Notification of Overseas Travel for Citibank cards - Dumbest Thing I've Read.

[andy2015]

I've used my Citibank Plus travel card in Bali and Europe more recently with no issues. I'd get the Citi app and also take another card or 2 to try if the Citi fails and you need a backup.

 

[robtemt]

I've used my Citibank Plus travel card in Bali and Europe more recently with no issues. I'd get the Citi app and also take another card or 2 to try if the Citi fails and you need a backup.

That line of thinking is the exact problem for me.. When I'm out and about in resort towns, etc. (Bali, Cabo San Lucas, Maui, Skiing) I don't want to take an extra card or 2, I want to know that the card I have will be good to go (plus if I lose my wallet, I'm loosing only 1 or 2 things, not 2 or 3 credit cards. These days, it seems like you almost have to expect an issue and many card companies (Citi, but only certain divisions of Citi) don't want to communicate with you in advance but rather rely on their IT systems and algorithms. Easier for them to freeze your account and wait for your call, than it is to take a call and document your travel. Spending when on holidays is always going to be out of the normal spending habits for me.

On a side note, our relationship manager from CBA emailed us yesterday because she knew we were going on holidays next month just from a chat last time we saw her in June. She had reviewed our profile to make sure we activated the travel insurance and that the notification had transferred to security as well, which it hadn't. She wanted our exact dates so she could make sure everything was updated in the CBA systems, and she contacted the insurance team to have the travel policy backdated with Allianz so we were covered for anything under cancellation, etc. I have to admit, the only reason we stay with CBA is because of her. I never have to call customer service, just her mobile or email her and she handles whatever it is.

 

[Pushka]

Agree totally. It’s almost a sigh of relief when the card works os. NAB seems quite reliable and the rest are very hit and miss.

 

[Ausbt]

the customers no longer need notify the bank about overseas travel.

Hah! Even when you did have to notify, makes no difference. I stuck my card in a midtown Manhattan Citi ATM at a Citi branch and managed one withdrawal. They then froze my card. Citi US insisted I call AU to fix, incurring charges. On a later trip spent $12 at Price Rite supermarket, which Citi deemed 'suspicious'. Yes, another call back to AU to fix, 30 mins on the phone. Then on yet another trip, this time to the UK my entire online account got locked. The One Time Pin was working for me to that point, to conduct online EFTs, however they changed their app and of course registration changed back to my AU phone number. Another fail. I've really enjoyed fee-free banking with Citi, but there has been a cost.

 

[Renato1]

I've used my Citibank Plus travel card in Bali and Europe more recently with no issues. I'd get the Citi app and also take another card or 2 to try if the Citi fails and you need a backup.

I always have two cards on me, and two back in the hotel safe - just in case.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Hah! Even when you did have to notify, makes no difference. I stuck my card in a midtown Manhattan Citi ATM at a Citi branch and managed one withdrawal. They then froze my card. Citi US insisted I call AU to fix, incurring charges. On a later trip spent $12 at Price Rite supermarket, which Citi deemed 'suspicious'. Yes, another call back to AU to fix, 30 mins on the phone. Then on yet another trip, this time to the UK my entire online account got locked. The One Time Pin was working for me to that point, to conduct online EFTs, however they changed their app and of course registration changed back to my AU phone number. Another fail. I've really enjoyed fee-free banking with Citi, but there has been a cost.

That is truly bizarre.
I was in the USA for all of June last year, and the Citibank Visa worked everywhere (except petrol pumps) without a problem.
Did this major problem you had occur this year after they changed the notification rules as a customer service?
Regards,
Renato

 

[Ausbt]

That is truly bizarre.
Did this major problem you had occur this year after they changed the notification rules as a customer service?

It may have had something to do with it, unsure. Either way, most important thing is to have multiple payment methods available at all times and for me that's some currency, 2 x debit/savings card with actual money and 2 x credit cards with 'never-never' money

 

[Legoman]

when I go to Citi Australia, but I can't post a link as it opens in a protected browser window for me and I can't copy/paste!

Thanks for that. I needed a website like that to test this

Citi Mobile® Token - Citibank Australia

 

[Legoman]

like the old key chain token that CBA had

FYI Citibank can issue these too. They just don't advertise the fact and keep the availability of them very, very quiet. They really want you to use their app on your mobile phone, but if you kick up a fuss and claim the app won't work on your mobile phone because it's not compatible with your installed iOS (or whatever excuse you care to mention), then suddenly the workaround they suggest is to send you a "hard token" which is the keychain Digipass thing you get from HSBC/Rabobank/CBA etc. Well worth getting because a) it is light years faster at getting the code than using your phone (no login, no PIN - just press one button) and b) it is independent of unnotified Citibank app updates that will kill your OTP generating capacity from the token on your phone without warning. Then you'll be using expensive OS mobile data to download the new version of the Citibank app just so you can generate a OTP again and stop holding up the queue at whatever vendor you're trying to buy something from.

