28Degrees and Citibank Plus Transaction - Is having both overkill?

danield on 13/02/2013 - 14:09

Planning a trip to Europe at the end of next month.

After a little research I went ahead and got a 28Degrees card as it is highly recommened for overseas travel etc..
However it has since come apparent that I will no be able to use it as both a Cash ATM card and a Credit Card at the same time, as Ill need to load it with credit first right.
As I don't want to use cash for larger purchases (shopping, hotels tours etc..) and prefer to use Credit Card, would I be best to get the Citbank Card, and use that as the cash ATM card and leave the 28 Degrees for credit purchases?

or am I just overthing the whole thing and should just stick to the 28 degrees and load it as I go?

Travel

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 13/02/2013 - 14:15
    +2

    It's good to have backup cards anyway.

    • nikey2k27 on 28/02/2013 - 21:24

      backup is good keep on in safe place out of way like sute case. or some other then day bag if u get robed like i did over there you have back up. it was life saver to have to cards.

      • ThadtheChad on 01/03/2013 - 14:07
        +1

        Never thought I'd be "that person". :(

        Nikey2k27, your spelling is awful. Are you typing with your tongue?

    • [Deactivated] on 01/03/2013 - 11:00

      This. Overseas transactions are sometimes awfully random.

      And the 28 Degrees doesn't cost anything! Just have both :)

  • tanoshiiki on 13/02/2013 - 14:17

    This is what I do. I don't think it's overkill.

    I think ideally, it's best to have access to two 28 Degrees cards (say, if travelling as a couple), where you can use one of the 28 Degrees as a real credit card and another as a fee-free "bank account".

    • danield on 13/02/2013 - 14:36

      I agree ideally I would have done this, however the Mrs is not working and would never get approval for a Credit Card. So looking at the Citi-bank card as the second one.

      Also someone pointed out the Cash Passport as the same option, anyone think this might be worth comparing over Citbank?

      http://www.cashpassport.com/1/en/au1/multi-currency/

      • tanoshiiki on 13/02/2013 - 14:39

        I am feeling a bit of deja vu, as I've just encountered some similar issues and questions personally.

        Re: Cash Passport. Number one thing to look at with these cards are the fees and the fees are bad on many of these prepaid cards, including this one. http://www.cashpassport.com/1/au1/multi-currency/About-Cash-…

        • danield on 13/02/2013 - 14:54

          So your advice would be to stick with the citi-bank account.
          The only real difference between 28degress is that Citi-bank is an actual bank account as opposed to just being the card.

        • tanoshiiki on 13/02/2013 - 14:59

          Yes, that's my advice.

          Cons about the Citibank account are that it's a pain to open (See my comment here: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/61969?page=2#comment-755869) and the online UI is quite crappy.

        • danield on 13/02/2013 - 15:20

          Bloody H3ll, application process sounds like a nightmare.
          Enough to put me off altogether. Even walking into a branch doesn't seem to immune you from a drawn out experience.

        • retiredfeline on 13/02/2013 - 15:33

          Takes a couple of weeks but no real hassles for me. I think it's easy if you've been living in the same place for long and are on electoral rolls, etc.

        • NimitzHarrington on 26/02/2013 - 23:06

          I had no issue opening a Citibank plus account…though I am an existing customer. I do agree with their online portal though - quite an annoying system!

    • Evil-Elmo on 14/02/2013 - 12:07

      We have a 28° card each and this process works quite well.

  • geek001 on 13/02/2013 - 15:11

    Has anyone used the Citibank debit card overseas? I had a look at their exchange rate and it is pretty bad, like "exchanging foreign cash at a bank" bad. From what I have heard, the 28 degrees card gives you exchange rates close to xe.com which is pretty much as good as you can get at retail.

    • tanoshiiki on 13/02/2013 - 15:14

      From memory, I recall that with this Citibank card, it's supposed to use the Visa foreign exchange rate, which is supposed to be pretty close to xe.com. Feel free to correct me with a reference though.

