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

[pongie]

maybe the issue was with the dealer and not with your card? I have heard that some merchants are blocked.

Not an issue with the merchants but their anti fraud program. Some merchants are classified as high risk so regardless whether or not your account has been flagged as travelling overseas the transaction will still decline. Then the card is temporarily blocked. Try asking the fraud team to exclude your account while overseas or avoid the high risk merchants (Hugo boss, Louis Vuitton, Burberry etc).

 

[PLANT]

Keep getting TXTS to vaildate purchase overseas. Told them going.
This morning I responded with their message and REPLY "1" as requested to authorise.
Got TXT back saying you have now UNSUBCRIBED to receiving TXT's?

WTF?

Making purchases with AIRCANADA.com, can I put my residence as a hotel in USA?? as the cost is cheaper than saying I live in Australia.....mark up conversion by $10-$20!!!!!
Will it allow transaction through or stop it?

 

[dclayw]

After reading the problems people have been having with the card I thought I'd recount my many years with this card. I've had the card since it first came out (used to be called Clear Advantage M/C) and have travelled a lot with it, never had a problem. Never been to Europe with this card and have a 6 week trip coming up. Seems a lot of people are having problems with denied transactions etc., I'm really surprised at that. Maybe some of these problems relate to what your credit rating is, what your $ limit is, or even how long you've been a customer, who knows.

I've pre-booked most of my Europe trip over the past 6 months or so, using the 28 degrees card. Ranging from 2 star hotels in Italy (direct with the hotel), agencies like expedia, venere and booking.com, TGV Europe, Eurostar, Easyjet, omniticket, vivaticket and ticketclic in Italy, local bus companies in both Italy and Switzerland, Trenitalia, specialised tours direct with the tour provider, eg. Vaitcan, Borghese gallery in Rome etc etc etc. Out of all these 10s of transactions the only slight problem I had was that on one occasion the supplier put in the wrong expiry date for my card.

In addition to all this I buy a lot of stuff through Amazon UK and US, ebay and many other transactions direct with overseas suppliers. I've never had one single problem over all these years. So why are people getting random transaction denials, it can't be related to the supplier, many of the failed transactions I've been reading about here are with the same suppliers I've dealt with.

Anyway, although I've used the card a lot I've never experienced a locked card. Do they lock individual cards or the account. Both my wife and I have a card. I've had problems in the past where ATMs swallow my card but never o/s. It's a real pita, even when it happens locally. I asked 28 degrees if I could get a couple of spare cards just in case this happens, they won't do that, but you can get up to 9 cards total. I was thinking of getting a couple of cards in my kids names and take these cards with us (the kids won't be coming on this trip). Has anyone gone down that path.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I would seriously advise against taking "extra" cards with you under someone elses name.

Ring 28 degrees and tell them where you will be, and on what dates. This should minimise the chances of you experiencing blocked transactions, etc.

 

[serfty]

.. and always have a backup card from another financial institution.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was thinking of getting a couple of cards in my kids names and take these cards with us (the kids won't be coming on this trip). Has anyone gone down that path.

depends if the cards have the same number or different numbers. This can vary depending on the type of card you have. If it's all the same number then cancel one card and they're all cancelled. If you have independent supplementary cards then you can often use the other card if the first is cancelled/eaten/lost etc etc.

 

[dclayw]

Yeah I was wondering about that. 28 degrees cards do have different card numbers. If a card is lost/stolen I assume the account would get locked so no other cards would be useable. Fair enough. What if a card is swallowed by an ATM, do you think the other cards would still function OK. That is the situation I want to work around, ATM swallowing a card, (it's why I want to get additional cards). I'm not at all concerned about failed transactions, its' never happened to me the 6 years I've had the card and that's with extensive travelling and buying from o/s, and it's not a major catastrophe anyway.

 

[Shanye2233]

I used this card thru Europe and the states no problems. The only problem I did have was in las Vegas I think due to over the limit per day which actually saved me more money. But every ATM charges money to take out cash ranging from $5 in Vegas to $2.50 in shopping centers in calfornia. I also don't think they charge a cc surcharge in Europe or USA like they do in Sydney no 3% .
Im really glad I used this card and it worked it saved me about $1000

 

[Holly]

I used this card thru Europe and the states no problems. The only problem I did have was in las Vegas I think due to over the limit per day which actually saved me more money. But every ATM charges money to take out cash ranging from $5 in Vegas to $2.50 in shopping centers in calfornia. I also don't think they charge a cc surcharge in Europe or USA like they do in Sydney no 3% .
Im really glad I used this card and it worked it saved me about $1000

Are there any banks in US where no surcharge is applied to ATM withdrawals? I'm about to head off to NYC, LA, San Fran & Vegas. I recall reading somewhere that Chase Banks apparently don't?

