FYI about using credit cards

Thought to share this info to fellow travelers. When checking out of my first hotel I had to go through 4 credit cards before one would allow the charge. Since credit card companies have much better security they tend to block any charges they feel is fraud, especially done outside of the US. It was a little embarrassing, I should have alerted the card companies I planned on using before I left home. It%26#39;s good that security is better but it is kind of upsetting when YOU are using YOUR card and you see %26quot;declined%26quot; even though you have thousands of dollars availble on the account. So call VISA MC AMEX etc before you leave! Anyone else have an OPPS moment like this?

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You are correct. You definately need to call your credit card/debit card companies to alert them when you are traveling abroad. They will ask where you%26#39;re traveling and length of time you%26#39;ll be gone.

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When you call, ask what the international phone number is that you call in case your card is lost, stolen or doesn%26#39;t work. Sometimes it%26#39;s different from the international number on the back of your card. Write down the number not only in your purse/wallet, but also somewhere else in case your pocket/purse gets picked.

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It is important to make it a point to call your credit card companies before you leave to alert them you%26#39;ll be travelling internationally. They will need to know what countries you will travel to and also your departure and arrival dates.

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As an additional FYI, you can also just tell your company not to ever block your card. I travel internationally quite a bit, so my credit card company promises never to leave me in the lurch!

However, I did get my card blocked one day while on vacation because of %26#39;unusual spending!%26#39; When I called, it turns out they just weren%26#39;t used to me spending so much money in such a short period of time. It happens that I was shopping with my mother, and she thought it was hilarious because it happens to her every time she opens an account (then they get used to her %26#39;unusual spending%26#39; sprees!)...like mother, like daughter!

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I hear this happens a lot if you don%26#39;t call the company ahead of time and let them know. Sometimes, even when you do let them know, it still will get blocked :-)

The security feature is a good one, although sometimes frustrating. When I booked an apartment in Paris last month, my credit card company called me and left a message. I had to call them back and enter a pin cod in order for the foreign charge to go through. It%26#39;s a little bit of a hassle, but better to go through that than have someone fraudulently using your card and racking up charges.