capitol one credit card and VAT tax

[gbdola]

I have head that Capitol one credit card doesn't charge for international purchases si I did apply for one. However, I also checked online regarding complaints against Capitol one and there were a lot of complaints. Anyone have any experience with this conpany??
Also How do you get a VAT refund when cruising?? Thanks for the information

[sk8teacher]

I have had a Cap One card for several years now with no complaints at all. I will say that they are very aggressive on watching for fraudulent charges, and have had several calls from them to verify purchases.

When making purchases in foreign countries, no fees are charged. When a charge comes in they convert at the prevailing rate that day.

As for VAT, I believe you must get a form from the individual country to fill out. I have never worried about it as we are not shoppers.

Cheers,

[Keith1010]

I have had no problems with Capital One and have been please that they do not add an extra charge for international purchases.

Keith

[cruisemom42]

Another loyal Cap One user; have had mine for a couple of years and no complaints. You do have to keep in perspective that most people who bother to write in are doing so because they have a complaint. If you're satisfied with the service/card, you are less likely to take the time to say so.

About the VAT: it can be difficult to get the VAT refund when you're cruising. It's easier when you are departing by air as most airports have a desk or office where you can drop off the paperwork (obtained at the place of purchase) and get the VAT refund processed. However, you can only do this for purchases within the departure country. So, if you're flying out of Rome, you could take care of the VAT refund for any purchases in Rome, Naples, Venice, Florence, etc......but not for Athens, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and other places outside Italy.

[uppitycats]

I am in the process of switching from CapitalOne to another credit card. I am one of those annoying people who, for the past 12 years, has paid off my balance in full each month, never rolling over a balance...

yet CapOne raised both the interest rate and annual fee on my card! What's with that??

I'm moving to another VISA that has no annual fee, low percentage rate, and rewards/cash back. They also do international exchange rate at the prevailing rate, as CapOne did.

The VAT tax is an entirely different matter. The other thing not mentioned here is that in order to get the VAT tax back, you have to have made a relatively large purchase *at the same store*. It can't be a series of small stuff "here and there" as you shop, even if it adds up to a large amount from the same country.

[Keith1010]

Originally Posted by uppitycats

I am in the process of switching from CapitalOne to another credit card. I am one of those annoying people who, for the past 12 years, has paid off my balance in full each month, never rolling over a balance...

yet CapOne raised both the interest rate and annual fee on my card! What's with that??

I'm moving to another VISA that has no annual fee, low percentage rate, and rewards/cash back. They also do international exchange rate at the prevailing rate, as CapOne did.

The VAT tax is an entirely different matter. The other thing not mentioned here is that in order to get the VAT tax back, you have to have made a relatively large purchase *at the same store*. It can't be a series of small stuff "here and there" as you shop, even if it adds up to a large amount from the same country.

We always pay our Capital One bill in full as we do with all other Credit Cards so we do not pay attention to the interest rate. And our Capital One card has no annual fee.

Keith

[marco]

As far as refunds for the VAT, ask at the purser's office on board. A little off the subject, but we have a Citi Card. We just got back from a European cruise. They do charge a "conversion fee", but for a charge in Euros that converted to $67, we were charged 44 cents. (Ya, we dind't spend alot, did we?) Way better than had we changed dollars for Euros at an exchange bureau, bank or on the ship, plus our card pays a "cash back" , so the $67 purchase gave us a $1.34 "refund". With the 44 cent "conversion fee", we still ended up almost a buck less than had we paid in cash, regardless of the currency. When all is said and done, 2% cash back (and that's on ALL purchases, anywhere, anytime) ain't a bad deal. No annual fee, either. We do pay the full bill every month, as the annual interest rate is high. (that's where they get ya')

[sharbin1]

I'm another satisfied CapOne user. We use our credit card for all our foreign transactions and an ATM card when we need cash with never a problem. We do always call them before we leave on a trip so they'll be aware we'll be using it out of the U.S.

[globalwife]

I live abroard and have a CapOne card. It is my favorite card becaue I can still get rewards/cash back but the no foreign transaction fee is very nice. I don't have any complaints per say with them but I did notice they started my limit quite lower than other cards but over the past fews years have raised it quite a bit. My only other problem is that I do have to call their fraud department a lot to okay big purchases. For example when I booked my cruise they denied it but after I called they cleared it to be run again. I also pay in full so don't pay attention to interest rates.

[SelectSys]

I am another happy Capital One customer. I appreciate the fact that they both are great on fees as well as being vigilant regarding fraud. I don't use my Capital One card inside the US but it is my #1 card for international travel.