      • geek001 on 13/02/2013 - 15:19

        Hi there, I have a Citibank card, but I hadn't had a chance to use it overseas yet. I emailed Citibank customer service regarding forex fees on the card. The reply seems to imply that they use bank forex rates. It would be good if someone else who has actually used the card tell me whether this is true or not.

        This is a snippet from the response:

        Thank you for your email.

        Please follow the steps indicated below on how to check the foreign
        exchange rates:

        • go to www.citibank.com.au
        • select 'Banking' from the top navigation of the homepage
        • click 'Rates & fees' from the upper left hand corner of the screen
        • scroll down to 'Investments', then choose 'Foreign Exchange Rates'.

        Your Citibank Plus Account is a fee free everyday account with no
        international fees. You can use your Visa Debit Citicard abroad as it is
        accepted at over 24 million locations globally. You can use it through
        ATMs (Cash Exchange, Cash Station, Citibank, Honor, NYCE - New York,
        PLUS, and The Exchange), EFTPOS network, retail outlets, online shopping
        and for over the phone purchases - wherever VISA is accepted.

        • Gina Rinehart on 19/02/2013 - 00:43
          +2

          I am currently travelling in Korea and Japan,and using citibank visa debit.The exchange ratehas been very, very close to XE and it has been very reliable so far. A+from me, definitely has been worth it.

          Eg.l booked a tour for 192000 krw. at the time XE said $172 and citi charged me just $172.90 :)

    • retiredfeline on 13/02/2013 - 15:31

      I've used both and the rates were reasonable for both. Mind you I didn't scrutinise closely because variations in the daily rate complicate but I didn't feel ripped off.

      • geek001 on 13/02/2013 - 15:37

        If you still have your bank statements with you, it should tell you what the foreign amount was for each transaction. Then you can look up exchange rates on specific dates using xe.com and see how much you got ripped off by the bank. :)

        http://www.xe.com/currencytables/

        That's how I compared historical rates for different methods of payment.

        • retiredfeline on 13/02/2013 - 15:59

          Bank statements available as they are electronic. What I did though was make a quick calculation of the cost of my Euros and they were quite satisfactory compared to the counter rates I saw. So I left it at that.

    • joannatan on 13/02/2013 - 22:14

      I just use my citicard in Europe, I got conversion 1.31 which is almost similar like interbank rate on that day (31 jan 2013).
      for the hotel i am using my 28degree card

      if you see the aud rate was strong, and you would like to convert at that time to bank notes, go to chinatown and have a look money changer over there to convert to the notes.

    • jace88 on 13/02/2013 - 23:15

      I have and it's nothing great. I ended up logging in online, BPaying my 28 degrees card (i.e. loading up extra cash onto it) and then withdrawing from an ATM.

      The other thing you'll learn overseas with Citibank is same name, different bank. The different locations don't talk to each other and the Citigold benefit is jack all (literally no benefit whatsoever- gone are the free internet access in some locations!).

      • retiredfeline on 14/02/2013 - 00:03

        No need to use Citibank ATMs or branches. None even if I wanted to where I went. But any ATM accepting Visa/Electron/whatever they call it will do.

        As for free Internet, backpacker accommodation often has it, as do a growing number of cafes and even fast food joints.

  • danield on 13/02/2013 - 15:35

    What about NAB Gold Banking? Anyone use it?
    That appears to not have fees etc… Plus bonus of being my current bank.

    • geek001 on 13/02/2013 - 15:37

      I think that got discontinued last year.

      • danield on 13/02/2013 - 16:17

        Still on their website here

        http://www.nab.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/nab/nab/home/Personal_…

        Might be different though, I was reading somewhere that you were required to dump 5k a month into it to avoid fees, however there are no fees listed on this page.

        • snappy1234 on 13/02/2013 - 16:22
          1. The NAB Gold Banking account is no longer for sale on a standalone basis effective 23 April 2012. From 10 August 2012, NAB Choice Package customers cannot ask for their NAB Gold Banking account to be included as part of the package. These changes do not apply to NAB Private Tailored Package customers.

          (terms and Conditions from the page you linked ;)

        • danield on 13/02/2013 - 16:33

          I have to admit… I have absoltulty no idea what you just said.

