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I need to find an alternative to my trusty Halifax clarity which I’ve been using solely for travel that long I’ve forgotten what life was like without it.
I’m in Brazil and yesterday they blocked my card due to ‘possible fraudulent activity’. At the time I was away from my hotel with all my cards in the room safe bar my clarity. I luckily had some cash on me. I was in the middle of a big meal and only discovered this when I was trying to arrange an Uber back to the hotel.
It turns out they’d sent me a text to get me to approve the Uber payment I took to the restaurant and when I didn’t respond they blocked the card. I didn’t respond because I use e-sims abroad and turn off my usual sim.
I was panicking I wouldn’t have enough cash on me to cover the meal but thankfully I did. It was really stressful, ruined my lovely dinner and particularly annoying as I’d spoken to Halifax via online chat when I first arrived and told them I was in Brazil!
They did exactly same thing last year to me in Doha. That time they told me the way to prevent this occurring was to use chip and pin when I first arrive anywhere to withdraw cash. Which I always do now. Last night they told me this isn’t the case and it’ll happen regardless and there’s no way to stop it. So I’m fed up with them.
Any alternatives that are as good as the clarity but won’t do this sort of thing?Any bank can do this so always have a choice – Chase, Curve, Revolut. All free.
Do you really want a card that doesn’t monitor transactions and have basic fraud prevention safeguards? I’d imagine it’s a regulatory requirement for any UK card, although others here will know better.
Surely using a Dual SIM (any iPhone after X or nearly all modern Androids) and leaving your UK SIM in the background able to receive SMS solves this completely?
I thought it was free to receive a text abroad, on any network? Make sure you turn off data roaming and you are safe from nasty costs.
Do you notify Halifax that you are going abroad beforehand? After Santander blocked me years ago I then used to notify them each time before going away so my Zero card kept on working. As hopeless a bank as they are, it was not a problem again after.
As said above, they all do it, even just had my wise card blocked for the 1st time because the hotel tried to take prepayment and they processed it as mag stripe not manual. Luckily with Wise you just go on the website and unblock it yourself
I carry a minimum of clarity and Barclaycard cashback reward credit cards, both have no fees globally Then I also carry wise and either first direct or virgin current account debit cards, again these two are clean globally Make sure those accounts have minimum balances, and then transfer funds in every couple of days as you spend.
As carpaltravel says, you are looking for the wrong solution. Turn off data roaming and enable mobile signal. Always watch out for such OTPs.
If you want less triggers for such suspicious transactions, Amex is a good option. It wouldn’t have triggered a otp for Uber payment. Flip side is you pay fx fees.And why do you leave cards in the hotel room? Doesn’t matter if it’s in a safe. The hotel staff have keys for the safe. How difficult is it to carry 2 or 3 cards?
At the time I was away from my hotel with all my cards in the room safe bar my clarity. I luckily had some cash on me. I was in the middle of a big meal and only discovered this when I was trying to arrange an Uber back to the hotel.
It turns out they’d sent me a text to get me to approve the Uber payment I took to the restaurant and when I didn’t respond they blocked the card.That time they told me the way to prevent this occurring was to use chip and pin when I first arrive anywhere to withdraw cash. Which I always do now. Last night they told me this isn’t the case and it’ll happen regardless and there’s no way to stop it. So I’m fed up with them.
So they let you take the Uber to the restaurant without you responding to the text, but then decided to block the card?
Make a complaint for being told incorrect information about the cash withdrawal with a PIN and they will give you £50, hopefully that will make you feel better about your dinner being ruined.
I thought it was free to receive a text abroad, on any network? Make sure you turn off data roaming and you are safe from nasty costs.
It usually is free, but why keep the SIM in if you aren’t going to use it and not expecting any texts? Losing the SIM would be far more problematic. Also it sounds like they wanted a response to the text.
Right few things here, yes I told Halifax where I was the day I landed. Yes they wanted a response to the text. Pretty quickly too.
Being Rio I thought it best to leave anything unnecessary in the safe, I always split my cards in 2 different places just in case. I can be a bit of a ditz with things as well as pickpocketing/robbing threat.
I didn’t think to just turn off roaming as no one ever texts me and even Halifax didn’t last year, just blocked the card no warning so didn’t anticipate that was going to happen. Thought just simpler to use the e-sim but I’ll possibly do that in future so thanks for pointing that out.And why do you leave cards in the hotel room? Doesn’t matter if it’s in a safe. The hotel staff have keys for the safe. How difficult is it to carry 2 or 3 cards?