 

[theblank]

Then I did a search for overseas travel notification, which came up with the result that, as a service to customers, the customers no longer need notify the bank about overseas travel.

Citibank did advise customers in writing about this. Either a letter directly or statement attachment, I forget which, and I suspect both. There was a big song and dance about it.

So, one lands overseas, tries to use the card at an ATM or hotel or shop, the card doesn't work, one has to stuff around for minutes.getting the card to work - possibly with a queue behind one - and hopefully get the card to work.

Citibank doesnt block your card *before* you use it, so that scenario is just plain sillly. In any case, dont leave home without a 2nd payment card, and a 3rd. (I take about 5)

This only works if one has one's own phone with international roaming

if anyone heads overseas without roaming activated on their regular number is asking for trouble. So many online activities now require confirmation codes sent by SMS for verification.
[/quote]
I've sent Citibank a message today asking exactly how do I get this process to work, as I don't have an Australian phone that works in Indonesia.[/quote] I go to indonesia all the time and dont have any such problems.

As far as I'm concerned, it was much simpler in the past where I just rang them up and said I was going to use the card overseas.

That doesnt change a thing. Even if you did advise overseas travel They still would try to contact you if they suspect any transactions, and if you didnt answer, the card is blocked. Happened to me twice.

It makes no difference at all that you dont have to ring them. Except for the fact that you dont have to ring them.

but I suspect that many people who read what I read at their site - and follow it - will wind up in strife.

I suspect thats not the case at all. Just because we dont ring them, it doesnt mean that as soon as you start using the card overseas that they will consider it 'suspicious' and try to contact you. Using a card in an ATM or POS is NOT suspicious, it is in fact quite normal and expected.

the only times Citibank has ever contacted me, is when makiing payments to an online travel agent.

 

[Renato1]

Citibank did advise customers in writing about this. Either a letter directly or statement attachment, I forget which, and I suspect both. There was a big song and dance about it.



Citibank doesnt block your card *before* you use it, so that scenario is just plain sillly. In any case, dont leave home without a 2nd payment card, and a 3rd. (I take about 5)


if anyone heads overseas without roaming activated on their regular number is asking for trouble. So many online activities now require confirmation codes sent by SMS for verification.

I've sent Citibank a message today asking exactly how do I get this process to work, as I don't have an Australian phone that works in Indonesia. I go to indonesia all the time and dont have any such problems.


That doesnt change a thing. Even if you did advise overseas travel They still would try to contact you if they suspect any transactions, and if you didnt answer, the card is blocked. Happened to me twice.

It makes no difference at all that you dont have to ring them. Except for the fact that you dont have to ring them.




I suspect thats not the case at all. Just because we dont ring them, it doesnt mean that as soon as you start using the card overseas that they will consider it 'suspicious' and try to contact you. Using a card in an ATM or POS is NOT suspicious, it is in fact quite normal and expected.

the only times Citibank has ever contacted me, is when makiing payments to an online travel agent.

Let's see
First you say Citibank did advise me of this in writing. No they did not.
Or that they may have stuck it on an electronic statement attachment - rather than as a separate Email with a title describing the change. You call that a notification?

Then you say everyone should have to take a post paid mobile phone overseas just for SMS's - as if that is a reasonable requirement, when half the population is probably on pre-paid mobile which doesn't have international roaming. You seem to think that people should get a post paid Sim plan at great expense, just to get an SMS from Citibank while they travel.

Then you say my statement is "just plain silly" without having read responses by others on this thread, where what I suspected could happen to people actually DID happen to them. How exactly is my statement silly when, as it turns out it describes reality?

And then you assert that somehow, if I've notified Citibank that I am going to be in another country using the old method, that they would suddenly get suspicious and start blocking the card and trying to ring me, when I use the card exactly as I previously advised them. And then you say the opposite. And you say you've been rung twice by them when overseas.

Somehow, you seem to think all this stuffing around with a card when travelling overseas - which up till now has never happened to me - is fine and acceptable practice.

Quite frankly, I find you positions mystifying.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Renato1]

Good news.
The Citibank card works fine for purchases and ATM withdrawals over here in Bali.

The message I had sent Citibank that i did not have a mobile phone, and their response that all would be well, turned out to be accurate.

My only problem has been that the only ATM within walking distance of our hotel is a BDP one, and it doesn't accept Citibank or Bankwest - falsely stating that my bank has declined my card, when they hadn't.