          Think Ill just attempt to jump through Citi-banks hoops, as it seems like the best option.

          Only 5 weeks to go. And here I was thinking I was well prepared. Now Im thinking it's gonna be tight.

    • nikey2k27 on 28/02/2013 - 23:37

      they donot do oversea stuff for free anymore.

  • danield on 13/02/2013 - 16:37

    So thinking I might try and go to city-bank branch tomorrow.
    Any tips on what I should take with me to try and avoid delays.
    I'm assuming basic 100points is all thats required.

  • RandomNinja on 13/02/2013 - 17:47
    +1

    +1 to 28 Degrees and Citibank card, I've got the same setup for o/seas travel

  • evol on 13/02/2013 - 19:13

    Quick question about the 28degrees card to anyone else that has one - are your recent transactions not showing up in your Online Account?

  • peterpeterpumpkin on 13/02/2013 - 20:47

    I have the Citibank Debit card and have travelled extensively with it. To be honest I never carefully compared the exchange rates but it turned out well for me in Argentina where there are quite a few Citibank branches and the ATM fees otherwise are crazy high. In Chile I was screwed with fees. In Bolivia and Brazil it's not too hard to find free ATMs. In Peru you have to look a bit harder but the fees are lower than Chile and Argentina anyway.

    I'll be honest with you - I do stupid things when I travel, like leaving my cards in ATMs - more than once…and I don't own any credit cards so I lose all those little benefits they often bring.
    So my opinion is take as much backup as you can, including paper money - especially if you are a budget backpacker. You'll quickly find banks treat you like a nobody if you're not a credit card owner and you find yourself left on the street with nothing. And don't expect too much support from the local police of your destination should you find yourself losing everything - often you'll find yourself just filling out paperwork for a guy that doesn't speak English and living on the street again. Also don't expect you can just rock up to a payphone and dial reverse charge in countries like Turkey and Indonesia, where I found out the hard way.

    Citibank was a headache to sign up to but as pointed out in the other forum you can print out a card on the spot after you're approved and you're throat is dry from yelling over the phone after a few days.

    My biggest tip is to be nice to someone in Australia before you leave so that they can send you an emergency Western Union or Moneygram transfer overseas should everything else fail and you still have a few dollars left for a phone call card/centre. It'll cost you a hefty fee but if it's good enough for the Nigerian 419 Scammers, it's good enough for us.

  • May4th on 13/02/2013 - 21:12

    i've used citibank visa debit in china and i'm quite happy with the fees, or lack of them. the exchange rate is quite good, the bank rate was around 6.48 at time of transaction and when i got back i calculated the rate to be 6.47. i'm not sure what the margin is exactly but i'm fairly sure aus:rmb haven't touched higher than 6.5 in any case so it's very reasonable.

    opening the account wasn't that much of a hassle for me. just had to go to the post office which was a bit of a pain, and it took a few weeks

  • EnergicAU on 14/02/2013 - 12:38

    anyone know what the best way is to lock in rates in advance? worried about the aud dropping for my euro trip in a few months. got a 28degs and just applpied for a citi card..but whats the best way to lock in rates? ozforex card?

    • joannatan on 14/02/2013 - 14:00

      go to money changer mate, purchase over there

      • EnergicAU on 14/02/2013 - 16:15

        im talking about locking in the current rates before it moves down over the next few months (potentially). money changers here dont give very good rates either… hmmm

        • joannatan on 15/02/2013 - 12:07

          open citibank account dual currency deposit, it is good if you trade $10k and setup strike price with close to the current price with short time frame.

          of couple hundred, not worthed mate

        • jace88 on 21/02/2013 - 01:01

          I tried this approach but there is one major issue- it is hard to access the physical cash i.e. no way to access the overnight currency account balances from an ATM overseas. I ended up having to get a template and then fax it to my relationship manager in Australia to transfer the foreign currency without conversion into my US Citibank account so I could withdraw it. Totally not worth it for the rate.

          The only reason this would benefit is if someone was trying to minimise fees and hedge their fx exposure, and would reconvert once they were back.

