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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 6, 2019 12:13:12 GMT -5
I pretty much exclusively use my USAA Visa for travel. I get good exchange rates on it, and there is no foreign transaction fee. However, I have run into a problem with it which makes me wonder if I need to look for another.
Despite going into USAA's web site and telling them I am going to be out of the country, every single time I get a fraud alert on it when I use my card. The message is sent to my cell phone, email and I receive a call. The problem I have run into is that with my email, the minute I try to access it outside the country, I need to send them a special access code that goes to my phone. It happens every.single.time I access it. If it only happened once in the new location, it would be ok - I could access my email, put the code in and all would be good and I could continue to receive emails but that does not happen. But when we travel, we use my phone for foreign calls and data (TD's phone is for work), so it gets a new SIM card with a new local number for me to use while I am traveling....so I get none of the fraud alerts. The result of my lack of response is that my card gets shut down. I could use Ting's international roaming, but it is ridiculously expensive (e.g. 1 GB of data would cost about $250). vs paying $20 for a new SIM card, a data plan and phone/messaging for 4 weeks.
As our trips are going to get increasingly longer, especially once TD retires. I have a couple of long cruises planned on the horizon where there will be NO phone access, but day visits at ports with the potential for credit card use.
I have run out of ideas as to how to deal with this. Anyone have any other suggestions (after my very lengthy phone call with USAA this morning asking them how I was supposed to get around this) other than open another credit card?
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finnime
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Post by finnime on Aug 6, 2019 13:16:39 GMT -5
Years ago on my way to Finland I called both of my credit card companies, including USAA, and told them when and where I'd be, to forestall the fraud alerts. It worked. USAA made a note on my account and I had no trouble with using the card.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Aug 6, 2019 13:19:26 GMT -5
Do you have the Costco Visa Signature card from CitiBank? They also have no foreign transaction fees and good rates. I haven't had a problem with that one (yet?), and I did use it in Poland among other countries. I am not sure how high up in "fraud alert" Turkey ranges but eastern Europe is not necessarily considered fraud-free...
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Aug 6, 2019 13:23:27 GMT -5
DH had his identity stolen last year. Every single time I try to login to USAA, I have to get a verification code texted to me. It's rather annoying and I'm sure it would be worse outside of the country.
I would be looking for another card. What's the point of a travel alert if they still flag the card for fraud every single time?
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Aug 6, 2019 13:25:57 GMT -5
Can you call them instead of updating the website? My DH calls the CSR people and we have never had an issue
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 13:31:01 GMT -5
I have zero patience for banks that make things difficult for me so I would just get a different card. A lot of people I know that travel a lot LOVE the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. It has a huge annual fee ($450), but you get $300 in travel credit right off the bat and other benefits. I made out like a bandit with that card the year I had it. $500 sign on bonus and pulled the $300 credit twice, plus the fee was waived the first year when I got it. Not sure if the terms are the same. I would have kept it if I traveled, but even using the $300 credit would be hard for me every year. I ended up buying a $300 Marriott gift card with it the last time to use later.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Aug 6, 2019 13:40:10 GMT -5
I'm with MPL. There are a number of good CCs that have no foreign transaction fee and offer rewards. We generally use the Cap One Venture. No issues when travelling and 2% reward when redeemed for travel expenses.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Aug 6, 2019 13:59:01 GMT -5
USAA is pretty good about getting things done if you call and speak with an actual human. It seems like instructions and other things handled through the website sometimes get lost.
