credit card

[roger101]

Sending a credit card from the UK to Thailand whats best and safest.

[RandomSand]

DHL

[scubascuba3]

Tricky thing is not only the card but the pin which is usually posted a few days later, maybe there's a way around that. I wonder if anyone has had it delivered to the post office (poste restante)

 

 

[roger101]

4 hours ago, RandomSand said:

DHL

I thought DHL only did parcels. There is no mention on their website for letters. And 24 Euros seems quite expensive.

[Speedo1968]

Maybe worth contacting your bank in the UK by phone or online banking to ask their advice.

Perhaps you can arrange that the card is only activated by online banking confirmation of who you are.

I have had post "go missing", arrive "unsealed" to both my home address ( I live in the sticks ) and to my PO box in town.

I have had bank cards sent to my PO box and despite the attractive 'thickness' of the envelope none went missing or were opened.

Yes, the pin arrived a few days later. 

My bank will block suspicious online payments or any suspected unauthorized use here in Thailand and elsewhere.  Yes it means a call to the UK and in the past they have done an excellent job, even blocking an unauthorized online purchase payment request whilst I was in the UK whilst allowing other use of the card for general payments and other online purchases.

 

[JoePai]

Always use Fedex for documents - reliable

[ubonjoe]

How it can sent it depends upon where you live here. Fedex, UPS and DHL do not deliver everywhere.

Most places your only choice is by mail. International EMS has worked for me.

[watgate]

What does international EMS mean ?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, watgate said:

What does international EMS mean ?

EMS is Express Mail Service.

[simoh1490]

HSBC UK sends mine by regular surface mail every few years and there's never been a problem, the PIN is the important part, as is card activation.

[sanemax]

On 1/17/2018 at 12:34 AM, roger101 said:

I thought DHL only did parcels. There is no mention on their website for letters. And 24 Euros seems quite expensive.

DHL  do do letters .

If you are concerned about the cost , then get it sent by regular mail 

[ubonjoe]

On 1/17/2018 at 12:34 AM, roger101 said:

And 24 Euros seems quite expensive.

Not that bad IMO. About 920 baht. Express Mail Service from here to Europe is 850 baht for 100 grams.

[roger101]

I'm more concerned about the security than the cost. If it was just cost the UK's Post Office does a signed and tracked service for about 250 Baht for a small letter.

 

With the normal post my sister sent a Christmas Card on the  3rd December which I received in January.

[Speedo1968]

On 1/18/2018 at 4:00 PM, roger101 said:

I'm more concerned about the security than the cost. If it was just cost the UK's Post Office does a signed and tracked service for about 250 Baht for a small letter.

 

With the normal post my sister sent a Christmas Card on the  3rd December which I received in January.

Nothing unusual in time post takes from UK.

In the days when the Thai post was 100% govt run post both ways was excellent, now, post to UK seems good but from the UK can take weeks.    Possibly the hold ups are in the UK.

 

I would just have your card sent the normal way the bank does and then activate online.

[topt]

On ‎16‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Tricky thing is not only the card but the pin which is usually posted a few days later

 

On ‎18‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 8:50 AM, simoh1490 said:

the PIN is the important part, as is card activation.

Do the banks change them every renewal? I ask because the credit cards I use have not been changed when renewed - but none are from any of the major UK banks.

Activation is online so without my online access hopefully they cannot get in.  

[Baerboxer]

I had some cards sent last month. MBNA used DHL, who were excellent in delivering at a convenient time. HSBC used standard post. No problems but the time it takes is very variable IME. One took 12 days the other 24. 

 

If the cards are replacements for expired ones you can activate them on-line easily, and the pin remains the same. 

[Crossy]

On 1/16/2018 at 12:50 PM, roger101 said:

Sending a credit card from the UK to Thailand whats best and safest.

Royal Mail International Signed-For is how my parents send my cards, works every time.

 

If there is a PIN notification (rare) Dad emails it to me once I confirm the arrival of the card. Most cards now require online activation via the bank website, usually trouble free.