  • danield on 14/02/2013 - 14:53

    Went into Citibank and applied, some conflicting timelines were given. Officially it will take something like 3-5 working days, but it will take up to 2 weeks for all the paperwork/details/cards to arrive etc…
    Step 1: Painless.
    Fingers crossed it goes smooth, Im not in the mood to chase them up.

  • spasto on 14/02/2013 - 15:18

    I have a Citibank card with my home loan but have not used it as I get better points with Amex. I would agree with others' opinions on Citibank's painful application process as it took ages to do a loan transfer.

    To those with 28deg card, do you care about points while travelling overseas or are you more concerned about conversion charges?

    For me, I prefer to use my Amex overseas for insurance purposes and of course points.

    • Evil-Elmo on 14/02/2013 - 15:26
      +1

      The difference in conversion is greater than the value of the points (for my cards). Also, you don't get points for cash withdrawals which is one of the main uses of the 28° card. I presume other cards don't give points for cash withdrawals or you'd just keep withdrawing and banking it…

      • danield on 14/02/2013 - 16:52
        +3

        For me its all about the cheapest and easiest way to access funds while travelling. I got so many points on my Westpac Altitude that I'm happy to sacrifice points for better exchange rate & fee-less transactions.
        Have also started using 28degrees for all my OS online shopping too.

  • EnergicAU on 14/02/2013 - 16:14
    +1

    bankwest platinum which i use now instead of my 28 degs is a qantas freq flyer or can be on the rewards program…
    the platinum offers travel insurance complimentary and conversion is fee free and xe.com rates like the 28degs.
    so i use the bankwest mainly now…
    and amex always has a surcharge and isn't as widely accepted when travelling ..

    citibank online process was pretty simple. filled out application submit…send a form in with your signature..and just wait.

    • Geewhizz on 27/02/2013 - 06:44

      Sounds good - seems the only thing it's lacking in comparison with 28 degrees is the purchase insurance.

  • danield on 15/02/2013 - 14:15

    UPDATE on application: So far so good, email confirmed that account is now set-up. However no details on account number, apparently that will be posted.

  • danield on 21/02/2013 - 10:28

    UPDATE on application: Have to say this hasn't involved any issues at all so far (knock on wood) Last night recieved the card and the pin, just under a week after applying.
    However I was unable to register online as I haven't recieved an account number yet. Hopefully I get that pretty soon and can finalise the process.

    • Ci3reR on 21/02/2013 - 14:10

      So, for now, you are waiting for activating the card, aren't you?

      I think they really need to fix the registration process..

      I applied online on Sunday. Nearly the end of the Registration Steps, I got the Application Reference Number, an account number, plus BSB. However, on their confirmation email, they only included Application Reference Number. Luckily, I printed out the Internet Registration Steps.

      I went to post office on Tuesday for ID check (not trusting Citibank's online ID verification). Just received another email saying the account is now open and card, PIN, etc will be mailed.

      • tanoshiiki on 21/02/2013 - 14:14
        +1

        IIRC, every item comes separately…
        1. The letter for the account number
        2. The letter for the card
        3. The letter for the card pin
        4. The letter for the online pin
        5. The letter for the mobile pin

        • Ci3reR on 23/02/2013 - 19:16

          I actually referred more to the initial registration process. On the confirmation email, they advised that I could track my application progress on https://www.citibank.com.au/global_docs/check_app_status.htm . However, it needs account number to enter the tracking, which they do not include on their confirmation email.

          I printed the web page where they provided the account number during registration form; that's the only way I could get the number beforehand…

  • mangew on 23/02/2013 - 13:27

    re. 28degrees card. Is there a fee for an additional card holder? (cannot seem to find it in the T&C / FAQs)

    • RockyRaccoon on 23/02/2013 - 14:03

      No There is not.

      I have 4 issued on my account

  • Ci3reR on 23/02/2013 - 19:19

    By the way, does anyone know the currency rate will be used when we withdraw money from local (overseas) Citibank ATM? Do they use bank rate for it?

