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Using a Debit Card when traveling... information

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by hawki39, Feb 3, 2015.

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  1. hawki39

    hawki39 Low-Roller

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    We were in our local bank branch talking about our up coming trip to Vegas. A teller overheard our conversation and asked if we were planning on using our debit cards while we were there. When we said we would be using the she informed us that it would be a good idea to call the 800 # on the card and inform the bank that the cards would be used in Vegas during our stay. When the bank saw charges/cash withdrawals etc. coming from Nevada it is probable that they would freeze the account, figuring the charges were fraudulent as per the Teller's information.

    I never would have thought of reporting to the bank regarding our debit card usage out of state. Thankfully, I now know. A frozen drbit card while on vacation in Las Vegas would have been a disaster. :cry::eek:
     
  2. davidcyndi

    davidcyndi MIA

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    yep. Happens to us when we travel to our other homes in Aberdeen and Dubai. We even contact the banks before hand and they still freeze our accounts. We even tried opening a international account with hsbc and still froze. lol we just gave up and just have the 800 numbers on speed dail.
     
  3. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    I won't get into the dangers of debit card usage,

    but always have at least one or 2 backup cards whenever you travel.

    things happen and if you have only one card, you're liable to be SOL.
     
  4. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    I travel for a living and we travel a lot just for fun, so our banks know we're footloose, but a few times I/we have had a credit card locked down when the spending pattern shows potential theft/fraud characteristics, as in a run up I-5 to Canada and multiple stops/charges along the way. We now call when going out of the country, and for any long speed runs. We appreciate the banks' diligence in all this. That's why it is always a good idea to have some kind of backup: a credit card or other credit card (far better than a debit), even a debit linked to another account, at worse case. Lifting a lock-down is only a call away but it can take some time to lift.

    Glad you won't be getting pinched on vacay!
     
  5. mdm4sfest

    mdm4sfest VIP Whale

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    @Hawki39 I highly 1000% recommend doing so. I've been working for an east coast/west coast bank the past 5 years. My first year was on the phone and next two in email/chat. I constantly received calls and email about peoples cards being flagged for suspicious charges.

    Luckily, my bank flagged them since their was activity outside of the normal home range. For instance, there was a purchase one day in Ohio and the next day in Vegas or one day in NY and the next day in China. As my first year in customer service was in Business Banking, I always spoke to people traveling. My bank would easily remove the block as long as they can identify their most recent transactions, pretty standard. The same via chat, I would receive emails weekly of a clients plans to travel and just document his/her card via their debit card profile...very simple.

    Now, any time I go to Vegas(be there in 10 days) I contact my bank with the dates I will be out of town and any cities I may have layovers in. However, I can contact by bank via a chat option so I don't even have to call. Its very helpful and I highly highly recommend taking 5 minutes to do so instead of freaking out that your card is shut off when traveling.
     
  6. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    Yeah, I’ve had credit cards refused because of this. A quick call to the 800 number on the card has always quickly remedied the situation. But I’ll echo the recommendations to contact your bank prior to travelling - save yourself the hassle of having to do it while standing in the check in line!
     
  7. Hobofrank

    Hobofrank Prime Minister of Idiocracy

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    we never use anything but a debit card at home
    but when traveling?, we got a CC just for that and always call the 800# to give them a heads up
     
  8. Snidely

    Snidely VIP Whale

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    We had our cc denied at Louis Vuitton in Vegas due to suspected fraud. Also had our cc deactivated when used to buy groceries 50 miles from home. Twice. You just never know your banks fraud sensitivity.
     
  9. mrstealth

    mrstealth VIP Whale

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    If you have a wells fargo debit card you can set your travel settings online, if not, just call the 1-800 number on the back of the card.
     
  10. MikeOPensacola

    MikeOPensacola El Jefe

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    +1. I always call ahead and will always use my credit card when traveling. Much better fraud protection and the holds that are put on the credit card by the hotel disappear much faster than they would on a debit card. I also let the bank know about which states I'll be in for airport layovers and always call the bank when I get home to ensure that my travel states are no longer in play (you never know if someone at a restaurant etc. has stolen your CC info)
     
    Annual CCA (Casino Collectibles Association) Show at South Point
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  11. jamesxnj

    jamesxnj VIP Whale

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    A couple trips ago maybe May of 13,I'm at the Rio,take $300 out of an ATM there,go back to bartop VP and my cell phone rings no less than 30 minutes after,Caller ID shows up as work #...I think oh shit trouble at work to be calling while on vaca.I call and find out it was the receptionist alerting me that Bank of America called my work # (automated) and left the fradulent alert message.When I got home I heard the same message on my home answering machine,
    Later that day it took about 30 minutes to navigate the system within Bofa to prove it was really me that did the withdrawl and un-freeze my account.
    I have a few accounts with debit.cc cards so it's a to do list while packing to alert each and every one of travel plans now..and I don't mind really I'm with the banks on this one to prevent fraud that costs $$...
     
