International & Travel

[#1]

We got our Platinum Mastercards for the sole purpose of using them overseas and for foreign transactions since the card does not have foreign transaction fees.    It worked in some places in South Africa however when I tried to use it to pay for takeway food in Ceres in South Africa, it failed.  They said it said 'invalid number'.  I tried again a week later on the return trip at the same place.   Same failure.  Luckily I had another card (Visa) from another bank that did work. 

The card reader device said it was an ABSA bank device.    

I had notified that I was travelling in South Africa and the card had worked at a supermarket, and another takeaway food place in South Africa.  Why did it fail?  Is there something wrong with the card? Should I get it replaced to avoid this happening again? 

[#2]

Hi @anmari, sorry to hear of the experience you've had here.

Generally speaking, if there was an issue with the card itself, it wouldn't be working anywhere, and not just in one place. Whilst we're unable to view your account(s) via the Forum, I'd really like to ensure that this is looked into for you. If you can login to your Online Banking from a PC and select the "Message us Now" tab, or give our Contact Centre a call on +61 8 9486 4130* from a landline overseas, we can investigate what might have happened here. Both services are available 24/7 for your convenience.
 

*This is a reverse charges number, though as you would need to contact the International Operator in the country you are in, I am unable to advise if there would be any charges applied by the local or international telephone company for contacting the operator.
 

Let me know how you go.