28° Mastercard Cash Advances while overseas [No more free cash advances from 1/1/14]

[KateMayo]

Generally speaking, I put my Wizard into +ve credit before I go away, and when I come back, and once all expenses have been posted, I transfer another small amount to round up the balance, then I go to a local ATM (Westpac to avoid fees) and withdraw the entire balance in AUD...so my statement will never be in credit for more than 1 cycle :idea:

This is exactly what I do - except that I have had it in +ve credit for up to four months in the past without any problems

 

[snufl]

I posted this link in another thread but thought it may be helpful here as well.
https://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/currencyconversion/index.html

 

[serfty]

Interestingly, those Westpac rates include their "Sell Rates" wich have profit built in. Note this is before Westpac may charge any CC currency conversion fees.

Xe.com give a cross rate for Monday May 31st of 0.8414, Westpac's is 0.8383.

 

[JohnK]

Has anyone used this card in Thailand recently?

Are the rates still favourable? Does anyone remember which bank does not charge the THB150 ATM withdrawal fee?

 

[serfty]

Has anyone used this card in Thailand recently?

Are the rates still favourable? Does anyone remember which bank does not charge the THB150 ATM withdrawal fee?

We used ours in Bangkok during April '09 before the THB150 fee was imposed - it worked well then.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I wasn't able to find any bank that didn't impose the 150 BHT fee. Seems they must have did a nudge nudge wink wink amonst themselves.

Not sure if you can avoid the fee using HSBC or a foreign bank ATM. I didn't think to try on the odd occassion i saw one.

 

[missindecisive]

I'm going travelling soon so called Wizard to notify them of my dates and locations. The customer service representative said that I could only put my account in credit up to $2000 otherwise my account would be blocked. They said this was due to anti money laundering reasons.

In the past I've put my account in credit greater than $2000 with no problems, but I'm not sure whether this is a new rule.

Has anyone used their card recently and added more than $2000 and didn't have their card blocked?

I'm travelling for 6 weeks and not sure about my access to internet, and want to avoid a situation where I have to continuously add more money to my Wizard because it can't be more than $2000 in credit at any one time.

 

[serfty]

I'm going travelling soon so called Wizard to notify them of my dates and locations. The customer service representative said that I could only put my account in credit up to $2000 otherwise my account would be blocked. They said this was due to anti money laundering reasons. ...

Welcome to AFF missindecisive

My advice to you and anyone else in this situation is, if you intend to use your card overseas, to:

1. Call and tell them you are going overseas and where you intent to travel.
2. Do not reveal that you intend to put the account into credit before departing.

If you are concerned about putting too much into your account, you can generally schedule staged payments to be made (allow 3 or 4 working days for each one to hit your account).

 

[missindecisive]

Welcome to AFF missindecisive


My advice to you and anyone else in this situation is, if you intend to use your card overseas, to:

1. Call and tell them you are going overseas and where you intent to travel.
2. Do not reveal that you intend to put the account into credit before departing.

If you are concerned about putting too much into your account, you can generally schedule staged payments to be made (allow 3 or 4 working days for each one to hit your account).

Thanks serefty! My main concern is that my card will be blocked and I won't be able to use it. From what the guy said, if I put my account into credit by more than $2000 then it would be blocked.

Do you think whether I tell them I'm planning to put the account into credit or not will make a difference? Are you thinking if I alert them to the issue then they might monitor the account and block it if I go ahead?

I'm thinking one thing I could do is to put say $3000 on the card and then see if it really does get blocked... I've got about 1.5 weeks before leaving, although it could be a hassle to sort out if it really gets blocked... My other idea I have is to call again and speak to someone else and see if they say the same thing, but from what you're saying, I shouldn't reveal that I plan to put the account into credit.

Thanks again. Just not sure whether I should follow their advice and keep it to below $2000.

 

[serfty]

Reports indicate this is OK. I have never had any issue with putting my account into credit.

Please see this recent post:

Generally speaking, I put my Wizard into +ve credit before I go away, and when I come back, and once all expenses have been posted, I transfer another small amount to round up the balance, then I go to a local ATM (Westpac to avoid fees) and withdraw the entire balance in AUD...so my statement will never be in credit for more than 1 cycle :idea:

This is exactly what I do - except that I have had it in +ve credit for up to four months in the past without any problems

 

[JohnK]

I wasn't able to find any bank that didn't impose the 150 BHT fee. Seems they must have did a nudge nudge wink wink amonst themselves.

I remember a post on AFF a few months back where someone mentioned a Thai Bank that does not impose the THB150 ATM withdrawal fee. I was involved in the discussion but cannot seem to find the name of the bank.

I will have more than enough cash on me but just wondering whether it would be more favourable using the Wizard card. Perhaps I will try a small(ish) test transaction. The AUD going into free fall does not help.

 

[kpc]

I remember a post on AFF a few months back where someone mentioned a Thai Bank that does not impose the THB150 ATM withdrawal fee.

Is it this bank? Bank of Ayudhya
UOB free ATM's in Thailand (no 150 Baht charge) - Page 2

 

[JohnK]

Is it this bank? Bank of Ayudhya

That could be the one. Also remember something about UOB bank.

I will try it out next week and try to remember to post the results on this thread.

 

[Chicken]

Had anyone tried the new Internet banking on Wizard? Are statements proper looking PDF? Or just a web page of transactions?

They don't allow paper statement once you migrate to the new Internet banking (not unless you pay a fee anyway), and I don't want to lose paper statement if they don't provide proper statements.

 

[Flashback]

Had anyone tried the new Internet banking on Wizard? Are statements proper looking PDF? Or just a web page of transactions?

They don't allow paper statement once you migrate to the new Internet banking (not unless you pay a fee anyway), and I don't want to lose paper statement if they don't provide proper statements.

If you login and go to statements, then click on the applicable one it will generate a proper statement for you.

 

[serfty]

Had anyone tried the new Internet banking on Wizard? Are statements proper looking PDF? Or just a web page of transactions?

They don't allow paper statement once you migrate to the new Internet banking (not unless you pay a fee anyway), and I don't want to lose paper statement if they don't provide proper statements.

I have but I have not gone past accepting a "paper statement fee" as part of the new online baking T&C's.

I will be keeping a close eye on my paper statements in future and lookout for a "forced" transfer to this.

 

[kpc]

The online transactions don't seem to give the foreign currency amount, only the AUD equivalent which I find annoying as it makes it difficult to reconcile your foreign currency purchases as well as making sure you were indeed charged the correct foreign exchange amount:evil:

 

[FL360]

I have made forex purchases just before and after the new online system come in place. I did some calculations using rates from finance.yahoo.com.

Happy to announce that the rate was still as good as before (transactions in HKD).
Yes the original amount deducted disappeared from the online transaction screen, however I think they will still appear in the statements.

As for paper statement, they kind of force you to make a decision, if you decide to use this new online system.

The online transactions don't seem to give the foreign currency amount, only the AUD equivalent which I find annoying as it makes it difficult to reconcile your foreign currency purchases as well as making sure you were indeed charged the correct foreign exchange amount:evil:

 

[Alanslegal]

The online transactions don't seem to give the foreign currency amount, only the AUD equivalent which I find annoying as it makes it difficult to reconcile your foreign currency purchases as well as making sure you were indeed charged the correct foreign exchange amount:evil:

Agreed :evil: :evil: :!:

 

[serfty]

Oh well; I'm due a statement in the next week or two - it should have a USD transaction on it.

I checked last month and there was no mention of this new fee on it, so I'll hold off with the online stuff.