Yes, this can be a royal pain - I think you need to tell them EXACTLY (country) where you'll be travelling, and for how long, and I think a call while on the road would probably be worthwhile too. They also go on you history too - what's normal for YOU. I don't have issues any more as my travel is "random" and frequent - and therefore normal. (I DO tell them I'm going.)

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

The issue is that more and more credit card providers are ignoring any kind of informations you are giving about your travel plan and activities to them. The reason for this is growing fraud detection through realtime streaming by the help of AI and maschine learning.

Your behavior patterns, your product categories and the amounts you spent are analyzed by subtly model algorithms that finds patterns and rules so that it can classify whether a transaction is fraudulent or is legitimate.

It`s absolutely right and helpful like Grant says to build up a behavior pattern history for payments(when you start travelling!!) and to avoid any kind extraordinary payments with that card you "daily use" while traveling!

If I will travel again for a longer period, I prefer:

-> having a back up person with bank signatory in your home country who has a another card to order or pay things online.

-> trying to use one credit card provider for only a few product categories to set up a clear behavior pattern and rules for the credit card algorithm.

-> carrying more cash to reduce payments which are out of your normal behavior patterns.

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Yes, I generally understand that, and the problem is that 99.9% of the time I'm sitting at home...haven't been doing much traveling in the last few years (moved, got a dog, etc. etc.).

I guess my plan will be to use the Revolut card as much as possible (fuel, meals, cash) and then use another card (which seems to work everywhere) as my main back up, and then another card as an ultimate back up (although it is the worst in terms of getting blocked/not working.

Anybody have any suggestions on how to "train" an algorithm when you land in a foreign country? I read somewhere that if you buy a ticket to a destination with a card, that card will "know" that you are there and so be less likely to block transactions? Or maybe start by getting a little cash out of an airport ATM? Just start with small purchases (fuel, meals)?

If it seems like I'm paranoid about this, its because just about the last thing I want to do while traveling to new places is spend 90 minutes on the phone with a #%&@! bank to get my card re-activated.

We live in France. In 2019 left France via Morocco, then Paris to Japan on our WRRs (F,D, A,PL,Li,Rus, Mon,Rus).

For cash we decided NOT to go with our bank cards but signed up for MAX (MasterCard) and Monabanq (visa).

We used the MAX almost universally -even though it is not visa- as it provides unlimited withdrawal and payments for no fees, is App managed (so anywhere I get internet), a quite favorable foreign exchange rate (much better than my EU bank card), and when necessary, a very responsive customer service.

Whereas Monabanq, also App managed, has an annual fee (although nicely offset by the 'signing bonus', has a limited number of transactions per month; and can get expensive if you exceed the limit. Monabanq gave us a second card for no cost.

Having the two systems let us have a backup if one didn't work. We could also in times of need could use our various EU bank cards and eat the fees, commission and exchange...

Works from Europe to Japan no problem. Better deal and advantages than N26 and Revolut (UK members seem to like Revolut).

During the voyage almost never used cash, card only. Bof Mongolia maybe cash in the small shops in the country off the pavement.

Not a single problem during the 8 month trip, or since as we continue to use our cards.

EDIT- more details

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2023 back in Japan on the road after COVID, 2019 Paris Siberia Japan tbd -2010 WR250R; 2015-2016 Paris-Mongolia and Paris-Silk Road; 2011-2013 Canada Ushuaia

I just got back from a long US roadtrip (about 8k miles) during which I tried to use Revolut as my main payment option for gas. Didn't really work very well... The Revolut card didn't work at between 1/3 and 1/2 of gas pumps--either the pump's "security" features blocked the card or Revolut itself didn't allow the transaction. Plus every time I filled up, a deposit of $100 or $80 would be taken from my card, with whatever was not used for fuel refunded sooner or later (usually within an hour, but once it took five days and once it took two days).

By the end of the trip, I had a few hundred bucks on the card that I wanted to use for gas, so if the card didn't work at the pump I would go inside to use it...while the card was not rejected during the few times I went inside to pay, it is not very convenient.

Not sure if things will work like this overseas, but if so I'll be looking for a different solution.