When our guide showed up to collect us yesterday to show us around Bali, I said to him,
"Your first job is to find me an ATM from a good bank - I only have enough money to pay you, but not enough for anything else". Which he did.
Cheers,
Renato

 

[theblank]

Let's see
First you say Citibank did advise me of this in writing. No they did not.
Or that they may have stuck it on an electronic statement attachment - rather than as a separate Email with a title describing the change. You call that a notification?

I wonder how everyone else knew about it. You probably should raise a complaint with Citibank about how they are notifiying you.

Then you say everyone should have to take a post paid mobile phone overseas just for SMS's

I never said that.

- as if that is a reasonable requirement, when half the population is probably on pre-paid mobile which doesn't have international roaming.

I have a prepaid mobile. Roaming works fine.

You seem to think that people should get a post paid Sim plan at great expense, just to get an SMS from Citibank while they travel.

I never said that.

Then you say my statement is "just plain silly" without having read responses by others on this thread, where what I suspected could happen to people actually DID happen to them. How exactly is my statement silly when, as it turns out it describes reality?

I already explained why your hypothetical scenario is silly - it doesnt happen

And then you assert that somehow, if I've notified Citibank that I am going to be in another country using the old method, that they would suddenly get suspicious and start blocking the card and trying to ring me, when I use the card exactly as I previously advised them.

I never asserted that at all. They plainly dont do that.

And then you say the opposite. And you say you've been rung twice by them when overseas.

I was called because it was a suspicicous transaction to them, the fact that i was overseas at the time was irrellevant - which is a point I already made. Neither was a normal every day transaction like using an ATM or at a merchant.

Somehow, you seem to think all this stuffing around with a card when travelling overseas - which up till now has never happened to me - is fine and acceptable practice.

there is no stuffing around. Just go overseas and use the card.

Quite frankly, I find you positions mystifying.

I can see why.

The simple fact is, nothing has changed. Even when Citibank required you to notifify them of Overseas travel, If they think a transaction is suspicious, they will contact you. If you dont answer, they will block your card. End of story.

The only thing that has changed is you dont have to notify them. If you use the card as a normal person would, then its not going to be suspicious.

 

[Renato1]

I wonder how everyone else knew about it. You probably should raise a complaint with Citibank about how they are notifiying you.


I never said that.


I have a prepaid mobile. Roaming works fine.




I never said that.


I already explained why your hypothetical scenario is silly - it doesnt happen


I never asserted that at all. They plainly dont do that.




I was called because it was a suspicicous transaction to them, the fact that i was overseas at the time was irrellevant - which is a point I already made. Neither was a normal every day transaction like using an ATM or at a merchant.


there is no stuffing around. Just go overseas and use the card.

I can see why.

The simple fact is, nothing has changed. Even when Citibank required you to notifify them of Overseas travel, If they think a transaction is suspicious, they will contact you. If you dont answer, they will block your card. End of story.

The only thing that has changed is you dont have to notify them. If you use the card as a normal person would, then its not going to be suspicious.

You seem to like saying "I never said that", without stating what it was you said that you think I misinterpretted.

You assume that all pre-paid SIMs have international roaming, just because your's does. Well, Virgin Mobile for one doesn't - roaming is only applicable on post-paid Sim cards. So your answer is incorrect as it does not apply to all pre-paid SIMs.

You again dismiss my earlier statement as "Silly" about people having to stuff around to get their card to work. I had pointed out that others here had experienced just that problem, but you say that is silly - like it didn't happen. So that means you chose not to read their experiences and instead rely on your initial unsupported assertion. That is called willful ignorance.

Then you state,
"there is no stuffing around. Just go overseas and use the card"

despite the fact that
a. People have stuffed around with the card overseas (as per previous posts), and
b. that I had to take action to make sure my card did work overseas (since the app doesn't work on my phone, and I don't have international roaming).

Many people following your advice, which would be utterly flawed in many cases, might not think very much of it at all.
Regards,
Renato

 

[theblank]

You seem to like saying "I never said that", without stating what it was you said that you think I misinterpretted.

I dont have to state what i said, when I already said it. You have equivocated on every point I made, so your answers are just a strawman. So in respect of everything else, my answer is still "i never said that"

If you have an issue with any single comment I made, do the polite thing and quote it, and respond accordingly, rather than incorrectly paraphrasing me.

 

[windycityf]

I have a US issued Citibank Card. Until recently, I've never had a problem using it all over the world. In the last 2 months, they have declined most of my purposes.
I thought the first few were due to the fact I was in Hong Kong. Declined the hotel and the a store purchase. I called and they authorized the hotel. Then when I arrived in Hong Kong, declined again. I called and yelled. I said both the hotel and airfare were booked with the card, and I had already called once. No problem we will note your account. Boom declined again. It took them 24 hours to notify me.