In case you get mugged, lose one etc.
One of my tour-mates was marked and mugged twice in two days in Buenos Aires. Was a salutory lesson.
Hello @Amy-C
I totally get where you are coming from.
I think it is unlikely that any card will be a silver bullet. And because you are quite adventurous in your travel, the fraud departments will be twitching. And fraud departments are all powerful and don’t care so much what customer services say or do.
I don’t think ditching the Halifax clarity for another card will improve things. Brazil is notoriously bad for credit card fraud etc so any provider will be jittery. Obviously I don’t go anywhere adventurous nowadays but my strategy tends to be to bring three cards out with me as well as a bit of cash.
Typically the cards will be Halifax clarity, HSBC Global money and either Amex Gold or HSBC World Elite.
HSBC Global money would be no use in Brazil I believe but replace with Revolut loaded with £100 or so.
The logic is Halifax Clarity as a first choice. If it were to fail I’d use the Amex/HSBC and at least get double points. If I’m buying coffees or other de minimis transactions I’ll use the HSBC global money to reduce the chance that a flurry of inconsequential transactions causes me issues with a fraud algorithm.
Meanwhile in the hotel safe I leave BAPP, HSBC debit card, Revolut (I have a decent amount of cash on it) etc.
In Europe, I use Virgin Premium as a first choice and Halifax as a backup with HSBC global money for small transactions.
What you did is totally sensible as losing all your cards is a nightmare. You just need a second card on your person. Remember with credit cards as long as you’re not irresponsible and you notify them immediately you become aware it’s been nabbed, it’s their problem, not yours.
I still remember putting through the largest ever transaction I made on a credit card when buying Mrs Froggee a yellow diamond ring to commiserate her for ten years of marriage. It used about 80% of a very large credit limit and went through first time. I then went to Prêt a Manger to buy my lunch and the same card got rejected. These things make little sense!
I had a lot of trouble with Uber in Brazil – every time I used it the payment (authorization?) at start of trip would work, then they wouldn’t be able to collect the payment and the app would nag me to go back and pay. The actual Uber service was/is amazingly good though – quick, cheap, and reliable. Extra props for the destroyed-looking ancient heap that turned up in the back of beyond with every panel dented, the entire boot taken up by a speaker, and a TV fitted in the dash which the driver watched throughout. Can’t think where the dents came from.
Curve stopped working and took several days to get re-enabled.
Revolut and Wise were solid and reliable. Revolut can be spotty and customer service isn’t always great but I was lucky this time. Wise have always been responsive and professional for me.
+1 for “eSIM and home SIM with data roaming disabled”. I also find it helps to use a card which gives the option of app notification/confirmation rather than always-SMS for transaction confirmation; I had times when I had Internet and could use apps, but no mobile signal so I couldn’t do SMS confirmation.
The way forward for places like Rio is a concealed/second wallet with a card and some BRL in it. My Brazilian friends were careful to make sure I took *some* BRL in my “normal” wallet when nipping to the supermarket at night; “if you give them something it’ll be fine but if you don’t have anything they might stab you”.
+1 for “eSIM and home SIM with data roaming disabled”.
This is almost essential now, especially if you want to get online and pay bills, check bank accounts, order food for delivery/pickup etc. Lose/break/have your phone blow up whilst travelling now though and you’re a non-person these days. Can’t even log into your email thanks to bloody 2FA
The way forward for places like Rio is a concealed/second wallet with a card and some BRL in it. My Brazilian friends were careful to make sure I took *some* BRL in my “normal” wallet when nipping to the supermarket at night; “if you give them something it’ll be fine but if you don’t have anything they might stab you”.
Kept my old debit card from a closed account for just this purpose
+1 for “eSIM and home SIM with data roaming disabled”.
This is almost essential now, especially if you want to get online and pay bills, check bank accounts, order food for delivery/pickup etc. Lose/break/have your phone blow up whilst travelling now though and you’re a non-person these days. Can’t even log into your email thanks to bloody 2FA
I travel with a spare phone now that’s signed in to the bare essentials.
I’ve had problems using my Halifax card abroad many times. I’m currently using it for car hire, but I’m putting everything else on Chase, getting 1pc cashback, and no problems.
I’ve got Revolut and Monzo as back ups, and Amex if all else fails.
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