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Aug 6, 2019 14:48:53 GMT -5
I also like chase sapphire card I was once called for another card about possible fraud Really difficult to access email or phone back to US to bank while on a Swiss train. I cancelled that card
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 15:07:10 GMT -5
When you call ask for a Manager. I had a problem with the Citi Double Cash card where they declined me at 6 different places close to my house and I finally lost patience and cancelled it. I have never had that problem with any other card and I'm in Europe a lot. I use my Barclays Uber Visa mostly when I travel now, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, 4% back on dining, 3% back on hotel/airfare and it has the chip/pin option if needed. www.creditcardinsider.com/credit-cards/barclaycard/uber-visa-card/
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 6, 2019 15:31:02 GMT -5
DH had his identity stolen last year. Every single time I try to login to USAA, I have to get a verification code texted to me. It's rather annoying and I'm sure it would be worse outside of the country. I would be looking for another card. What's the point of a travel alert if they still flag the card for fraud every single time? I have to do this too, but only if I'm using an actual computer. If I use my phone app, it's not an issue. I've set it to fingerprint sign in, but didn't have it with using a PIN either. I've never had my identity stolen, so I assume it's some other security reason.
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Aug 6, 2019 15:35:58 GMT -5
DH had his identity stolen last year. Every single time I try to login to USAA, I have to get a verification code texted to me. It's rather annoying and I'm sure it would be worse outside of the country. I would be looking for another card. What's the point of a travel alert if they still flag the card for fraud every single time? I have to do this too, but only if I'm using an actual computer. If I use my phone app, it's not an issue. I've set it to fingerprint sign in, but didn't have it with using a PIN either. I've never had my identity stolen, so I assume it's some other security reason. I have settings in Chrome that wipe out all the history after I close the browser, so if I reboot my computer, I have to have verification code or emails sent again. It is annoying, but better than the alternative.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 6, 2019 15:38:03 GMT -5
I have to do this too, but only if I'm using an actual computer. If I use my phone app, it's not an issue. I've set it to fingerprint sign in, but didn't have it with using a PIN either. I've never had my identity stolen, so I assume it's some other security reason. I have settings in Chrome that wipe out all the history after I close the browser, so if I reboot my computer, I have to have verification code or emails sent again. It is annoying, but better than the alternative. Yeah, the only time I ever try logging on with an actual computer is at work. Oddly, one of my banks has quit asking for extra info while USAA hasn't. It seems that one has been remembered and one hasn't. I'd try to fix it but I don't do it that often.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 6, 2019 16:12:37 GMT -5
The USAA card is mine. I do have the Costco visa, but it is linked to TD’s so I don’t use it for things I want to buy for me or my family.
I asked the USAA CSR I spoke to this morning if calling to set the travel alert would eliminate this. She said nope.
Having a verification code isn’t a problem in the US. It is the access to my US cell # overseas that is the problem.
What I don’t get is that my bank account didn’t get flagged as possible fraud. I withdrew 1500 lira via ATM the second day and it didn’t get flagged. Only the purchases I made on my card got flagged.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 18:08:56 GMT -5
This really surprises me; I'd think that USAA, with its customer base that includes many current service members, wouldn't blunder so badly when it comes to people making credit card purchases outside of the US since many service members are based abroad.