This last call, I told them that I am no longer confident traveling with their card. I was told that due to holidays lots of fraud. I understand but if you don't allow people to be proactive and give warning of travel plans or large purchases what is the point?

 

[Danger]

If you are using the phone application, then register for their 'token' (if you have updated the application recently, it will push the 'token' a fair bit). It obviates the need for getting One Time Pins via digital data or wi-fi, which is what I think you are talking about. You can do it with your laptop if you can get some free wi-fi at a hotel or coffee shop.

Thanks for that. I needed a website like that to test this

Citi Mobile® Token - Citibank Australia

I've tried multiple times to setup that pin thingy and each time I get this:

 

[Legoman]

Yes, hence why I suggest getting the hard token they keep secret and don't tell anyone is available. The Citibank app is extremely flakey and will refuse to work for no apparent reason with no warning whatsoever. Also, they regularly update it with new versions to supposedly cure programming bugs that you never found or asked to be fixed. Everytime they do this it's a forced update for your phone because the previous version of the app you had will be disabled. This update will then clear all your stored usernames and passwords forcing you to re-enter all your data all over again and re-register for the OTP password code generation thing as well. All this messing around will take you about 15mins if you're experienced with it and know all the required steps with your eyes closed because you've been forced into it at least half a dozen times already.

Of course you're going to discover all this right when you need it most as you're holding up the cashier at the checkout trying to complete a purchase. It's just not worth the pain quite frankly. Call Citibank and tell them they're a pack of useless coughs and to send you a hard token instead where all you have to do is press one button and it's completely immune from the rabid keyboard flailings of their idiotic IT department.

 

[Renato1]

I dont have to state what i said, when I already said it. You have equivocated on every point I made, so your answers are just a strawman. So in respect of everything else, my answer is still "i never said that"

If you have an issue with any single comment I made, do the polite thing and quote it, and respond accordingly, rather than incorrectly paraphrasing me.

Amazing!!!!
You haven't addressed a single point I made.

Not one. Not a single one.

I thought that your next response was to recommend that people change their pre-paid phone operators so that they can receive OTPs from Citibank.

And you continue to be totally blinkered to what other people are writing about their problems with the new Citibank system. I guess they are all silly in your world view.
Regards,
Renato

 

[Legoman]

I thought that your next response was to recommend that people change their pre-paid phone operators so that they can receive OTPs from Citibank.

Well, quite frankly, this wouldn't be a worthless piece of advice actually. I believe you said you were with Virgin Mobile? So was I. I changed when it became too obvious that Virgin doesn't want pre-paid customers and was progressively making their offerings less + less competitive to hopefully either get them to convert to contract or shed them altogether. I chose the later option and have moved to Aldimobile instead. I have a friend who is a 737 captain for VAH who made the same switch just before me who went with Amaysim instead.

Virgin mobile buy bandwidth from Optus network and do not offer global roaming for pre-paid customers. Their focus is on contract customers. You're getting a pre-paid service from a provider who isn't really interested in you and don't want your business quite frankly. Amaysim + Aldimobile are primarily focused on pre-paid customers and also offer contract services as an aferthought add-on. You get far better service from a company who is focused on the kind of product you want to buy.

For my friend who is a 737 captain, he needed global roaming support more critically, so he went with Amaysim who had at that time, straight out of the box global roaming support on pre-piad plan. No fuss, no worries, he can get bank SMS codes from anywhere, anytime, wherever his work takes him. On the downside, is the fact that Amaysim also buys bandwidth from Optus, so his coverage and call quality is the same as it was with Virgin Mobile, ie. 5h!t.

I on the other hand am not a 737 captain and do not regularly find myself stuck in places like Bali under an erupting volcano, so I value call quality + coverage in Australia more than I do global roaming support. I then went for Aldimobile instead who buy bandwidth from Telstra wholesale. The call quality, reliability and consistency as well as the coverage area is night/day compared to Virgin/Amaysim/Optus. The downside was that at time of signing up, Aldimobile did not support global roaming on pre-paid. This however changed just after I joined them, and they added the facility due to competition pressure from Amaysim.

So now, yes, you could change from your obsolete and very expensive Virgin Mobile pre-paid plan with cough coverage, expensive calls, expensive data and no global roaming support, to either of an Amaysim or Aldimobile pre-paid plan with better coverage, much cheaper calls/data/txts and included global roaming, and all your problems with Citibank would go away.

The porting process to take my number away from Virgin and give it to Aldimobile took less than 10 minutes to happen on a Sunday when I did it. Incidentally, 365day credit expiry on Aldimobile. When I left Virgin, the best they had was 90days before they took my unspent money. $15 credit can last me a whole year. If you can find a cheaper way to run a mobile phone with full global roaming support & Telstra coverage than that, then please tell me!