Make sure you have debit/credit cards from more than one bank when travelling

[StillGoing]

We are currently touring. We have 3 Santander debit cards between us. The cards work fine for contactless payments. However, we have only been able to successfully make one chip and PIN payment at the start of our holiday. Since then all attempts at paying by chip and PIN have ended in card declined for all 3 cards. Santander tell us there are no blocks or restrictions on our cards.

I’ve asked Santander why the cards are being declined and they have so far not given an answer. Given that Santander advertise their cards to be used while travelling, I’m disappointed that they don’t seem to be bothered when their cards don’t work. I’ve given up on getting any help from Santander. Quite frankly, they have been useless.

Luckily, we have cards from other banks which are working fine.

The lesson from this is, if travelling, take cards from more than one bank and ideally have a least 1 Visa and 1 MasterCard.

 

[carolyn]

We do have a variety of fee free cards and always have our normal ones as backup. Must admit that over the years they’ve all be changed from Visa to Mastercard. I don’t think any are still Visa. Don’t know why. Presume they’re cheaper for the banks.

For travel we do have Santander Zero, Starling , Revolut and normally Monzo but I’ve lost my Monzo annoyingly just before our trip annoyingly. Probably in a safe place! Only 57p on it but no time to get a new physical one.

 

[StillGoing]

Visa cards do seem to be harder to find. Nationwide is Visa as is Barclaycard.

 

[bobnick]

I've noticed with my Master DC from Nat West every 12 transaction no matter where i am or how much i have to insert and pin. All other times the contactless is fine.

 

[StillGoing]

I've noticed with my Master DC from Nat West every 12 transaction no matter where i am or how much i have to insert and pin. All other times the contactless is fine.

With contactless there are different limits depending upon which country you’re in and sometimes which retailer. Exceed the limit and you’re into chip and PIN. If chip and PIN doesn’t work……

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[fishplug]

I've got the interesting scenario where one of my cards won't work contactless or with Chip & PIN - however I can use the same 'card' contactless from the 'wallet' on my phone....

Around the same time I got a message from the bank saying they needed to verify a transaction and to call them....

Very easy when travelling to simply call the number in the message, but I'm not very trusting of unsolicited communications of any kind so I checked and sure enough it was not a legitimate number.

So, be careful out there - I don't know if the two things were just a co-incidence or if it was a more sophisticated attack but I'm very glad I'm not currently stuck abroad with no access to funds while trying to sort out a fraud claim with the bank.

Instead I've just had some coffee and breakfast and catching up on a bit of internet before watching the sunrise and going for a walk in the woods.

 

[bobnick]

With contactless there are different limits depending upon which country you’re in and sometimes which retailer. Exceed the limit and you’re into chip and PIN. If chip and PIN doesn’t work……

I thought that but no. I have bought very low value in a high limit country and at the 12th ish transaction i still have to chip and pin.

 

[gus-lopez]

I've noticed with my Master DC from Nat West every 12 transaction no matter where i am or how much i have to insert and pin. All other times the contactless is fine.

as said it is either a fixed amount that you exceed which then requires the reset either by chip & pin use or in advance when it warns me on some of mine that the limit is approaching.

I thought that but no. I have bought very low value in a high limit country and at the 12th ish transaction i still have to chip and pin.

or with small value amounts it is a certain number of transactions.

When I used to use Revoult all the time,& more so when travelling, It had a 200€ contactless limit. It would need resetting at least twice a week. I have another spanish card ,N26 ,that I cannot recall ever having to reset the contactless limit ?

 

[nicholsong]

I do not have any of these problems with cash - try it.

 

[The Wino]

We always travel with our preferred cards ( cheapest to use abroad) plus one each that the other person doesn't have. It means if one of us has our wallet or purse stollen we can cancel the cards and still have one to use we used to both carry the same until we realised how much we would struggle if we had to cancel them

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[The Wino]

I do not have any of these problems with cash - try it.

We sold a car last week and part was paid in cash. It's a bit of a journey to bank it so we're spending it. It's really odd carrying cash again!

 

[StillGoing]

I’m not carrying cash to last me

I do not have any of these problems with cash - try it.

No thanks. It’s more expensive than having the right debit or credit cards for foreign travel. I’m away for 3 months and there’s no way I want to carry large amounts of cash.

 

[The Wino]

I’m not carrying cash to last me

No thanks. It’s more expensive than having the right debit or credit cards for foreign travel. I’m away for 3 months and there’s no way I want to carry large amounts of cash.

Next thing you know people will be recommending travellers cheques remember those!