 

[Shanye2233]

I think the airport was the cheapest I took out $600 there when I landed. Chase charge Fargo wells charge I haven't found one that doesn't . Remember to tip everyone . I had a house car trip today that was suppose to be free but had to give the guy $10. The more you tip the more you get back. I gave the hertz guy $10 for getting the car for me and he didn't charge me for the baby seat and nav. I did la and Vegas and San Diego nearly. I suggest flying to Vegas the drive from la is long and difficult so many freeways and exits.

 

[MelbMan]

A question, going to Chile and Rio late Jun 2012, have a new 28 degrees card. Will be travelling with this and another Visa another MasterCard. If 28 is loaded up with say $1000 how is this debited as you travel? For example if you take out $500 on day 1, then charge $600 worth of hotel accom to the card does that $600 use up the other $500 preloaded onto the card?

Thanks John

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A question, going to Chile and Rio late Jun 2012, have a new 28 degrees card. Will be travelling with this and another Visa another MasterCard. If 28 is loaded up with say $1000 how is this debited as you travel? For example if you take out $500 on day 1, then charge $600 worth of hotel accom to the card does that $600 use up the other $500 preloaded onto the card?

Thanks John

yes it does. so you would then be $100 in the red.

If you took another $500 cash, you would be paying interest immediately on the $500 cash, but not the $100 in purchases.

If you don't want to pay any interest (well, minimal interest), then wait a day (or two) and top up your account by paying off the $500 cash advance.

If you pay it too early, the $500 you pay in will be applied to the $100 first, giving you $400 credit. meaning when the $500 cash advance hits, you still owe $100 on the cash advance and it will accrue interest every day on that $100. Waiting a day (or two over a weekend because transactions don't post on weekends) means the $500 get paid entirely off the cash advance as payments are applied to any outstanding cash advance first, before purchases.

 

[Origin]

When overseas only the "very keen" are going to play around waiting specified days before paying money on their card. Use a credit card like 28 degrees for purchases and use another method or card for cash is my idea.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When overseas only the "very keen" are going to play around waiting specified days before paying money on their card. Use a credit card like 28 degrees for purchases and use another method or card for cash is my idea.

YMMV

If I take out cash on Monday I pay off on Tuesday. I check my account weekly overseas to protect against fraud etc (and compare forex rates!). I do that once a week after I take out cash and pay at the same time.

Having a second card (which might have an annual fee) negates, for me, the benefits of the money I save with 28 degrees.

 

[MelbMan]

Thanks for the replies, will look book at Citibank visa statements from being overseas mid 2011 and see what the damage was with fees. With my new 28 Degrees card had applied for a supplementary card for SWMBO. Thinking about this now a better plan might be to an individual 28D card each. One loaded up with cash the other one for credit purchases like hotel accom.

for this coming trip perhaps a preloaded CBA card and the 28D card might be good for a trial run

John

 

[kpc]

A question, going to Chile and Rio late Jun 2012, have a new 28 degrees card. Will be travelling with this and another Visa another MasterCard. If 28 is loaded up with say $1000 how is this debited as you travel? For example if you take out $500 on day 1, then charge $600 worth of hotel accom to the card does that $600 use up the other $500 preloaded onto the card?

Thanks John

see my post #1059 above and the 2 replies below it:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....tercard-cash-advances-6960-27.html#post614094

 

[MEL_Traveller]

delete not required

 

[PLANT]

Hey guys can I have the update again on ensuring I can get Cash out if needed.
5K card. Away June\July OS(yes I told em and those Falcon Txts have stopped)
MAX load to $2500 in Credit cash right?

$7500 before I.......
Now I have spent the $2500 on plane tickets pre booking.
It currently on $5100 and I will be getting $700 refund on card from ticket.
Loaded it today with $1500 making it total I believe $7300(including credit)

Now if I withdraw cash near $2200 CAN I LOAD IT UP AGAIN WITHOUT IT BEING BLOCKED?
What if I use card and drop it down to $6000 and then withdraw cash can I load up again in my time period?

Appreciate the expect\pro help...please don't respond NOOBS!

 

[cove]

We have run our card for more than 2 years and it has never been stopped. 5k credit limit and maximum in credit 4.9k when we travel. We were doing a project in London so we would need to draw cash out every other day and when it came to replenishing we would stay below that 4.9k in credit. BPay is the way to replenish and yes do use the card for stuff other than cash withdrawals. Use the card at some supermarkets to mix it up so it isn't 10 cash withdrawals in a row and nothing else.
It really is pretty easy to pay for some stuff to mix the card use up.

 

[serfty]

I suggest many look at post 1 of this thread and check links provided therein,.