I'd also switch cards. I'm dropping my AA MasterCard since they dropped the benefit most important to me- a 10% rebate on miles redeemed for trips. As a Lifetime Gold I get most of the rest of the perks you get through the card. I've got a 2% cash back Visa from Fidelity and will keep that but am thinking of adding a Costco Visa since Fidelity charges a FX fee and the Costco Visa does not.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 7, 2019 9:24:23 GMT -5
This really surprises me; I'd think that USAA, with its customer base that includes many current service members, wouldn't blunder so badly when it comes to people making credit card purchases outside of the US since many service members are based abroad. I'd also switch cards. I'm dropping my AA MasterCard since they dropped the benefit most important to me- a 10% rebate on miles redeemed for trips. As a Lifetime Gold I get most of the rest of the perks you get through the card. I've got a 2% cash back Visa from Fidelity and will keep that but am thinking of adding a Costco Visa since Fidelity charges a FX fee and the Costco Visa does not. I tried to make this point to the USAA CSR I was speaking to, that they promoted their plan for the military who were stationed all over the world and that shutting down the card because there was no response to their messages was not a correct response. Having local phone and data access is useful, but not mandatory. I was wondering if it would be possible for notifying them of a local access number for the period we would be out of the country, but this just seems like a pain in the butt all the way around. If I tell you I am going to be out of the country in XX country, using my credit card in XX during this time should not trigger an alert. I think another call to USAA is in the cards.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Aug 7, 2019 18:22:25 GMT -5
This really surprises me; I'd think that USAA, with its customer base that includes many current service members, wouldn't blunder so badly when it comes to people making credit card purchases outside of the US since many service members are based abroad. I'd also switch cards. I'm dropping my AA MasterCard since they dropped the benefit most important to me- a 10% rebate on miles redeemed for trips. As a Lifetime Gold I get most of the rest of the perks you get through the card. I've got a 2% cash back Visa from Fidelity and will keep that but am thinking of adding a Costco Visa since Fidelity charges a FX fee and the Costco Visa does not. I tried to make this point to the USAA CSR I was speaking to, that they promoted their plan for the military who were stationed all over the world and that shutting down the card because there was no response to their messages was not a correct response. Having local phone and data access is useful, but not mandatory. I was wondering if it would be possible for notifying them of a local access number for the period we would be out of the country, but this just seems like a pain in the butt all the way around. If I tell you I am going to be out of the country in XX country, using my credit card in XX during this time should not trigger an alert. I think another call to USAA is in the cards. Do you have a wealth manager with USAA? Most of our stuff is with Fidelity but we still have enough investments with USAA to warrant a wealth manager. I would contact him/her and see if his/her influence could put some kind of flag on your account.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 7, 2019 22:06:56 GMT -5
I tried to make this point to the USAA CSR I was speaking to, that they promoted their plan for the military who were stationed all over the world and that shutting down the card because there was no response to their messages was not a correct response. Having local phone and data access is useful, but not mandatory. I was wondering if it would be possible for notifying them of a local access number for the period we would be out of the country, but this just seems like a pain in the butt all the way around. If I tell you I am going to be out of the country in XX country, using my credit card in XX during this time should not trigger an alert. I think another call to USAA is in the cards. Do you have a wealth manager with USAA? Most of our stuff is with Fidelity but we still have enough investments with USAA to warrant a wealth manager. I would contact him/her and see if his/her influence could put some kind of flag on your account. Nope. All we have are checking, savings and car insurance through USAA. I have a Visa through them. I think TD has a small investment account there, but not enough $$ to have a wealth manager. Everything else is at Fidelity, TIAA/Cref, Vanguard, and a bunch of other firms.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Aug 8, 2019 9:23:04 GMT -5
Do you have a wealth manager with USAA? Most of our stuff is with Fidelity but we still have enough investments with USAA to warrant a wealth manager. I would contact him/her and see if his/her influence could put some kind of flag on your account. Nope. All we have are checking, savings and car insurance through USAA. I have a Visa through them. I think TD has a small investment account there, but not enough $$ to have a wealth manager. Everything else is at Fidelity, TIAA/Cref, Vanguard, and a bunch of other firms. Lol, sounds like us. We're slowly headed to consolidating our accounts with Fidelity. We made the move to USAA back in 2009 when BofA fired us when we moved overseas. We keep some stuff with USAA mainly because that's where MIL has the bulk of her investments.
Another vote for the Costco Citibank visa. I just submitted the travel notice for our upcoming trip on-line.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 8, 2019 10:19:57 GMT -5
Nope. All we have are checking, savings and car insurance through USAA. I have a Visa through them. I think TD has a small investment account there, but not enough $$ to have a wealth manager. Everything else is at Fidelity, TIAA/Cref, Vanguard, and a bunch of other firms. Lol, sounds like us. We're slowly headed to consolidating our accounts with Fidelity. We made the move to USAA back in 2009 when BofA fired us when we moved overseas. We keep some stuff with USAA mainly because that's where MIL has the bulk of her investments.
