28° [Wizard] Mastercard Cash Advances while overseas

[michael.one]

Wizard is blocking me right now.
I had the same idea. At about $850 of my $1000 limit and almost no cash left (which is not a good idea) so I put $2000 to my card making me actually in credit like some of you.

If they block you at $750 or some percentage, etc. of your limit lets call it "X", they might as well just limit you X, then when you reach the limit you ring and increase it and then give them whatever info they would have needed to unblock then, at least you would know whats coming.

Thankfully my visa debit card (even though huge foreign fees) is keeping me alive until Wizard get their game together.

Another problem with wizard is they don't have a 24 hour service for such an issue, I am sick of staying up till midnight to call.

[kelfly]

I have got one of these cards too, and noticed that they weren't really up front about the 100 points id check. I have downloaded a form from their site to complete the id check. Also noticed on the site that transactions may be blocked if id check isn't done. I'm wondering if this is causing the blocks some of you mention?

[michael.one]

Yeah, i had to fill in the ID form.
I wish they had made this part of the application, especially if they demand it later, but I won't complain, I am still making great value out of their no foreign currency fee and cash advance fees

[kelfly]

ok, so that's not why you've been blocked then. I don't have any other ideas,sorry.

[Gulliver]

The account gets frozen if you make a transaction over a certain amount in a day - they told me it was $1500. That's particularly for payments. It's a government requirement apparently, trying to crack down on fraud (money laundering etc).

I was a bit slack in sending mine back too, but that was my fault. With the card came a bright orange envelope warning me not to do a big transaction until I sent it back.

I applied for mine online, so I understand why it's necessary. Banks make you do a 100 point check - but that was never done with Wizard.

I'm so glad the exchange rate is good. I'm been having nightmares that they would rip me off by bumping up the exchange rate.

Great product Wizard. I just wish I could get FF points with it too! I used to have a home loan with Wizard - basic, but cheap and effective.

[aspro2]

The account gets frozen if you make a transaction over a certain amount in a day - they told me it was $1500.

Nope, can't be a fixed figure, cos mine was blocked at a transaction below $400, despite the card being in credit -- however, there had been a transaction of similar size the day before, so my guess is something about spending pattern or frequency. Or, as suggested upthread, perhaps a percentage of one's limit or something?

If there were a govt freeze-requirement on CC accounts at a certain value, I think forum members would have complained about this previously. I might be wrong, but as I understand it AUSTRAC only imposes a reporting requirement (and that's at transactions of $10k+).

[Gulliver]

Hmm, dunno whether I'm talking about the same thing or not.
It was an Identification Refernece Form I referred to, and it states "Under the Financial Transaction Reports Act 1988 We must block your account in some circumstances if we have not verified your identity."
I rang and was told I could pay $1500 per day, but any more and the card would be frozen until they recieved the form.

That might have been based on my $7000 limit.

[aspro2]

Hmm, dunno whether I'm talking about the same thing or not.

Yep, sorry -- overlooked that you were referring to the unverified status.

[lovetravellingoz]

Has anyone used there Wizard Mastercard for cash adavances in France...particularly away from Paris.

My daughter will be in Brittany for 7 weeks and I was think of having her use it to obtain cash....

HOWEVER I have read that MC is not widely used in France?????????????

Does anyone know??

Thanks

[NM]

Has anyone used there Wizard Mastercard for cash adavances in France...particularly away from Paris.

My daughter will be in Brittany for 7 weeks and I was think of having her use it to obtain cash....

HOWEVER I have read that MC is not widely used in France?????????????

Does anyone know??

Thanks

I had no problems using a non-Wizard MC in Nice and Paris. Almost all ATMs seem to support Maestro. I would expect the ATM support for MC and Visa will be the same. Just some merchants may not accept both - but again that is rare these days between Visa and MC even in Europe.