Community Forums

dphaynes · 06-07-2016, 07:40 PM

Total noob here, never owned an RV in my life, going to be hitting the road in Sept/Oct time frame, and I'm wondering: The bank that issues my credit card has a very nasty habit of deciding to disable my credit card until I call them because of "suspicious activity" That includes activity like me trying to get gas at a gas pump in Lame Deer, MT about 3 days after I call them and told them I'd be traveling extensively though MT, WY, CO and NM.

With no cell phone connectivity in the boonies that can be a Really Bad Thing (tm)

Are there card issuers that are better for/more accommodating of RV'ers and the megabuck fueling costs and random itineraries?

Or is it better to just get one of the gas cards and use that for fuel?

Thanks in advance!

vsheetz · 06-07-2016, 07:45 PM

PENFED is popular. They have a CC that gets 5% gas purchase cash discount. I have never had a problem when traveling with it.

**TonyDi** · 06-07-2016, 07:45 PM

I carry Amex and Visa. Whenever I travel I call hem ahead of my departure and tell them about my travel plans and how I will be using the card. I only had a problem once where Amex did not okay the charge for fuel. So I used the Visa card. One call to Amex and I was good to go.

dphaynes · 06-07-2016, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDi

I carry Amex and Visa. Whenever I travel I call hem ahead of my departure and tell them about my travel plans and how I will be using the card. I only had a problem once where Amex did not okay the charge for fuel. So I used the Visa card. One call to Amex and I was good to go.

Yeah mine's Visa and I've traveled a fair amount for business over the decades and only once did I have an issue. For whatever reason my current Visa issuer just seems to randomly decide "suspicious transaction"

I could probably order 10,000 rubber duckies from China and they wouldn't blink, but try to put $20 worth of gas in my motorcycle after I tell them I'll be traveling and they call in an air strike :\

Really annoying because the last thing you want to do on a motorcycle is be riding solo in remote areas when low on gas

Ray,IN · 06-07-2016, 08:54 PM

Have a serious talk with a supervisor at the phone number on the back of your card. Explain how you travel, and the stress you feel when the card is randomly blocked even after you've informed them of your travel plans.

Discover will block my card if I fail to inform them of my plans, but that's on me. Once they phoned me informing me my card was compromised, and was blocked, but a new one would be overnighted to destination of my choice, since I'd informed them of my travel plans.

jacwjames · 06-07-2016, 09:07 PM

I did quite a bit of traveling internationally 2012-2014, I limited my CC use to one card and informed them of my travel. I informed my CC company of my travel plans.

In late 2014 I was in Florida on and I got calls from my CC that they noticed purchases in FL, I informed that was me. A couple days later I got another call from CC company and they informed me of CC activity via several internet sites, this wasn't me and they suspended my card. I had a new one at home when I go there.

There were some fraudulent purchases made that I was not responsible for and they were taken off my card.

Bottom line is I'd rather have them suspend/call me then let something happen.

Koop · 06-07-2016, 09:20 PM

I use a Chase Freedom Visa card. I can online and indicate that I'll be traveling throughout the USA for the next 12 months and don't have any issues. I just have to remember to go online and add that cliff note every 12 months - thanks for the reminder!

RV Vagabond · 06-07-2016, 10:45 PM

After awhile the bank will get used to your new spending habits and not bother you so much. But a backup card is always good.

Mr_D · 06-07-2016, 11:00 PM

Our AMEX is through Costco so it is invalid after the 19th of this month. We had to have that card deactivated and get a new one to stop small, unauthorized, automatic charges to it. Twice now we've had someone try and charge over $45,000 to that old card through Wal*Mart.com. Both times they've stopped it, not because the card was invalid, but because it was over our limit. Not sure I like that!
They have been good about vacation notifications though. We notify them, give them the area, and have had no problems getting cut off.

MisterT · 06-08-2016, 03:32 AM

this happened to me several times while traveling the states last year - very annoying and exasperating when trying to fuel up and your card keeps declining, with no given reason. . . and it's a Walmart credit card being used at their Murphy fuel station!!
yes, I finally realized that the best course of action is to call them and let them know if we are traveling.
Interestingly, though, we just drove to NYC from GA this week and have had no issues with the card, yet I had not forwarned them of our travel plans - go figure!

slowmachine · 06-08-2016, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Twice now we've had someone try and charge over $45,000 to that old card through Wal*Mart.com. Both times they've stopped it, not because the card was invalid, but because it was over our limit. Not sure I like that!

I wouldn't read too much into that. It seems likely that the over-limit amount was just the first trigger in a computerized sequential process for validating the transaction.

Mike
2000 HR Endeavor 40PBD
Freghtliner XC, CAT 3126B

BigBlue505 · 06-08-2016, 04:33 AM

Mine got deactivated when I was in Kansas, Oklahoma panhandle, Texas panhandle, and New Mexico all within a few hours. Luckily I had a backup card and it hasn't happened again.

Bigd9 · 06-08-2016, 04:50 AM

We use a VISA card from our credit union. I just go online and list the states and/or countries where we will be traveling and the time frame. No problems charging anything after that.

I use one card for everyday charges, and another card solely for auto charges like our water bill, Dish Network, electric bill etc. This way the auto charges never get disrupted. If primary card is hacked and frozen, then the secondary card can be used while we wait for a replacement card to arrive for the hacked primary card.

KPFulltimers · 06-08-2016, 05:41 AM

We keep 3 credit cards active. One is the PENFED card previously mentioned. Travel notifications are made online or through their app. Only problem is start date is always 3 days in the future so last minute travel plans can be problematic.

Our CapOne card knows we travel a lot and we never have had problems.

Our third card (USAA) was compromised after the first and only time I used it...at a museum in Sweden.

They offered to FedEx a new card to where ever we wanted, but we declined since we were just starting a 5 1/2 month trip to Europe and were not going to be in one place very long.

We were just glad we had the other two cards with us plus 2 ATM cards from different banks. Never hurts to have several back up plans when traveling.