Another vote for the Costco Citibank visa. I just submitted the travel notice for our upcoming trip on-line.
I have the Costco Citibank visa, but it is tied to TD. I want a card that is only in my name, like my USAA card. I have not applied for any additional credit since I went on disability, so I am clueless as to how well only my income will stack up. I have another Citibank and an AmEx card, all with long credit histories. I am not sure if my other Citibank has no foreign transaction fees.
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sbcalimom
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Post by sbcalimom on Aug 8, 2019 15:29:14 GMT -5
I have a Google voice number that I can reroute to different cell phones. It comes in handy as I live abroad and swap SIM cards a decent amount.
You can set the Google voice to text you at that SIM card if you have the foreign number in advance I suppose.
All my US accounts use the Google voice number for text verification and I very rarely have an issue with it. I think one time I wasn't getting the texts but I think it was that service's issue rather than Googles.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 9, 2019 9:17:44 GMT -5
I have a Google voice number that I can reroute to different cell phones. It comes in handy as I live abroad and swap SIM cards a decent amount. You can set the Google voice to text you at that SIM card if you have the foreign number in advance I suppose. All my US accounts use the Google voice number for text verification and I very rarely have an issue with it. I think one time I wasn't getting the texts but I think it was that service's issue rather than Googles. Thanks....this is definitely something to look into. I will be switching out my SIM card again in Oct., so maybe try this out then.
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Chocolate Lover
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Post by Chocolate Lover on Aug 9, 2019 10:12:55 GMT -5
I have a Google voice number that I can reroute to different cell phones. It comes in handy as I live abroad and swap SIM cards a decent amount. You can set the Google voice to text you at that SIM card if you have the foreign number in advance I suppose. All my US accounts use the Google voice number for text verification and I very rarely have an issue with it. I think one time I wasn't getting the texts but I think it was that service's issue rather than Googles. Thanks....this is definitely something to look into. I will be switching out my SIM card again in Oct., so maybe try this out then. Some phones are also dual SIM so you could switch back and forth if needed.
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adela76
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Post by adela76 on Aug 10, 2019 21:02:41 GMT -5
I pretty much exclusively use my USAA Visa for travel. I get good exchange rates on it, and there is no foreign transaction fee. However, I have run into a problem with it which makes me wonder if I need to look for another. Despite going into USAA's web site and telling them I am going to be out of the country, every single time I get a fraud alert on it when I use my card. The message is sent to my cell phone, email and I receive a call. The problem I have run into is that with my email, the minute I try to access it outside the country, I need to send them a special access code that goes to my phone. It happens every.single.time I access it. If it only happened once in the new location, it would be ok - I could access my email, put the code in and all would be good and I could continue to receive emails but that does not happen. But when we travel, we use my phone for foreign calls and data (TD's phone is for work), so it gets a new SIM card with a new local number for me to use while I am traveling....so I get none of the fraud alerts. The result of my lack of response is that my card gets shut down. I could use Ting's international roaming, but it is ridiculously expensive ( e.g. 1 GB of data would cost about $250). vs paying $20 for a new SIM card, a data plan and phone/messaging for 4 weeks. As our trips are going to get increasingly longer, especially once TD retires. I have a couple of long cruises planned on the horizon where there will be NO phone access, but day visits at ports with the potential for credit card use. I have run out of ideas as to how to deal with this. Anyone have any other suggestions (after my very lengthy phone call with USAA this morning asking them how I was supposed to get around this) other than open another credit card? I know the focus has been on either USAA or your phone, but it seems like your email provider is also a culprit. What email provider do you use? Beyond the CC issue, what a pain every time you want to check your email when you travel! If you don't want to change email providers, I'd at least create a gmail account to receive the email alerts from USAA, which would make it easier for you to respond to the fraud alert.
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