    • joannatan on 24/02/2013 - 00:19

      close to xe.com rate, competitive rate

      • Ci3reR on 25/02/2013 - 19:33

        Ah, okay, thanks :)

  • Ci3reR on 25/02/2013 - 19:36

    UPDATE: I already receive the Citi Debit Card and Telephone PIN, so far so good and reasonably quick. Still cannot register online since I haven't got the ATM PIN..

    Btw, a dumb question, it says the Citi Debit Card limit is $1,000 daily (ATM/EFTPOS/VISA DEBIT). Can we increase the limit through online later? Or need to call customer service?

    Also, the limit will still apply if I choose "credit" during transaction, won't it?
    Sorry, still unsure about debit-credit card process..

    • retiredfeline on 25/02/2013 - 19:44

      You really think you will withdraw more than $1000 per day while overseas? I suppose you could ask Citibank to raise the daily limit but they may not allow it based on your history. Also ATMs may have limits on cash withdrawals.

      Also why would you choose credit during the transaction? It's a debit card and choosing the wrong type will either not work or will default to debit anyway.

      Debit means you take out your own money. So if you don't have the money in the account, the withdrawal will fail. In other respects it works the same as a credit card in an ATM or over the counter.

      • Ci3reR on 28/02/2013 - 21:42

        No, still need to consider a less likely and bizarre condition..
        Also, my understanding is the $1,000 limit is a combination of withdrawal, EFTPOS and Visa Debit, not just withdrawal.

        Choosing credit for debit card is a weird thing though, but I have a Commonwealth Bank Debit MasterCard. On the booklet, it always encourages for choosing Credit, instead of Debit / Saving when making purchases, for extra protection.

        I tried the Debit/Saving and Credit selections. I found out that when choosing Debit, the money on my account is deducted straight away, which I think is no difference with an EFTPOS card.

        When I tried Credit, the money is not deducted directly but is hold for clearance. The total available money on my account is the deducted one, yet the "total" amount is the the full amount.

        So, I am not sure how it works with Citi Debit Card…

        • retiredfeline on 28/02/2013 - 22:15

          My understanding is that "choose credit at the checkout" is a Australian oddity for other reasons like purchase protection. There is no such choice on an overseas ATM. The system knows what kind of card you have. And you will never be able to spend more than what you have in the account. There is no line of credit offered. Which is why people recommend you get a 28degrees credit card to take advantage of the float for card purchases.

          My understanding is the $1000 is a per day cash withdrawal limit and not related to how much you can spend by using it as a payment card (up to the balance you have in the account). But why not ask Citibank?

    • joannatan on 25/02/2013 - 21:43

      you need to call their call centre to increase the cc limit.

      • Ci3reR on 28/02/2013 - 21:43

        Ah, okay thanks for the info. When you said cc, will it also work the same way for the debit card?

  • danield on 26/02/2013 - 14:46

    OK, Despite confusing the Telephone PIN with the ATM pin and not being able to register online everything went smoothly. The Telephone pin arrived on Thursday, so I called them and they said they could only mail me a new one, I told them not to bother as I would just go into the branch on Friday, fortuanlty I forgot to take the card with me so didnt go….. the ATM pin was in the mail box that evening. Registered for online and am done.. all up a week and a half.

    However.. since I started using the online, I am finding a big problem that city bank are introducing with the stuipidly ridicolous SMS pin everytime you log in. I don't know about the rest of you but I was not planning to take my phone's SIM at all, according to the FAQ if you can't recieve SMS then you can't log onto your account. This is not sounding like a good travel card companion if I am unable to log in to check my balance when I not with my phone.

    Any ideas around this? No firm dates as to when it will be the only way in, at the moment I can still validate with my secret questions.

    • tanoshiiki on 26/02/2013 - 14:52

      This OTP is a new security measure and I'm also not a fan. Another example of Citibank going overboard with the security. However, that said, you will find that many banks are starting to or have migrated to this type of option, but usually the SMS is only required on transacting, rather than just even logging in.

      The only way around this is to stick with the security question option at the moment before OTP is made compulsory (expected late March/early April). Once it's made compulsory, according to the Citibank FAQs, the option for a token will be made available. No word on the price of a token though.

