Qantas Money card blocked/deactivated whilst overseas

[GlennWL]

Recently I very inconveniently experienced 2 episodes of Qantas Money cards being blocked/deactivated whilst overseas.

First episode was in March on a visit to Hellfire Pass in Thailand. I purchased dinner at a restaurant with no issues and then it was bluntly declined at a 7-11 store and a restaurant the following day. Luckily, I was carrying a back-up credit card. I spoke to Qantas Money upon my return and made it clear that I was far from impressed as they classed this as unusual activity. Using a ‘purpose built’ credit card loaded with foreign currency whilst overseas unusual? Is there no link to the QFF number on the card showing you are in that country?

Then last week a family member was in the Czech Republic and Hungary. They had used their Qantas Money card loaded with Euro on numerous occasions without issue. Then on the final day it was blocked in a similar fashion for unusual activity.

What is going on here? Surely, they should attempt to contact you before blocking a card and leaving one stranded overseas without a working credit card that contains your overseas funds and means?

Has anybody else experienced these dramas lately? My apologies if a thread for my concerns already exists.

 

[Dr Ralph]

I've seen reports of this type of thing previously.

Need to have a variety of different forms of access to money whilst OS as something can go wrong with any method.

 

[love_the_life]

And it used to be (don’t know if still is) that when you received your new card, the old one was cancelled.

 

[Maca44]

Same thing happened to me two years ago in Canada, so transferred all funds out of QCash back to my bank account and now use the Cash Passport card from Australia Post and have never had a problem. Fees are everywhere but I was slightly dissapointed with QCash

 

[Anna]

A few years ago I had a Woolworths Mastercard through Qantas Rewards and they did something similar - stopped the card after I used it in Paris. Ridiculous to market cards specifically to travellers and then act surprised and concerned when they use their cards when travelling.

 

[Aus ATC]

I've had my Qantas Cash (as it was then) card suspended while overseas. To be fair though, my card details had somehow been taken and there was fraudulent activity on the card (2 small transactions followed by a big one). So i was quite pleased QantasCash were onto it - though I did lose access to stored funds for the remainder of the trip. Stolen money was reimbursed to the card once I was back in Australia and could provide additional information.