  12. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    I retired from banking and always take several credit cards with us on our trips. Even though you have the "right of dispute" on any transaction, I would rather it not be on my checking account where I may have several payments scheduled to debit during that time frame. I always suggest that anyone provide their cell phone number to each card issuing bank so they can call to verify charges with you if something appears unusual ...... this has happened to us several times while in LV and the cards were immediately shut down.
     
  13. mikeinctown

    mikeinctown High-Roller

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    I've had nothing but a debit card for almost the last 10 years. Never had an issue going anywhere with it and have never called the bank. It gets processed like like any Visa or Mastercard.

    hat said, there is no substitute for an actual credit card, since many rental car companies will not rent to you, and many hotels will debit your card when you check in vs putting a hold on a credit card.
     
  14. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

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    The real danger of using your debit card is that they swipe it when they take the card from you and then do the full payment when you have signed for the tip. The first one will sit on your account as a preauth (for a few days if you're American or up to 21 days if you're an international visitor) and they will also take the post tip amount.

    Don't read this as a complaint, but be prepared for it. I paid for a few things on a recent trip on debit card (mainly because I was so damn drunk I just gave them the first card that came out of my wallet).

    Note, this won't happen if you only hand over your debit card after signing for the tip but what happened to me a few times was I went for dinner, gave over my UK debit card, then it came back to tip and they did a second swipe for the full amount. The preauth sat on my account from 19th December to 18th January. No big deal, just be aware it might happen.
     
  15. Piggylane

    Piggylane Well-Known Member

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    A couple years ago when I was in Las Vegas my cell rang and it was AMEX asking me where I was. Las Vegas I said. So you're not in Tokyo playing video games? I told the lady I don't play video games and I had just charged dinner on the card an hour or so earlier so what the heck was she talking about? She said there was a series of $40 charges coming through from some video game parlor in Tokyo while we were talking! I hadn't been to Japan in a couple years!

    They killed the card, FEDEX'ed another to me the next day and I continued my trip.

    Like Ken I travel constantly and have to call about my debit card for international travel but for some reason not Las Vegas (rarely use it anyway).

    Be very careful. Monitor your statements,
     
  16. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    There is a good reason that almost every hotel, and for sure every rental car company has warning signs about using debit cards when you travel. And those warnings have nothing to do with fraud.

    Holds... delayed billing ... access to the same account that pays your mortgage, etc. etc.

    Credit cards are easier, safer and less hassle.

    REALLY!

    ( do yourself a favor - travel with a credit card - better yet, at least two credit cards)
     
  17. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    I use debit cards and credit cards while traveling and I will let them all know when I am going out of town. The only time I don't is when I go back home to Philly because it never occurs that I need to call them for that.

    I have had two fraud dept calls that I can recall...once while in New Orleans and once while in Vegas. I woke up to a VM from a blocked number in Vegas asking me to call and verify transactions.

    When I traveled out of the country I definitely called because I couldn't imagine getting stuck internationally. Although once when I traveled to Peru I forgot to notify my debit card issuing bank and I, in a drunken and automatic state of "see ATM use ATM card" took money out. It got locked obviously and I had a very expensive phone call back to the States to tell them it was all good.
     
  18. jack1057

    jack1057 Low-Roller

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    I had my debit card and pin stolen in Vegas 5 years ago. I know where and how but no one was interested in filing charges. Needless to say, it never gets used there anymore. Police told me that Vegas and Honolulu are two worst places in country for this
     
  19. The Stig

    The Stig VIP Whale

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    Reading this has just reminded me to let my bank know I'm going abroad in 10 days, I have debit cards but rarely use them as I have a pre paid $ card to use in Vegas and my debit and credit cards are pretty much for emergency really.
     
  20. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    There are as many reasons why people carry what they do and don't carry as there are people. But in this day and age, if you can get a credit card and you will NOT let a balance roll over, you are leaving big $$$/rewards on the table using cash (debit card), in addition to the enhanced protection of a CC.
     
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