3% Credit Card Foreign Transaction Fee!

[Portolan]

Just so there's no confusion, the two $1,000 deposits were made by me from home, via telephone, New Jersey to Miami, after our return home from the cruise.

 

Maybe that's another reason to use a TA since (as described above) I had no surcharge when using a Chase card for an Oceania deposit.:D

[aaannnthony]

Porto, so sorry that you're most apparently "lost in space"! Pray tell, how would a T/A's deposit versus mine change things??........"HELLO"!!

 

P.S. to Jan, I was looking forward to your update, instead, a nonsense response, as herein noted, is received.

[Portolan]

Now I understand your reputation AAAA...

 

If you use a TA, 1) this doesn't seem to have happened to anybody else, and 2) somebody you can deal with locally and who REALLY wants to keep you happy will deal with it.

[LHT28]

Just a thought but maybe the payment was made as a CASH payment from Visa which according to their website inccurs a 3% fee.

http://rightcreditcards.com/02l/top-5-credit-cards.html

[lcand1923]

In the past three months we have charged a deposit for an Oceania Cruise and a final payment for a Celebrity Cruise. Both charges were made to our VISA card. This card was originally issued by Bank One, but is now administered by Chase. The charges were correct.

 

We have also gotten a notice from AAA re their money card which is administered by VISA (no mention of bank). Starting April 1, they were going to use a floating rate for all non-US transactions.

[ClaudiaF]

wrote in part:

I think we're getting away from the original post which is what I know I'd like an answer to! That question is in regard to a US resident charging his shipboard account in US dollars to a Chase visa card on a ship that advertises itself (I'm pretty sure) as using US dollars as the currency on board, being charged a foreign currency conversion fee. And then later using (presumably) that same card to book two cruises thru a US office and being charged a foreign currency conversion fee.

 

Also posted on the YAhoo board, but in case you missed Durant has an article at his website that discusses this very issue ( re: cruise ships & these charges) perhaps since he reads this board he can tell us whatother ships have done this to answer your question ;-)

( see cross border transaction fee)

http://europeforvisitors.com/europe/articles/credit_card_surcharges2.htm

[ClaudiaF]

Porto, so sorry that you're most apparently "lost in space"! Pray tell, how would a T/A's deposit versus mine change things??........"HELLO"!!

 

P.S. to Jan, I was looking forward to your update, instead, a nonsense response, as herein noted, is received.

 

totally uncalled for..................

[digby]

"Have you looked into the AE Travelers Check Credit Card..you pre place money in this account and use it as a credit card."

 

Aren't you giving AE an interest free loan of your money when you do this?

 

I find if you shop around you can avoid the 3% fee for foreign transactions. My credit union VISA doesn't charge it which is why I use it when out of the country.

[dd@sea]

Claudia, I would have to agree completely. His comments reek of insensitiveness and rudeness towards others. Fortunately, the majority of board members (99.9%) do not have his "attitude" of degrading others.

[bbqbears]

We are booked on an Oceania cruise for October 18. I've made a downpayment, and several $1000 "installments" toward the cruise using a milage first VISA. Have not seen a surcharge on any.

[aaannnthony]

Mr. FDR, I see you've posted several times in the last three days regarding single supplements, prime beef in the POLO, shuttles to town, excursions, and coupons for future cruise credit.

 

I would very much appreciate your comment on this matter. I find it very strange that I am the only CC'er to experience this problem. I've absolutely failed in two telephone discussions with Chase, and, two letters as well. They insist that Oceania converts transactions to US$ currency on all their transactions!

[Guest Jancruz]

Anthony, Since you are the only one that this has happened to..I suggest again, you cancel the charges and pay on a different card..

I have been busy the last couple of days (holiday) and have not had a chance to have a conversation with anyone at Oceania

Jan:)

[shmabbies]

Actually, Jan, on the "other" board, someone posted a similar experience as Aaanthony's, as to a new cruise booking.

[Guest Jancruz]

I will find out tomorrow what is going on...I just know if it was on my charge..I would definitely cancel and put it on another card and then find out whats going on..I like to take the easy way..

Jan:)

[shmabbies]

That might be a question to ask Oceania at the same time - would they reverse, and then re-charge, a credit card charge for one's shipboard account, weeks or months after the original transaction. :o

[fjdelrio]

Hello AAANNNTHONY:

 

We are aware of this situation and are investigating to see what we can do stop certain banks from continuing this practice.

The good news is that this happens sporadically and only in the vast MINORITY of our transactions.

