Which credit card should I use?

[Benita]

Thanks Purple Cow. The Conde Nast Article said the Capital One card did not work at ATM machines. I'll have to try it out, once I get it.

[jjfeldm]

Overseas, the Shock of the Surcharge

By DAVID A. KELLY

 

WHILE credit and debit cards make it easier than ever to manage finances while away from home, changes in international fees and the unintended consequences of fraud-detection technology have made traveling with plastic a bit trickier and potentially more expensive than it used to be.

 

"Consumers will save a lot of money if they think about using the right card when traveling, and think about it in advance," said Jennifer Openshaw, chief executive of Openshaw's Family Financial Network and host of "Winning Advice with Jennifer Openshaw" on ABC Radio. "Using the wrong card can add close to 10 percent to the overall cost of a given purchase," she said. "For example, your bank might charge you 3 percent for a purchase, and the merchant might charge 6 percent to convert the charge to dollars."

 

The challenge for most people is that even if they have a few cards from Visa or MasterCard, the financial arrangements and charges may differ depending on the issuing bank, said Justin McNaull, a spokesman for AAA in Washington. "The rates you'll pay depend on the card you carry, the bank that issues the card and the merchant's policies. They all can have varying rates, so the actual cost to you is some combination of those three different aspects," Mr. McNaull said.

 

While MasterCard and Visa charge a 1 percent fee for processing foreign purchases, individual banks or other businesses that issue the credit cards can — and often do — impose a surcharge.

 

"A credit card is still the best way to pay for hotel rooms and big-ticket items," said Ed Perkins, contributing editor to SmarterTravel.com and author of the book "Business Travel When It's Your Money." But, he noted, most banks are now charging a 3 percent surcharge on foreign billings, instead of the 1 percent conversion fee that MasterCard and Visa impose. "The extra 2 percent is a pure gouge, and banks do it because they can get away with it," he said.

 

The additional fees are relatively new. Though they are now typically broken out on credit card statements as foreign currency transaction fees, unless you use a calculator or call your bank you won't know whether your bank is charging you 1 percent, 3 percent or some other percentage.

 

"The 3 percent charge has been coming into effect over the past year, but a lot of smaller banks and credit unions only charge the 1 percent, and American Express is still at 2 percent," Mr. Perkins said. Depending on how much you plan to charge and how often you travel, it may be worth signing up for cards that charge the lower fee.

 

Many banks, including large ones like MBNA, now charge an additional 2 percent for foreign transactions on top of the 1 percent charge by Visa or MasterCard. Capital One, however, is traveler-friendly. Not only does Capital One not charge an additional foreign exchange fee, but it also does not even pass along the 1 percent currency conversion charge that Visa and MasterCard charge for all purchases made abroad.

 

Most travelers don't live by credit cards alone, so when it comes time for getting currency from an A.T.M., make sure you reach for the right piece of plastic. "If you need cash, use a debit card to get money from an A.T.M. instead of a credit card, since the fees are generally much lower," Ms. Openshaw said. "The biggest mistake I see is travelers taking cash from their credit cards, since you get hit with the A.T.M. fee, a cash advance fee and the currency exchange fee. A $1,000 withdrawal from a credit card account can easily end up costing another $50 to $100 if you're not careful."

 

Using a debit card to withdraw money from one of your bank accounts will typically incur only a currency exchange fee and perhaps an A.T.M. fee. But you should check if your bank has partnerships with foreign banks or A.T.M. networks that will reduce the cost of withdrawals and eliminate additional fees.

 

For example, Mr. Perkins said, "With a checking account at Bank of America you can have no fee withdrawals from a handful of major oversees banks, such as Barclays in United Kingdom or Deutsche Bank in Germany, that are part of their global A.T.M. alliance. Or if you have a checking account with Citibank, you can get no-fee withdrawals from Citibank A.T.M.'s throughout the world."

 

If you're using a debit card to get cash from an A.T.M., make sure your debit card is linked to the accounts you want to use. "You might also want to unlink your debit card from accounts that you won't need access to before you go, since a thief could do a lot of damage," said Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for Consumer Action, a nonprofit agency that publishes an annual credit card survey. An alternative can be a prepaid, reloadable cash card not linked to your bank account, like the American Express traveler's check card. Although the card has a one-time $14.95 fee, it is good for three years and travelers can load money onto the card in dollars, euros or pounds. And with a surcharge of 2 percent, they can use the card in a different currency. Withdrawals using the card at A.T.M.'s in the American Express network are $2.50 a transaction, regardless of the amount.

 

But transaction fees aren't the only concerns, as credit card companies and banks are cracking down more aggressively on fraud. While that may sound reassuring, it might end up being upsetting: charges suddenly coming from a foreign country can set off alarms at your bank.

 

Without some notification on your part, you could wind up in an awkward (or at least bothersome) situation at a hotel or restaurant in a foreign country with your credit card charges declined. "Using credit cards while traveling can put you on a high fraud alert, so that after you make a few transactions your card may be denied and you will have to call the bank," Ms. Openshaw said. "You could end up in a situation where you can't use your credit card at all."

 

To avoid this, it's important to call your credit (and debit) card companies and let them know when and where you're going on vacation. That way their fraud detection procedures won't be triggered, or if they are, your plans will already have been recorded. "It doesn't hurt to call both your bank and credit card companies to tell them that you're going to Greece or will be out of the country between certain dates so they won't shut you down," Mr. McNaull of AAA said. "Technology is allowing them to track charges more aggressively, so it's possible that an international shopping spree may create a fraud alert and they will deny legitimate charges."

 

Making sure you've armed your wallet with the most cost-effective array of credit and debit cards takes a little work before the trip. "Be prepared for some runaround when trying to find out the fees for foreign transactions," Ms. Sherry of Consumer Action said. "A lot of representatives don't have a clue, so you have to be persistent."

 

Of course, regardless of how much homework you've done or how many pieces of plastic you carry, it's always smart to have options, she added. "Make sure you have a backup position too. Just put a couple of $100 bills in your wallet, because currency is a good way to protect yourself. If you need money, you can almost always go to an exchange bureau."

[digby]

"I noticed a common thread - those who pay annual fees for their credit cards seem to have no 3% foreign transaction fee, while those who use "free" cards have the fee. I guess those "free" credit card companies have to make up the lost revenue in other ways!"

 

Not true in my case! My no fee credit union VISA charges no overses fees but my with fee UAL VISA does.

[mike35]

As I stated in an earlier response, and as is mentioned in the article, my Capital One card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction charge, plus it has the best mileage "points" of any of the cards that I've had in the past.

 

Mike