      You might have to get an international SIM…

      • danield on 26/02/2013 - 16:21

        (expected late March/early April)

        Well thats just great… exactly the time Im leaving.

        Yeah have seen this on my NAB accounts for transactions, but Im pretty sure you can set the level and frequency etc.. and not required just to view accounts. Im only going to be require to confirm account balances before withdrawing etc. Now an international SIM would be overkill just to occassioanlly confirm account balances.
        Guess Im just going to have to be more attentive about what funds I deposit and withdraw etc….

        But I imagine that could be quite difficult, for example I deposit AU$500 and withdraw 200pounds.. what am I left with.. Aussie about AU$100, so I go back to ATM and go umm… whats my balance.
        Hmmm, I guess the ATM will give me a balance in pounds… Ok, might be able to work with this. But it still sux.

        • tanoshiiki on 26/02/2013 - 16:25

          That's when I'm going on holiday too…

          Maybe give Citibank a call for a better confirmation of final implementation. It will be a big inconvenience for me as well, but I've been told to buy one for other purposes. The interesting thing will be how do I change my OTP mobile number online if I can't even login because I'm on a different number overseas?! No, I'm not calling or using Skype to contact Citibank halfway around the world…

          Apparently Europe SIM cards are relatively affordable. My brother went over there and bought a Vodafone one (equivalent to our Telstra in terms of coverage and service levels). I'm not sure which particular one.

        • danield on 26/02/2013 - 16:49

          Well this opens a completely new can of worms.. Cause I havent started looking into mobile costs etc.. but I was planning to rely mostly on wi-fi for tablet and phone access, however if the option was avialbale for cheap SIM Ill job onto one. However Ill be moving around, starting in UK, Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, Switerland, Italy, Dubai… so I figured Ill have to rule out the SIM due to different countries… or are you telling me that one SIM will cover Europe? handy if it did.

          But here is the ironic part.. even if I did have a new number, I couldnt be bothered calling Citibank from overseas to register the number anyway, as its a tempory number, who wants to calling the bank all the time to keep switching their details. Even with the phone Ild prefer to overload the card with cash and just pray that I dont need to log online.

        • tanoshiiki on 26/02/2013 - 17:10

          Even with the phone Ild prefer to overload the card with cash and just pray that I dont need to log online.
          That's going to be my strategy…

          Yes, I think my brother just used the one sim for Europe, but I can check.

          If the card is being advertised as a smarter travel card (as it was when I applied for it), maybe we need to send this feedback to Citibank. Citibank's official FAQ advice is to activate roaming. Ha! Even if my sim did have a roaming option, there's no way I would be activating it due to the exhorbitant costs! Most budget savvy /smart travellers are better off buying a SIM overseas, if any sim at all in a land of increasingly free public wi-fi. Even if they changed the SMS security to just transactions that would be a better comprimise.

          If you find out about when OTP will be fully implemented, post it in the thread.

        • danield on 26/02/2013 - 17:41

          Yeah I saw the FAQ that advised roaming… What a joke. Ill be calling them up about this, don't you worry about that. Sounds like their idea of a smart traveller is someone on a business trip or junket. I agree, any smart traveller (not even tech savvy) will rely on hotel and coffee shop wi-fi or cheap pre-paid SIM at the destination. Besides most travellers are more inclined to be using a Ipad rahter then a phone on holidays… arrhhhh, looks like this has hit a nerve I could go on and on.. I should call citibank now while Im all fired up.

          Anyway, do you think one of the services that allows you to send and recieve SMS messages via a website might do the trick? Damn, just another thing Ill have to look into..

        • joannatan on 26/02/2013 - 22:55

          i have optus prepaid that i can use for roaming, receiving sms on boat and on land internationally is free but if you sent it yes you have to pay

        • tanoshiiki on 27/02/2013 - 16:32

          I called up Citibank today and asked OTP. Apparently the implementation has been pushed to April, but they don't have an exact date yet.

        • danield on 27/02/2013 - 16:51

          Did you convey your displeasure about it?
          I called earlier today but got lost in there telephone menu system, then realized I didnt have my card on my and gave up.

          Delayed til April, wonderful. If they push it back only one more month, this could be a next vacation problem.

          Based on "incoming SMSes are free" info from greenpossum, Im thinking I might go the global roaming option and just insert the SIM as required. Pain in the arse cause Ill probably lose the SIM, all just for 2 or 3 logins for the whole trip.

        • tanoshiiki on 27/02/2013 - 16:55

          I wasn't in the appropriate environment to convey my displeasure unfortunately.

        • retiredfeline on 27/02/2013 - 17:36

          Get a cheap prepaid SIM with international roaming for receiving SMSes on vacation if you are worried about losing your regular one.

        • danield on 27/02/2013 - 17:58

          Yeah, starting to think this might be the best way to go.

        • RockyRaccoon on 27/02/2013 - 20:19

          alternatively

          Given its only for you needing to check the balance, not for ATM withdrawls, do you have a trusted family member?

          If so you can email them, and they can access the account here with a SMS code to their phone.

          I did this for my son's GF (of many years) while she was in HK for 12 months, with NAB and UBank.

          Given the favourable rate the alternatives are rather expensive, AND I dont know if its that safe logging on via internet cafe's

    • retiredfeline on 26/02/2013 - 17:29

      I won't find that an issue as I will know roughly how much is there from the conversion rate and also if I can't overdraw anyway. Plus it's no big deal to use roaming as incoming SMSes are free.

      • danield on 26/02/2013 - 17:43

        "incoming SMSes are free"

        Are you sure about that? I thought it was the other way round.

        • retiredfeline on 26/02/2013 - 18:43

          Of course. You won't pay anything to get a SMS wherever you're in the world. Your sender also pays only the standard rate.

  • windrc on 26/02/2013 - 20:25

    my partner and I each has a 28c account and we have additional card for each other. So one of the accounts is loaded up to be used as ATM card whiles the other account is used as credit card.

  • kiwimex on 27/02/2013 - 16:26

    I am currently in Mexico traveling on the Citibank debit visa card, all i can say is i am very impressed with the exchange rates and i haven't found anywhere that wont accept the card. Used the card at LAX with no hassles either. Yes signing up is a bit of a hassle but in the end its worth while. My wife's card arrived late so we had to goto the Citibank branch in Brisbane to get the pin put on the card, service was fast, no waiting parking right out the front on Queen St, pin was authorized in under 5 mins and we were on our way.

    Cant say much for the 28Degree card as i got turned down, I am aware that its part of the GE finance group which i have a go MasterCard card with, I called them to ask why i was refused the card, they said i didn't meet their criteria, hmmm I had over 20k in cash in my bank and proved investments of 100k

    • tanoshiiki on 27/02/2013 - 16:31

      Did you withdraw cash at LAX? If so, which ATM do you recommend?

    • spiderpig on 11/04/2014 - 00:53

      did you get fees for this card as they only have Banemex in Mexico?

  • coochiemudlo on 28/02/2013 - 08:40

    Used the citibank card in Ireland, France and Austria for last two months. Did not cost me a cent for any withdrawal from any cash machine. Exchange rate was also excellent. Only problem was no chip on the card. Was not accepted in two places in Ireland but fine everywhere else.

    If your going os you want this card

  • danield on 28/02/2013 - 16:14

    Just tested Mighty Text (http://mightytext.net/) online SMS. Works well messages coming through instantly. Will test it more tonight with my NAB secuirty SMS. This will mean that the SIM will have to be left in a phone that remains powered for the duration of the trip. No problem there. Could also be handy for actually sending SMS home to. Might be able to consider going back to attempting to rely 100% on Wi-Fi for the trip.

    • retiredfeline on 28/02/2013 - 16:20

      You only need to power it on when you are expecting a SMS with the verification code. Unless you are also expecting SMSes from people during your trip.

      • danield on 28/02/2013 - 16:32

        Yeah, I was thinking about it wrong, I was thinking that I could take the SIM out of my phone and insert it into an old phone at home, so leaving it on the charger at home. But yeah that won't work cause it has to be an Android phone - dont have a spare one of those.

        Im assuming that if I leave the SIM in and travel, then the SIM still needs roaming for Might Text to sync the SMSs.. so no difference to having gloabal roaming on anyway.

        • retiredfeline on 28/02/2013 - 22:25

          No you don't need an Android or other smart phone to receive SMSes from Citibank or anyone else for that matter The verification code from Citibank comes as a normal SMS, then you type that into the web page. Any old phone will do. But of course you need Internet access to login to your account to check your balance. That's a separate issue.

          I don't know what Mighty Text will do for you, but you are overthinking this. All you need is a cheap SIM with global roaming to receive SMSes and you won't spend a cent of the credit if you only use it to receive SMSes.

        • danield on 01/03/2013 - 10:11

          I know all that, Im looking into ways that don't require a phone all.

        • retiredfeline on 29/03/2013 - 13:31
          +3

          There is another option, if you download their smartphone app, it can generate an offline OTP. Then you don't need to be able to receive SMSes.

          http://www.citibank.com.au/otp/

        • terlalu on 12/04/2013 - 07:01

          But won't that mean you'll need to be data roaming to use their app?

        • retiredfeline on 12/04/2013 - 10:55

          No, the app is standalone, it generates an offline OTP based on the time, so your smartphone has to have the correct time (usually not a problem). But obviously you would be using Internet banking to need the code. E.g. at a hotel's PC.

  • Mirage on 04/03/2013 - 23:51

    I've used my Citibank debit visa in Bali and Jakarta and Amazon purchases iin Dec 2012 and rates were VERY close to XE.com at that time. +1 for Citibank for me

  • Ci3reR on 28/03/2013 - 20:47

    Been so frustrated and embarrassed by getting declined for using citibank Australia Visa Debit in most retailers and restaurants in Malaysia. Simply because the card doesn't have the security chip..even citibank Malaysia has a chip on the card..

    I will be off to Singapore next Monday..will see how it goes there..

    • Aceman98 on 11/04/2013 - 10:15

      I'll be going off to singapore in a months time as well! Could you please let me know how it goes as well? =]

      i tried applying for a 28 degrees card but got declined…so I guess citibank is the way to go

  • tanoshiiki on 12/04/2013 - 10:52
    +1

    Was in the US recently. With Citibank being from the US, it was really easy to find a Citibank ATM or branch to have fee-free cash outs at a great rate (pretty much the xe rate). The US don't have RFID chips or PayWave, so there was no issue in using the card.

  • Almost Banned on 16/04/2013 - 10:42
    +1

    Just got back from a trip to the US.
    I already had a 28 degrees card with me as primary cardholder (and the wife having her own card) and wanted to use that as a credit card for the trip. Thought I would just get a second 28 degrees account with the wife as primary and me having a second card - no deal, wife was rejected.
    So went with the 28 degrees for credit and Citibank for an ATM card.
    Although the set-up was a little painful it wasn't too bad.
    Had no problems with either - credit card was fine, the Americans seem a bit behind on cc security, no PIN, don't even check signatures most of the time.
    What I was surprised at was how little I used the Citibank card and how little cash I needed. I did almost everything on the credit card.
    From my very brief look the rates were good from both cards and no ugly fees. Would recommend this set up to others - just don't leave it to the last minute.

  • katz on 26/04/2013 - 12:54

    Great read here. I also have the double setup (28deg + Citibank Plus). I want to use the Citibank as the ATM card - am I correct that I can use any ATM overseas and there are no fees?

    • retiredfeline on 26/04/2013 - 13:26

      No fees by Citibank but the ATM operator may charge. In practice big operators, e.g. well known banks, absorb the cost in their margin. A small one might not.

      • katz on 26/04/2013 - 14:33

        So where I would use my 28 Degrees card for an ATM withdrawal and incur $0 fee - can I use my Citibank Plus card on the same ATM and incur a $0 fee also?

        • retiredfeline on 26/04/2013 - 15:54

          Generally a major bank is a good bet.

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