The vast MAJORITY of issuing banks do not seem to charge the premium.

 

I want to assure everyone that the premiums being charged (which range from 1% to 3% of the amount billed) do NOT accrue to Oceania Cruises benefit, nor to the benefit of the processing bank that we use.

 

For now, I urge everyone to be a bit selective and use a credit card that doesn't charge the premium.

 

Thanks

 

Frank

[aaannnthony]

Mr. FDR, thanks for your response and your considerations.

 

I will now ask you to consider the following. How about having your Legal Department prepare a letter that addresses this issue, that all Oceania charges to its customers, both at Headquarters and aboard its ships, are in US$ currency, and not another currency that's then converted to US$'s. Oceania has apparently been misclassified by some banks, mine particularly, as International. With such a document from Oceania, anyone affected, as I have been, has something to present to its credit card company. In my communications with Chase, I have pretty much been told to "get lost", Oceania is an International operator subject to the 3% "International Transaction Fee", and, there can be no adjustment.

 

I've noticed a few similar comments on the Yahoo board. This "surcharge" matter with the banks appears to has just begun in the last three months, however, the problem will most probably increase as time moves on.

 

Please give this matter further attention. Thanks again for addressing this issue!

[LHT28]

Oceania has apparently been misclassified by some banks, mine particularly, as International. With such a document from Oceania, anyone affected, as I have been, has something to present to its credit card company. In my communications with Chase, I have pretty much been told to "get lost", Oceania is an International operator subject to the 3% "International Transaction Fee", and, there can be no adjustment.

 

Just curious...

Did they say how they came to the conclusion that it was International operator?

Maybe some Yo Yo at the bank cannot differentiate the area "OCEANIA" (south Pacific) with the cruise line "Oceania"

Maybe you should send them a brochure!;)

[ccpuff04]

I posted the note on the other board after experiencing a similar unknown surcharge reported by aaannnthony. Fortunately, my bank issued a full credit for the 1% surcharge added to my Oceania charges (roughly $60). Unfortunately, it's still not clear as to who added the 1% . . . but it appears to be the bank that Oceania uses to process its charges. But why some cruisers incur the charge, some have a 3% markup, and some have no charge at all is a mystery. My thanks to Mr. Del Rio for looking into this. I hope it gets resolved at the Oceania level. While it appears that this has only affected a few Oceania cruisers, there may be many out there that have no idea that they have had the extra surcharges added to their VISA statements and just pay the bill. My bank says that the surcharges "should" be broken out as a separate line item making it very clear that the charge has been added, however, mine was added right into the deposit paid to Oceania ($1000 turned into $1010). I didn't even think to look at my VISA statement until I read aaannnthony's post. So check your statements closely - this may be the tip of the iceburg.

 

Allen

 

PS So how WAS that Baltic cruise? My wife and I are headed off on the Regatta on Aug 17th.

[aaannnthony]

I sent my third letter to Chase yesterday after receiving a "boiler-plate" response from them that "The fee is for transactions made in a foreign currency....".I've again requested that they contact a senior official at Oceania HQ's in Miami to resolve this matter.

[ClaudiaF]

I sent my third letter to Chase yesterday after receiving a "boiler-plate" response from them that "The fee is for transactions made in a foreign currency....".I've again requested that they contact a senior official at Oceania HQ's in Miami to resolve this matter.

 

Betcha that won't happen ;-)

[aaannnthony]

I don't expect it to happen, however, I do expect a positive response, in due course, to my July 6th post/request above, #42. With that, I'll finally have something to work with in letter # four!

[Guest Jancruz]

Frank has been traveling again and will be back in the office this week..I am sure he will answer you then..

 

Jan:)

*****

[YOW]

We're in the same boat, so to speak, as aaannnthony. We used our MBNA MasterCard, a US-issued card, for our Oceania deposit. The charge from Oceania was $1000. MBNA added a 1% 'foreign currency' surcharge. They've only recently begun to do this on our transactions in Canada, and on our recent trip to Scandinavia they started charging from the third day.

 

Yet why on a US-based, US dollar transaction?

[LHT28]

We're in the same boat, so to speak, as aaannnthony. We used our MBNA MasterCard, a US-issued card, for our Oceania deposit. The charge from Oceania was $1000. MBNA added a 1% 'foreign currency' surcharge. They've only recently begun to do this on our transactions in Canada, and on our recent trip to Scandinavia they started charging from the third day.

 

Is this an extra charge or just the extra % on the currency exchange?

I know our RB Visa charges 2.5% on top of the daily posted rate exchange.