Foreign Transaction fees

[trident]

I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. We used our Barclay's credit card that earns Holland America points to pay for our Aer Lingus flight. We called the US 800 number to make the booking. The charges were made in US dollars (I confirmed this with Aer Lingus) but the credit card company charged a 3% foreign transaction fee anyway because they say the charge came through a Dublin bank. (in US dollars) This the only credit card we hold that does this. This is not a very consumer friendly attitude for a card that caters to travelers! I don't think the points are worth this kind of rip off.

[6rugrats]

I am not sure what this has to do with cruise air.

 

If you think the fees are a rip off, now you know not to use the card.

 

I think of "consumer friendly credit card" as somewhat of an oxymoron.

[jotabecu]

I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. We used our Barclay's credit card that earns Holland America points to pay for our Aer Lingus flight. We called the US 800 number to make the booking. The charges were made in US dollars (I confirmed this with Aer Lingus) but the credit card company charged a 3% foreign transaction fee anyway because they say the charge came through a Dublin bank. (in US dollars) This the only credit card we hold that does this. This is not a very consumer friendly attitude for a card that caters to travelers! I don't think the points are worth this kind of rip off.

 

 

For transactions outside the US you can use Capital One Visa, they do not charge an exchange fee

[fbgd]

For transactions outside the US you can use Capital One Visa, they do not charge an exchange fee

 

But probably give you a rubbish exchange rate, that allows them to effectively skim off the non-existent forex fee in the process.

[Shorex]

I wonder if anyone else has had this experience. We used our Barclay's credit card that earns Holland America points to pay for our Aer Lingus flight. We called the US 800 number to make the booking. The charges were made in US dollars (I confirmed this with Aer Lingus) but the credit card company charged a 3% foreign transaction fee anyway because they say the charge came through a Dublin bank. (in US dollars) This the only credit card we hold that does this. This is not a very consumer friendly attitude for a card that caters to travelers! I don't think the points are worth this kind of rip off.

 

Do you mean you have previously used a different credit card to purchase Aer Lingus flights and were not charged a foreign transaction fee? I could be wrong, but I believe the foreign transaction fee is a function of the Aer Lingus purchase and the credit company simply applied its standard foreign transaction rate.

 

Aer Lingus could be correct that the charge was made in dollars and at the same time the ftf is properly applied because of the location of the originating bank. See the Oceania board for discussions on ftf's being applied to their cruise deposit (in dollars) because Oceania used a foreign bank.

[smeyer418]

But probably give you a rubbish exchange rate, that allows them to effectively skim off the non-existent forex fee in the process.

they use the wholesale rate for checks....

[kenish]

But probably give you a rubbish exchange rate, that allows them to effectively skim off the non-existent forex fee in the process.

 

Not correct. They give the official exchange rate at the time the transaction posts, there are zero fees, and they give a 1% rebate on purchases. The bottom line cost is 1% more favorable than the exchange rate.

 

I use my Cap1 card for all international travel and purchases instead of my regular CC which has a usurous 4% fee. If a lot of others are like me, Cap1 is making transaction fees from the merchants instead of their competitors. They make additional revenue from customers who carry a balance.

[CtheW0rld]

all banks are going to be laying on new fees.

 

my bank only charges 1%, but it does add up.

[DougYWG]

Be careful. Some banks are now charging 3% on foreign credit card transactions in addition to the spread they make on foreign exchange. Gouging, I call it.

 

What is worse, I was charged 3% on U.S. dollar transactions by my U.S. bank which issued my U.S. VISA card for charges made in the Caribbean which were put through in USD. So, 3% for what? There was no foreign exchange involved. Now THAT is gouging. It won't happen again! Rotten sods.

[rjm1cc]

This is not new but I do not know how long it has been going on. If your card is processed through a non US source the card co's add the 3%. I would call and ask them to remove the charge since you were in the US. Also look for cards that do not charge the fee. Not many but one was mentioned above.