]

be very careful in cozumel. had 10 thousand dollars charged on my mastercard several years ago. credit card company said cozumel has a credit card scam where they get your number and sell it. always call my credit compony now and tell them where we are travelling too. they even gave me an international phone number to call if i would have trouble with my card while traveling. :eek: