Prepaid Travel Credit Card

[Hlitner]

15 hours ago, Tee & Chilli said:

Do most people take a small amount of currency for small purchases like taxi and coffee?

That really depends on the individual's travel habits and which countries.  As a very independent traveler who rarely takes a cruise line excursion and often used public transit, trains, rental, cars, etc. we will usually carry some local currency.  Depending on our travel plans we might actually have a substantial amount of local currency.  We get nearly all of our currency from bank ATM machines which is easy and gets us the best exchange rates.   There is a relatively new tendency in some northern European countries not to use cash...so when we are in Finland and Sweden we seldom carry local currency.  Finland might be showing us the future as that country has nearly eliminated the use of cash.  I recently read that less then 10% of transactions in Finland are via cash.  When we stopped in a small coffee shop in Helsinki we did not see a single person using cash....even for buying a single cup of coffee.  It is strange to use a credit card for a $3 purchase but that is the way it is in that country.

 

Hank

[clo]

42 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

It is strange to use a credit card for a $3 purchase but that is the way it is in that country.

Now that we get 3X points for dining and travel we're doing it more and more 🙂

[ldubs]

On 1/15/2020 at 5:27 PM, Tee & Chilli said:

Do most people take a small amount of currency for small purchases like taxi and coffee?

 

We do usually.  Just for the very reasons you mention.  At this point we have enough leftover Euros that we can just reach into the shoebox for some fast cash instead of going to the bank.  haha.   Of course, that doesn't help if we are traveling where Euros aren't used.  Our next trip is to Singapore.  It is half land and half cruise so I'm sure Mrs Ldubs secured more of those dollars than we would for a cruise only.     

[Philob]

22 hours ago, Hlitner said:

It is strange to use a credit card for a $3 purchase but that is the way it is in that country.

In major cities in China, neither cash or CC is accepted at some retail places and most vending machines.

 

For the past few visits I've been trying to by a bottle of ice-cold Coke from a manned kiosk in a pedestrian mall in Guangzhou. 1st time I was short a few coins.  A couple of years later I brought plenty of coins 😉  No cash or credit cards accepted, only AliPay or WePay apps only 😣 and both need to be linked to a local bank.

[SRF]

On 1/13/2020 at 7:16 PM, TravelinGert said:

Has anyone here had trouble with this? We travel every year to Europe and have had no issue with our cards there. The only time anyone ever messed with one of our cards it happened right here at home to a new card. We'd had the account for years but when we renewed got a new card number due to something on the bank's end. Went out to eat and the next day got a text asking had we made a charge on a website they'd had a lot of questionable charges from. We had not. They sent us yet another new card with yet another new number. It had to have been due to someone at the restaurant when the waiter took our card to the back to pay our bill as that was the only place that card number was ever used.

 

Similar here.   I have had cards compromised several times.  Every time was in the US.  

[SRF]

On 1/17/2020 at 10:09 AM, Philob said:

In major cities in China, neither cash or CC is accepted at some retail places and most vending machines.

 

For the past few visits I've been trying to by a bottle of ice-cold Coke from a manned kiosk in a pedestrian mall in Guangzhou. 1st time I was short a few coins.  A couple of years later I brought plenty of coins 😉  No cash or credit cards accepted, only AliPay or WePay apps only 😣 and both need to be linked to a local bank.

 

That has not been my experience.  Cash has always been accepted.

[SRF]

On 1/14/2020 at 1:54 PM, John Bull said:

 

Not a problem I've experienced, of course.

 

But whereas unmanned fuel pumps, rail ticket machines, and a lot of other automated machines won't work without a PIN number (same as a lot of gas pumps in the US won't work without a zip-code) I've not heard of manned outlets like restaurants failing to accept cards which don't have a PIN.

 

But of course there'll be the occasional "saturday staff" who don't know how it works.

 

And whereas there was almost-always the option to feed cash into a machine or pay an attendant, there are now more and more machines (parking, public phones etc) which only accept plastic and fewer and fewer manned alternatives.

 

JB 

 

For transit tickets in Netherlands, it is either cash or chip/PIN.  No chip/signature cards accepted.

 

That is about the only place I have run into that.  Most places are now familiar with chip/signature cards.

 

But interestingly, most times they do not want a signature.

[Joebucks]

On 1/16/2020 at 12:00 PM, Hlitner said:

It is strange to use a credit card for a $3 purchase but that is the way it is in that country.

 

I've never understood why this is such a bizarre concept to some people. Is there some sort of minimum spend threshold to use a card? I almost never use cash for a multitude of reasons. Let's just keep it to not wanting to deal with change and touching dirty money for smaller sales. I'm certainly not paying anything extra to do this. In fact, I am getting rewards from it.

[SRF]

Because many of us remember minimum levels for charges.

 

Many stores used to have a $10 or $15 minimum to use a charge card.  So, we don't think of making very small purchases on a card.

[clo]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

Because many of us remember minimum levels for charges.

 

Many stores used to have a $10 or $15 minimum to use a charge card.  So, we don't think of making very small purchases on a card.

Hmm, now that you mention it it seems like I've seen that recently. I'll have to keep an eye out. And now that we have the 3x Chase card, there's no amount that's too small 🙂 

[SRF]

I have seen it a very few places.  Mainly small shops.

 

But not as often as in past years.

[thethreeofus]

On 1/13/2020 at 3:38 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

We got a debit card for travel from our bank, Wells Fargo.  No FTFs and the connection to our accounts is protected, since the card can only access the amount we put on it. 

 

IOW, someone stealing the card and fraudulently using it could not clean out our account because that card cannot access our account.  The most they could get is the amount we had already placed on it. 

 

We basically only use this card to get foreign currency at ATMs.  For other purchases we use our regular credit card and, given the choice, have the charge made in the local currency and let the card, which also has no FTF, do the exchange rate to dollars.

We have the same with Wells Fargo.  It is a Debit card with VISA privileges.  It is NOT attached with our checking account so if it is hacked there is no way of getting to the rest of our monies.  It is a separate account number, separate PIN and separate card.  There are no foreign transaction fees.  No monthly bank fee as long as $500 is kept in the account.

[clo]

10 hours ago, thethreeofus said:

We have the same with Wells Fargo.  It is a Debit card with VISA privileges.  It is NOT attached with our checking account so if it is hacked there is no way of getting to the rest of our monies.  It is a separate account number, separate PIN and separate card.  There are no foreign transaction fees.  No monthly bank fee as long as $500 is kept in the account.

Is there a fee for using the card? USAA recently stopped rebating our ATM fees so may be looking around.

[FlyerTalker]

On 1/16/2020 at 10:43 AM, clo said:

Now that we get 3X points for dining and travel we're doing it more and more 🙂

 

Double check whether that applies outside the USA as well.  Amex Gold was only giving 4x on restaurants in the USA up until a few months back - now worldwide.

[SRF]

9 hours ago, clo said:

Is there a fee for using the card? USAA recently stopped rebating our ATM fees so may be looking around.

 

Since when?

 

I know there is now a limit on how much you can get back.

 

Nope, just checked.  They still rebate up to $15 per month in "foreign" (non-USAA ATM fees).

 

There are some new terms about Savings accounts since 12/2/19.

 

They do charge a 1% foreign transaction fee, even if the charge is USD.  Which is weird.

Edited January 20, 2020 by SRF

[John Bull]

19 hours ago, SRF said:

I have seen (a minimum $10-$15 spend to use a card) in a very few places.  Mainly small shops.

 

But not as often as in past years.

 

Ditto in the UK.

 

Perhaps because there was a minimum card commission per transaction.

 

Or perhaps because of the workload before electronic card-readers, contactless etc, which work by magic.

Remember the old handraulic roller machines which took an impression of the card details on a triple-copy form, then the clerk wrote in the amounts & the customer signed, then the merchant paid one copy into their bank ?

I hated standing in line with the correct amount in cash while those in front faffed around with their cards & pens.

What fun. 

 

BTW, re your comment about checking signatures on chip & sign - many's the time I've used my partner's card in the USA without the clerk blinking an eye - not phased that apparently my name is Julie 

 

JB 

Edited January 20, 2020 by John Bull

[clo]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Since when?

 

I know there is now a limit on how much you can get back.

 

Nope, just checked.  They still rebate up to $15 per month in "foreign" (non-USAA ATM fees).

 

There are some new terms about Savings accounts since 12/2/19.

 

They do charge a 1% foreign transaction fee, even if the charge is USD.  Which is weird.

Can you provide a USAA link please? The ones I saw were somewhat incomplete and non-USAA sites said they don't rebate ATM fees outside the US. I find that odd since they were started to serve the military. Thanks, Bud.

 

[clo]

11 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Double check whether that applies outside the USA as well.  Amex Gold was only giving 4x on restaurants in the USA up until a few months back - now worldwide.

I'll double check but a quick search just now kept saying "worldwide."

[SRF]

1 hour ago, clo said:

Can you provide a USAA link please? The ones I saw were somewhat incomplete and non-USAA sites said they don't rebate ATM fees outside the US. I find that odd since they were started to serve the military. Thanks, Bud.

 

Your wish ........

 

https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/banking_secure_checking_service_fees_terms

 

Midway down.

 

But yes, they do NOT reimburse ATM fees for ATMs outside the US.  But most ATMs outside the US do not charge fees.  Travelex are about the only ones in Europe I have seen charge a fee.

 

I had not realized that 10 per month limit.  But I maybe hit the ATM once per week, so unlikely to have hit it.

 

USAA was actually started by some former military (USAF officers) who thought that military officers were a LOWER risk, but were being charged higher premiums by insurance companies.

Edited January 20, 2020 by SRF

[clo]

7 minutes ago, SRF said:

But most ATMs outside the US do not charge fees. 

Ah, now I see. Thanks. And I'm guessing the transaction fee is just built into the exchange rate.

 

Bob's been with USAA for over 50 years...from back when he was "an officer and a gentleman." We LOVE USAA.

[SRF]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

Ah, now I see. Thanks. And I'm guessing the transaction fee is just built into the exchange rate.

 

Bob's been with USAA for over 50 years...from back when he was "an officer and a gentleman." We LOVE USAA.

 

No exchange rate, you take out local currency, they bill your account in local currency.  Except recently, Travelex and EuroNet machines have been offering to do the conversion for you.  At STUPID rates.

 

I have been a member for coming up on 40 years.  My Dad has been a member for 70 years.  Yes, SEVENTY.

 

I keep asking them why WE are not in one of their commercials.  We HAVE BEEN members for life. 😄

 

Just sent a short email.

Edited January 20, 2020 by SRF

[clo]

1 minute ago, SRF said:

I keep asking them why WE are not in one of their commercials. 

That's too funny. I've asked them the same thing! A few years ago we were doing a house exchange in DC. Because Bob's family had lived in Annapolis we went out there one day. They have/had a bricks and mortar USAA office. I couldn't get in there fast enough 🙂

 

Bob's father was a Marine fighter pilot in WWII and Korea but then died in a peace time helicopter rescue. He was around 50 so didn't get all the years in that your father did.

[SRF]

OK.  My Dad says when he calls and he gives them his number, they always tell him that it isn't long enough.  He tells them that it is correct, so they check, and it is.  He has like a 4 digit number. 😄

 

 

[TravelinGert]

On 1/17/2020 at 9:09 AM, Philob said:

In major cities in China, neither cash or CC is accepted at some retail places and most vending machines.

 

For the past few visits I've been trying to by a bottle of ice-cold Coke from a manned kiosk in a pedestrian mall in Guangzhou. 1st time I was short a few coins.  A couple of years later I brought plenty of coins 😉  No cash or credit cards accepted, only AliPay or WePay apps only 😣 and both need to be linked to a local bank.

Haven't done China yet but I've heard this is a reason to use a local tour company especially in rural China. Luckily a friend married a woman from China some years ago so we'll be traveling with her as our translator and guide when we go.

[TravelinGert]

On 1/19/2020 at 7:12 AM, Joebucks said:

 

I've never understood why this is such a bizarre concept to some people. Is there some sort of minimum spend threshold to use a card? I almost never use cash for a multitude of reasons. Let's just keep it to not wanting to deal with change and touching dirty money for smaller sales. I'm certainly not paying anything extra to do this. In fact, I am getting rewards from it.

There was a time when vendors were charged extra in some cases for charges under a certain amount. You see a lot less places with signs saying no charge or debit card for purchases under $X.XX but it used to be something that was common in the way back when of my youth. You mostly saw it with single local shops presume because their total amount charged would be so little as compares to large chains commonly seen in cities of the time. 

 

I used to never pay small amounts with charge or debit but like most folks now my paycheck is direct deposit now. Because my local bank was bought by a major bank which closed down all the local access including ATMs I do nearly everything with cards. I get points for all CC use so I'm not at all unhappy to always use cards. 

 

This isn't the case in a lot of other places in the world in my experience.

 

In France in a small town neighborhood bakery where everyone is trying to grab their bread and something for lunch on the way to the train to work you better have cash, it better be smaller bills, and you better have it close to hand. Found that out when I tried to use a card. They did have a CC machine but it took some work for them to get it hooked up because it was thrown in a drawer due to being barely used. That was just last year. In big cities like Paris everything will likely take credit cards and be ready to accept them at all times, though.

 

In England in smaller towns they'll prefer cash at the pub when buying your round. They can usually take cards I think, but it just isn't socially done. Or at least that was so visiting friends in several different smaller towns. Even in London at a historic restaurant they had to dig the card machine out of a drawer it was tossed in because no one ever uses cards there and they weren't able to get it working. Luckily we had just enough cash. That was in November 2018.

Edited January 21, 2020 by TravelinGert