[Removed user]

27 August 2023 at 16:28:03 #830614

Just returned from 15-day trip (see trip report) … one critical tip may save you some pain …

If your CC or DC has a travel notification feature (not all require it), use it before you depart. However, very inconveniently this does not mean a lot … they may and often do still automatically decline “significantly large” charge attempts where the card is not physically present (e.g., I tried to buy 4 train tickets on the SBB mobile app) and the card company sends you a text message to verify the charge. If you successfully verify, you then have to reenter all info and try the charge again.

Here are the kickers … #1 – text verification is the only option … they do not have an email option for verification; #2 – if you have an Apple iPhone, you will never get the verification text via wi-fi (i.e., using Traveler Wifi) even though you got the first declining text message unless you have the Settings … Cellular … Wi-Fi Calling option on your phone turned ON)! You can still have Cellular Data and Roaming options off, but the Wi-Fi Calling option must be on! This was proven out through painful experience on Citi Visa card, Capital One Quicksilver MasterCard, and Chase Debit card. I called these card companies directly and asked then why I was never getting the verification texts and only one had the sense to look it up in their notes and tell me about the settings requirement.

[Yolanda]

27 August 2023 at 17:12:25 #957682

Thank you for sharing Hoffman R,

This will be most helpful for fellow travelers to know. How frustrating it must have been whilst you were traveling. Thank goodness one company was helpful and shed some light.

Kind regards,

Yolanda

[pvonk]

28 August 2023 at 1:01:59 #957683

Aside from my Apple Visa card which never rejected a purchase, my Chase Visa card was used the most, and it too never rejected a purchase. This was this past June-July. I was from the US, perhaps cards based elsewhere work differently. I used my brokerage debit card for ATM withdrawals with ATM fees refunded to my account and at very favorable exchange rates. The most important tip when charging is to pay in Swiss currency. My card exchange rates are always better than those of the local merchants.

And aside from my brokerage card, the Chase and other Visa cards I hold no longer require a travel notification. As for verification, if you use the card’s bank mobile app, you can check whether purchases go through. This does not involve text messages. I used a SIM card bought for the trip (from Orange in France) so my “address” for texting and calling were not the same as my regular addresses/numbers. I had been concerned about that ahead of the trip, but mobile apps are not based on these addresses and still communicate with the card company. And I was relying on WiFi only.

[Anna]

28 August 2023 at 6:19:26 #957684

Hi pvonk,

Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s good to know what works and what doesn’t.

Regards,

Anna

[Arno]

28 August 2023 at 9:10:35 #957685

Hi Hoffman R,

That sounds like quite a hassle indeed. Sorry to hear that’s how it worked out for you. From my experience, it can make a difference where you buy. For example, SBB is mostly geared to Swiss locals, and payment issues occur more frequently with foreign transactions/payment methods. Note that SBB is the largest railway operator, but not the only one. Besides that, there are plenty of websites more geared to tourists, offering the same tickets. So that could be an alternative: http://www.myswissalps.com/traintickets/switzerland/price.

Another option is a different payment method, that also allows to save some money on the conversion to Swiss francs. We have some info about that here: http://www.myswissalps.com/swissfranc.

Anyway, thanks for sharing this.

[Lucky123]

28 August 2023 at 14:02:58 #957686

Great to know! Thanks!