 

[keithcresswell]

I used Royal Mail. I think it was around a tenner. Details are on their website.

[coppywriter]

On 1/17/2018 at 1:34 AM, roger101 said:

I thought DHL only did parcels. There is no mention on their website for letters. And 24 Euros seems quite expensive.

DHL do handle letters and documents of any size.

[1FinickyOne]

I work with my bank and the card cannot be activated until I receive it and call them. Unfortunately, sent last card by mail and it has not arrived after 3 months. We have been  monitoring use and no foul play. But, the safeguard is working with the bank. I will soon request another and have it sent Fed Ex... and they do have subsidiaries who deliver in the countryside, 

[Scotssing]

The safest way is to get a reliable friend to deliver it to you personally or have someone retain it in the UK for you to pick up.

A couple of years back I suggested to my bank that I would get someone to DHL the card to me but they said that would invalidate the card. OK you might argue that they would never find out but if there was some fraud as a result of a stolen card from DHL it could cause problems.

I also guess different banks have different policies

[shackleton]

Had my sister send registered post EMS  received no problem

did not need the new pin as used the old one 

card was renewed as out of date not lost where a new Pin would be required 

[Colabamumbai]

I have them sent by registered mail from Canada, with enough covering so you cannot feel the card inside

[simoh1490]

2 hours ago, topt said:

 

Do the banks change them every renewal? I ask because the credit cards I use have not been changed when renewed - but none are from any of the major UK banks.

Activation is online so without my online access hopefully they cannot get in.  

The banks don't change the PIN if the card is being renewed because there's no need to do so hence there's no potential for a PIN letter that has been mailed to be intercepted.

[new2here]

I've had US issued Amex and Citi cards sent to Thailand before - directly from the issuer.. in both cases they sent them in fairly non-descript rigid mailers and with a return address that doesn't raise red flags as being a credit card issuer/bank.

The thing with the pin was that the banks left a decent block of time between the date the new card was mailed and the date the new PIN was mailed --- to make intercepting both difficult at minimum.

I recall now with two of my other US cards, I can choose a PIN online/by mail/by fax, but with several security-screening steps involved, as opposed to the more traditional bank-generated and bank-mailed PIN.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[ukrules]

I always use DHL. They offer a 'document service' which is actually a reasonably sized cardboard envelope, larger than A4 in size.

 

I either get someone to get a wedge of copier paper, fold it in half and tape the card inside the paper somewhere or tape it inside some kind of book like one of those free promotional diaries companies like to give away at the end of the year.

 

DHL don't deliver to all places inside Thailand and when you're in an area they don't deliver they hand it over to a local delivery service, it was EMS the last time I used it. This is then trackable / overnight service in Thailand.

 

It's never failed me yet and I do live outside a direct DHL delivery area. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for so it's quick, as in 3-4 days.

 

[helloagain]

On 17/01/2018 at 12:34 AM, roger101 said:

I thought DHL only did parcels. There is no mention on their website for letters. And 24 Euros seems quite expensive.

No they do letters as well. I use them for offshore banking

[simoh1490]

16 minutes ago, helloagain said:

No they do letters as well. I use them for offshore banking

I used to do the same, for the same reasons, many years ago I  moved to Thai Post Office system and request a signature upon receipt, it works equally as well, almost as quick and is way cheaper - 3 pages to London is about 85 baht versus 1,200+ via DHL..

[thailand49]

Done this number of times, my choice my is to have it sent to the address I using in the States. Once everything the cards arrives my family member puts it into a FedEx envelope I have already made out for any document that need my attention.  You can also use DHL or UPS but none including FedEx will deliver to any P.O. Box  and make sure to use a service with a tracking system.

As noted, you can ask you bank to forward it to Thailand but this takes more than just a phone call, I had Charles Schwab offer to send the new card to Thailand but I needed to fill out some request form. 

A simple document yes can cost but if you got to have the card you got to pay.

[csabo]

If the card is not activated regular mail. I do it routinely. You think too mutt.