Visa Debit charges - watch out non-US customers!

[peteukmcr]

This is a piece of advice for any UK customers of RCI booking gifts & gear from the UK website and using their Visa Debit card for payment.

 

If your bank charges you a transaction fee for using your Visa debit card abroad when making a point of sale transaction, then beware when purchasing goods from the RCI UK website.

 

I recently purchased goods from 'gifts & gear' for our upcoming sailing and received notification of the price in GBP from RCI as displayed on the UK website and an email confirming the purchase.

 

I subsequently noticed the amount debited from my bank account was more than the price confirmed and upon further investigation was advised that there was a 'foreign transaction' charge applied by my bank as the transaction was processed by RCI in Miami even though there was no currency exchange required and the transaction as far as I was concerned was completed here in the UK.

 

My bank first advised that they asssumed that I made the transaction whilst in Miami, which I had not.

 

RCI UK confirmed that all payments are processed by Miami for 'gifts & gear' and so will unfortunately be treated as a foreign transaction.

 

I pointed out that the UK website makes no mention of this and RCI UK agreed that this was the case and that I should write a letter of complaint that can be forwarded to the US where the website is administered.

 

So, beware if considering using your Visa debit card, use a credit card instead!

[uksimonusa]

This is a piece of advice for any UK customers of RCI booking gifts & gear from the UK website and using their Visa Debit card for payment.

 

If your bank charges you a transaction fee for using your Visa debit card abroad when making a point of sale transaction, then beware when purchasing goods from the RCI UK website.

 

I recently purchased goods from 'gifts & gear' for our upcoming sailing and received notification of the price in GBP from RCI as displayed on the UK website and an email confirming the purchase.

 

I subsequently noticed the amount debited from my bank account was more than the price confirmed and upon further investigation was advised that there was a 'foreign transaction' charge applied by my bank as the transaction was processed by RCI in Miami even though there was no currency exchange required and the transaction as far as I was concerned was completed here in the UK.

 

My bank first advised that they asssumed that I made the transaction whilst in Miami, which I had not.

 

RCI UK confirmed that all payments are processed by Miami for 'gifts & gear' and so will unfortunately be treated as a foreign transaction.

 

I pointed out that the UK website makes no mention of this and RCI UK agreed that this was the case and that I should write a letter of complaint that can be forwarded to the US where the website is administered.

 

So, beware if considering using your Visa debit card, use a credit card instead!

 

We have the same problem here in the US when cruising the caribbean, most transactions on the island are charged in US$, but credit and debit card companies still charge a foreign transaction fee:(

[peteukmcr]

We have the same problem here in the US when cruising the caribbean, most transactions on the island are charged in US$, but credit and debit card companies still charge a foreign transaction fee:(

 

Thanks for the information.

 

My point is though as I am performing a transaction within the UK and with RCI UK (all my reservation deposits or payments when booking online are processed by the UK office and therefore, do not attract a foreign transaction fee) why should this one, just because RCI decide to process them from Miami?

[Jolimont]

That's good to know. Thank you Pete.

[setsail]

Non US????

 

Has nothing to do with RCCL site, its the Banks. For a while now some users of last minute travel were getting the charge, seems BOA was one, with chase there was no charge, so it is all the banks. Call your bank.

[kyriecat]

Non US????

 

Has nothing to do with RCCL site, its the Banks. For a while now some users of last minute travel were getting the charge, seems BOA was one, with chase there was no charge, so it is all the banks. Call your bank.

Just FYI - Chase implemented a 3% surcharge on all purchases made in US$ but processed outside the US back in February. BoA implemented one at the end of last year. Capital One and Discover card (as of 2 weeks ago) didn't have a surcharge.

 

It does stink that the banks are doing that. It would be nice if websites would post where they process the CC charge so you can avoid it. I ordered a couple things online three weeks ago from a website that I had used in the past. The charges were is US$ and the package was shipped from Washington, but the CC was processed in Canada so Chase hit me with the extra 3%. :( I didn't know until then that the company was Canadian sinice it's not shown on their website or packing list.

 

I bought some airline tickets last week and noticed the Continental airlines website now has a notice that transactions MAY be processed outside the US even though prices are shown in US$. :rolleyes:

[peteukmcr]

Non US????

 

Has nothing to do with RCCL site, its the Banks. For a while now some users of last minute travel were getting the charge, seems BOA was one, with chase there was no charge, so it is all the banks. Call your bank.

 

I have called my bank and even though my purchase was from RCI UK, as RCI decided to process it from Miami, in the eyes of my bank it's a foreign transaction so won't budge.

 

Just FYI - Chase implemented a 3% surcharge on all purchases made in US$ but processed outside the US back in February. BoA implemented one at the end of last year. Capital One and Discover card (as of 2 weeks ago) didn't have a surcharge.

 

It does stink that the banks are doing that. It would be nice if websites would post where they process the CC charge so you can avoid it. I ordered a couple things online three weeks ago from a website that I had used in the past. The charges were is US$ and the package was shipped from Washington, but the CC was processed in Canada so Chase hit me with the extra 3%. :( I didn't know until then that the company was Canadian sinice it's not shown on their website or packing list.

 

I bought some airline tickets last week and noticed the Continental airlines website now has a notice that transactions MAY be processed outside the US even though prices are shown in US$. :rolleyes:

This is what is required on the RCI site, but unless I write a letter of complaint they don't intend to do anything about it.

