Citi Overseas Payments

[bismarck]

An planning on making a rather large purchase from a US website that ships to Australia. It offers the option to pay by bank transfer to ANZ or by CC.

Will pay by CC but trying to work out whether to use Plat Edge or Citi Plat. If it counts as an "overseas purchase" it would seem that 3pt/$ on Citi is my bet?

So my question is whether there is any definition of an international transaction from Citi, or whether people have experience with these cross-jurisdictional websites?

 

[DeKa]

The only criteria for Citi is that it does not show AU on the transaction.

I have been billed in AUD (by Uber from the USA [not DCC]) and it earned me 4pp$

I think they say "where a merchant tells us they are overseas" in their T&Cs.

 

[Reveen]

The only criteria for Citi is that it does not show AU on the transaction.

I have been billed in AUD (by Uber from the USA [not DCC]) and it earned me 4pp$

I think they say "where a merchant tells us they are overseas" in their T&Cs.

Yes, I've been billed by a company in the UK in AUD and earned 4x. Best of both worlds - bonus overseas purchase points and no forex fee!

 

[Cynicor]

Yes, I've been billed by a company in the UK in AUD and earned 4x. Best of both worlds - bonus overseas purchase points and no forex fee!

If you were billed by a foreign company overseas in AUD, you have more than likely paid a higher forex fee than your CC provider would have charged, if it was via DCC. There are exceptions to this, however.

 

[burmans]

I have been billed in AUD (by Uber from the USA [not DCC]) and it earned me 4pp$

I think they say "where a merchant tells us they are overseas" in their T&Cs.

Charging in other than AUD and "where a merchant tells us they are overseas" are different things. There are reports here (can't be bothered searching but someone probably knows where) of people being charged a FX fee from someone they thought was Australian AND charged in AUD but the merchant has "told them they are overseas".

 

[DeKa]

Charging in other than AUD and "where a merchant tells us they are overseas" are different things. There are reports here (can't be bothered searching but someone probably knows where) of people being charged a FX fee from someone they thought was Australian AND charged in AUD but the merchant has "told them they are overseas".

Is that Citi products though? In my experience, Citi have never charged me a conversion fee except when the merchant was outside Australia (i.e. it didn't show "AU" on the statement). HSBC on the other hand - I have bought a product from an Australian company, in Australia, and been hit with a conversion fee as the bank processing the transaction was in another country. Examples are Sydney Aquarium and Holiday Autos.

 

[Cynicor]

Is that Citi products though? In my experience, Citi have never charged me a conversion fee except when the merchant was outside Australia (i.e. it didn't show "AU" on the statement). HSBC on the other hand - I have bought a product from an Australian company, in Australia, and been hit with a conversion fee as the bank processing the transaction was in another country. Examples are Sydney Aquarium and Holiday Autos.

In my experience you are correct. Only get the conversion fee if charged in a foreign currency. Overseas DCC is not charged and local merchants with overseas banking in AUD is not charged a fee.

 

[Reveen]

If you were billed by a foreign company overseas in AUD, you have more than likely paid a higher forex fee than your CC provider would have charged, if it was via DCC. There are exceptions to this, however.

Not in this case. No DCC, no fee.

 

[quokka77]

Slightly off topic: just did 2x $1500 overseas transactions with my citibank card. Within five minutes I had the citibank call centre on the phone, confirming my identity. Kind of reassuring.

 

[MelbMan]

Yes I've had calls from Citibank security in the past when booking o/s flights online. No more than 10% of my credit limit. Conversely I found it really intrusive to be getting phone calls close to midnight.

 

[quokka77]

At 5pm it's reassuring. Agree, at 11:45pm it might be annoying (sleeping spouse and children). Set phone to mute?

 

[MelbMan]

Got a feeling they rang on the home phone. SWMBO was not impressed