Using Credit Cards in the US for Foreign Purchases

Tuesday November 20, 2007

I've learned (the hard way) to always notify both my credit card companies and ATM card banks that I'm going to Italy prior to leaving the United States. Now, I just learned that I need to notify them if I'm making an online purchase in the United States that will be charged in Euro.

Aer Lingus has recently started non-stop flights from San Francisco to Dublin so we thought it might be cool to stop over in Dublin for a few days on our way to Italy in March. I made my reservations on the Aer Lingus web site last night. The US to Dublin part was charged in US dollars and was no problem. When I got to the reservations for flying from Dublin to Nice, where we'll pick up a leased car from Auto Europe (book direct), the charge was in Euro and American Express wouldn't approve it. I called American Express and was told my charge went to the fraud department for investigation. Several phone calls later, I got it straightened out and my charge finally went through this morning. Luckily Aer Lingus held my reservations for 24 hours and tried the charge again.

So, actually I learned two lessons. First, before you make a purchase that may involve foreign currency (even if you're still in the US), notify your credit card company. Second, when you're making reservations online, do it during the day when there's someone you can call if you have problems. By the time I had finished speaking with the American Express office, the Aer Lingus help line was already closed for the day, making my experience even more frustrating.

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