[rdharbis1]

I booked an excursion in Cozumel online and got a surcharge. I contacted my card people, BOA, and tried to get it removed since I use the card for everything, almost. No chance of that happening they said. I am pretty sure I have used that card in St. Maarten and have never noticed the charge so I am assuming it is relatively new.

Anyway, I called my bank card people and complained and it didn't change anything but my blood pressure. But now I can complain since I tried, right! ;)

 

I understand the ops frustration. The internet and online purchasing is a global thing and for the most part, you don't know where your transaction is taking place. You should at least be informed that if the transaction is confirmed it will incur the surcharge!

[C U Onboard]

 

My point is though as I am performing a transaction within the UK and with RCI UK (all my reservation deposits or payments when booking online are processed by the UK office and therefore, do not attract a foreign transaction fee) why should this one, just because RCI decide to process them from Miami?

 

Don't know if you have read the UK terms & conditions lately but the following extracts seem to suggest otherwise :confused:

 

"The following Booking Conditions together with our General Information form the basis of your contract. All bookings are subject to these booking conditions. The parties to that contract are yourself and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. of Miami,Florida (“RCCL”). With the exception of bookings for cruises on Brilliance of the Seas where your contract will be with RCL (UK) Ltd (a subsidiary of RCCL) RCCL accepts legal responsibility for the proper performance of this contract as set out below”

 

Also

 

"1.1 How do I make a booking? For all bookings you mustpay a deposit of £150 per person (or full payment if booking within 56 days of departure) at the time of booking....... Please note that any payment you make to us using a debit or credit card will be settled via a bank in the US, and therefore your card issuer may chose to apply a foreign settlement fee. Please refer to the terms and conditions of your debit or credit card details."

 

If this is correct then it is not just debit/credit card charges for gifts & gear that will be hit :mad:

 

Surely this cannot be right?

[peteukmcr]

Don't know if you have read the UK terms & conditions lately but the following extracts seem to suggest otherwise :confused:

 

"The following Booking Conditions together with our General Information form the basis of your contract. All bookings are subject to these booking conditions. The parties to that contract are yourself and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. of Miami,Florida (“RCCL”). With the exception of bookings for cruises on Brilliance of the Seas where your contract will be with RCL (UK) Ltd (a subsidiary of RCCL) RCCL accepts legal responsibility for the proper performance of this contract as set out below”

 

Also

 

"1.1 How do I make a booking? For all bookings you mustpay a deposit of £150 per person (or full payment if booking within 56 days of departure) at the time of booking....... Please note that any payment you make to us using a debit or credit card will be settled via a bank in the US, and therefore your card issuer may chose to apply a foreign settlement fee. Please refer to the terms and conditions of your debit or credit card details."

 

If this is correct then it is not just debit/credit card charges for gifts & gear that will be hit :mad:

 

Surely this cannot be right?

 

Thanks for this. Not sure if this is a fairly new addition or update to the conditions of booking, but it should be clearer than this IMHO when ordering goods and when entering payment information.

 

Looks like they are covered. Oh well, I'll know in future, thanks again.

[Albert Ross]

Pete - this doesn't happen with shore excursions does it? I think it would have been mentioned before on these boards if it did!

[peteukmcr]

Pete - this doesn't happen with shore excursions does it? I think it would have been mentioned before on these boards if it did!

 

We haven't pre-booked any shore excursions or anything else for this sailing due to the VAT issue as sailing out of a Spanish port and not visiting any non-EU port, RCI won't let us pre-book wine packages, speciality restuarants in advance.

 

It didn't happen with the shore excursions we pre-booked last year for our FOS sailing.

[Yorkshire-Pudding]

Thank you for pointing this out. I have recently made a number of purchases such as Chops, Portofino's, excursions and gifts quite merrily on my UK credit card and had assumed that the price I would pay was based on the sterling transactions quoted on the RCI UK website at the time of purchase. As I am not sailing until July I may review and even reverse out these purchases following your tip and checking with my card provider.

[peteukmcr]

Thank you for pointing this out. I have recently made a number of purchases such as Chops, Portofino's, excursions and gifts quite merrily on my UK credit card and had assumed that the price I would pay was based on the sterling transactions quoted on the RCI UK website at the time of purchase. As I am not sailing until July I may review and even reverse out these purchases following your tip and checking with my card provider.

 

You maybe OK with a credit card, this charge was levied as part of the conditions of 'using' my Visa debit card 'abroad', even though I wasn't abroad!

[toonye]

Please note that any payment you make to us using a debit or credit card will be settled via a bank in the US, and therefore your card issuer may chose to apply a foreign settlement fee. Please refer to the terms and conditions of your debit or credit card details

 

I live in France and same issue here: although the prices quoted on their website are in EUR , they charge your card from the US which means "abroad transaction" regarding your card issuer, wherever you are

 

This is not new, at least not since I discovered RCCL back in 2007

 

This is true for the "gift and gear" shop but also for the shore excursions you book online.

 

The fees that are charged by your bank for abroad transactions are written on your debit or credit card contract.

 

There are even credit cards with no fee at all.

My bank charges 1% but I have other credit cards and their issuers charge as high as 3% per transaction:eek:

 

Some people were able to negotiate the rate with their bank... (must have a lot on their account though;))

 

You'll have the same issue when you pay your sea pass account onboard with your credit card

It'll be considered a foreign transaction, so : be aware:rolleyes:

 

Toonye