 

[Deadloss]

I had a couple of issues with our Halifax Clarity credit card (fee free) when in the USA. After talking to their security team, which thankfully was a lot easier than I thought it might be, they advised that when I made my first purchase in a foreign country to always use chip&pin; this supposedly gives their security algorithm more confidence that you are physically there. Thereafter, contactless and ApplePay payments should not be an issue. That was a couple of years ago, and I have to say I’ve had no issues since.

 

[StillGoing]

I had a couple of issues with our Halifax Clarity credit card (fee free) when in the USA. After talking to their security team, which thankfully was a lot easier than I thought it might be, they advised that when I made my first purchase in a foreign country to always use chip&pin; this supposedly gives their security algorithm more confidence that you are physically there. Thereafter, contactless and ApplePay payments should not be an issue. That was a couple of years ago, and I have to say I’ve had no issues since.

That’s interesting. My first transaction with the Santander card was chip and PIN and it’s never worked again since!

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[DandJ]

I've never counted how many contactless transactions my Halifax CC can make before insisting on a PIN entry...but I'm glad that should I lose the card, the finder or theif could only make a small number of low value contactless purchases before it becomes far harder to use due to the PIN.

 

[Googlebot]

Be thankful if they are checking transactions.

We have a Nationwide Flex Plus, short story is wife’s email was hacked and scammers took nearly 1k from the account. Nationwide declined to refund or help and said it was a normal pattern of our spending, it wasn’t.

We have complained and are awaiting the outcome, which I will post after it’s sorted. We do have the money back thankfully, no thanks to Nationwide.

I would be very happy if they did check transactions, saves a lot of hassle. :-(

Just make sure you have 2 factor authentications on everything online and keep an eye on the account.

 

[bobnick]

I agree the contactless should request a chip and pin every XX amount of transactions.

 

[StillGoing]

The FCA is considering scrapping the limit on contactless payments!

 

[BillyBear]

We use a Curensea card that is linked to my main bank account. Doesn’t give us any issues and a great exchange rate. I do carry another debit card just in case though.

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[funflair]

I do not have any of these problems with cash - try it.

They don’t want it where we are

 

[BikerGraham]

For some reason my barclaycard doesn’t work when abroad using contactless. No problem with the chip and pin though.

Contactless, no issue when in the UK

 

[carolyn]

We’re in the Business lounge at Schipol at the moment on our way to Panama for a month. We’ll be travelling around including a week in Mexico. To carry enough cash for that would be a bit of a joke and rather irresponsible in my opinion.

 

[Odd-no-more]

We have two bank accounts, different banks, as well a visa and M/C cards. As well as Revolut cards between us. I think it's essential even at home, now we rely on cards, to have several in case one system fails.

 

[Lenny HB]

I've noticed with my Master DC from Nat West every 12 transaction no matter where i am or how much i have to insert and pin. All other times the contactless is fine.

Happens with a phisical card but not if you use your phone.

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[bobnick]

Happens with a phisical card but not if you use your phone.

No way will i be using my phone for payments.
I barely use now as a phone.
Now phone camera it's used a fare bit.
And, i leave it at home most of the time, don't wantbto be tracked.

 

[Googlebot]

No way will i be using my phone for payments.
I barely use now as a phone.
Now phone camera it's used a fare bit.
And, i leave it at home most of the time, don't wantbto be tracked.

They are the most secure way to pay, unless someone knows my passcode or has my face, they can’t use it.

 

[Lenny HB]

They are the most secure way to pay, unless someone knows my passcode or has my face, they can’t use it.

Also payments not limited like chip and pin. I paid a £9k invoice a couple of weeks ago just with a swipe of the phone, so easy.

 

[Brains]

Next thing you know people will be recommending travellers cheques remember those!

In the 90's and early 2000's I used to travel a lot on business, 20 plus global trips a year.

I had $1,000 travellers cheques that I used to carry on every business trip I made as an emergency back up.

I tried to to cash them in in 2020, but due to the pandemic nothing was done by Amex,
I then tried Barclays, who told me from 2021 they no longer accepted Travellers Cheques.

I eventually managed to get them cashed in by Amex in 2023, six months later they gave me the $1,000 back in pounds, but at the rate I paid for them them in 1999!, which happened to be very similar to the rate in 2023. Amex were obviously waiting for the rates to match !

Weirdly, I still have all the original Travellers Cheques, unsigned!
I can't image there are many still in circulation.
(I also have about £200 worth of mint French Franks notes. Any takers ?)

So if you do have Travellers Cheques tucked into the back of a draw, cash them in ASAP, if you still can.

 

[Puddleduck]

I thought that but no. I have bought very low value in a high limit country and at the 12th ish transaction i still have to chip and pin.

I'd be okay with that as an extra security measure.

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