Shipping a credit card to Thailand.

[Golden Triangle]

Firstly a bit of background info, my new Credit Card has arrived at my daughters in the UK, she has shipped one to me before along with debit cards and such with no problem using Parcel Monkey at a reasonable price.

 

It would appear that Parcel Monkey have updated their Terms & Conditions as It got as far as the International Gateway (their description) and was refused due to it being a restricted item !!

 

My CC company won't ship it to me here as the account address is in the UK

 

I have checked DHL & FedEx T's & C's they won't ship Bearer bonds, lottery tickets, letters of credit, cash, foreign notes or bullion Etc, I think debit & credit cards could be okay, so can I ask who you use to ship things like CC & Debit cards these days from the UK. TIA.

[SteveK]

Surely the credit card has zero value until it has actually been activated online anyway? You could conceal it inside a CD or DVD case couldn't you? I had a new credit card shipped to me in Isaan last year - however the card had a clause that it had to be activated within 30 days of the bank sending it to my UK address and that period had lapsed by the time I got someone to retrieve it from my house and post it to me here. Called my bank and explained the situation and it worked out OK.

Edited August 28, 2019 by SteveK

[lopburi3]

From USA my credit and debit cards are sent normal mail and never had an issue.  Both by banks and 3rd party.  

Edited August 28, 2019 by lopburi3

[KhunBENQ]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

From USA my credit and debit cards are sent normal mail and never had an issue.  Both by banks and 3rd party.  

Same for me just recently with a card from German.

Sent by the bank in an ordinary business envelope.

[NanLaew]

Amex shipped my replacement card to Thailand via DHL. I have used both FedEx (from the US) and DHL (from the UK) for other bank plastic. The latter will cost about 50 quid and takes 3 days.

 

More recently, I have had my bulk UK mail forwarded by my sister using Post Office 'tracked & signed' and that included new bank plastic. I think the total cost was 11 quid and it took 7 days. I go online and book and pay for it, email the shipping docs (pdf) to my sister. She prints them out and takes the lot to the local post office for drop-off the next day. I pick it up from my PO Box the following week.

Edited August 28, 2019 by NanLaew

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

and never had an issue. 

Should add "that mattered" to above as did have one go missing and easily obtained replacement - original card arrived a couple of months later (US Mail Florida sorters seem to throw Thailand mail in Caribbean bags occasionally).  Just received a letter from May 14 yesterday.  

[Golden Triangle]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Amex shipped my replacement card to Thailand via DHL. I have used both FedEx (from the US) and DHL (from the UK) for other bank plastic. The latter will cost about 50 quid and takes 3 days.

 

More recently, I have had my bulk UK mail forwarded by my sister using Post Office 'tracked & signed' and that included new bank plastic. I think the total cost was 11 quid and it took 7 days. I go online and book and pay for it, email the shipping docs (pdf) to my sister. She prints them out and takes the lot to the local post office for drop-off the next day. I pick it up from my PO Box the following week.

I have just been looking at Royal Mail international tracked, it seems to be the way to go, I checked DHL and FedEx, they seem to be okay but as you say expensive, hopefully my daughter has a post office nearby.  ???? She lives in deepest darkest Devon

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

From USA my credit and debit cards are sent normal mail and never had an issue.  Both by banks and 3rd party.  

Very risky, Registered or Special Delivery (UK Post Office)  will ensure delivery, as much as is possible to ensure it will arrive okay.  

[Pilotman]

11 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I have just been looking at Royal Mail international tracked, it seems to be the way to go, I checked DHL and FedEx, they seem to be okay but as you say expensive, hopefully my daughter has a post office nearby.  ???? She lives in deepest darkest Devon

that is the way to go. I have used that method for new and replacement cards.  It's by far the best option, but never 100% of course, but if it doesn't arrive, you just tell the bank and they will send replacements.  I double wrap them in tin foil and double the envelope. as a result make the package slightly larger than just cards.  I don't know if this helps, but it can't do any harm to disguise them a bit. 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Pilotman

[timendres]

My bank also refuses to ship my CCs to any address other than my home address in the US. I have shipped three of them here using FedEx and never had a problem. Of course, the manifest states simply: "document". I like the excellent tracking, which is why I pay the additional cost.

[Golden Triangle]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

that is the way to go. I have used that method for new and replacement cards.  It's by far the best option, but never 100% of course, but if it doesn't arrive, you just tell the bank and they will send replacements.  I double wrap them in tin foil and double the envelope. as a result make the package slightly larger than just cards.  I don't know if this helps, but it can't do any harm to disguise them a bit. 

I'll do that & tell my daughter to stick some cardboard or something in it and declare it as family photos or something ???? Cheers for that ????

[CharlieH]

10 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

I'll do that & tell my daughter to stick some cardboard or something in it and declare it as family photos or something ???? Cheers for that ????

I did the same thing just recently, wrapped tin foil placed inside a junk mail pamphlet/book type thing and cellotaped down. Declarred as paperwork and sent registered for 8.35 gbp.

Arrived in exactly 7days from posting and tracked all the way.

 

[lopburi3]

16 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Very risky, Registered or Special Delivery (UK Post Office)  will ensure delivery, as much as is possible to ensure it will arrive okay.  

There is very little risk at all as cards are useless until activated and I have to do that via my online account.  As I stated a missing card is easily replaced.

[Pilotman]

5 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

There is very little risk at all as cards are useless until activated and I have to do that via my online account.  As I stated a missing card is easily replaced.

Surely the object is to get them so you can use them?  If so, no point in risking a none special delivery just to save a few pennies in postage. 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Pilotman

[lopburi3]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Surely the object is to get them so you can use them?  If so, no point in risking a none special delivery just to save a few pennies in postage. 

Admit not so for me as almost never use as have local accounts/cards for spending.  And both Chase and USAA use normal mail directly to me here in Thailand so not my choice in any case.

[OOTAI]

When I have had CC's sent from Australia to me in Thailand I have used DHL, yes it costs but I can track it.

I always have my Thailand address in/on the package in both English and in Thai.  The English address gets it out of Australia and the Thai address gets it to the right place here. Usually less than a week door to door.

[Pilotman]

42 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Admit not so for me as almost never use as have local accounts/cards for spending.  And both Chase and USAA use normal mail directly to me here in Thailand so not my choice in any case.

okay 

Edited August 28, 2019 by Pilotman

[watcharacters]

4 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

From USA my credit and debit cards are sent normal mail and never had an issue.  Both by banks and 3rd party.  

 

Have you notified  the credit card company and debit card issuers that you live in Thailand?     I think that's becoming a greater issue these days.  

[dotpoom]

19 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

From USA my credit and debit cards are sent normal mail and never had an issue.  Both by banks and 3rd party.  

Same here,.....just asked my friend to register it.

[helloagain]

I use DHL and its put between two pices of card. On form its documents. From uk not a problem. Or bank with krungsri, deposit 800,000 and they block it, you then can get their credit card to value of 600.000 baht. I use this blooked account for my retirement visa. Everybody happy. 

[luckyluke]

I thought all Creditcards, even normal BankCards, need to be activated, in one way or another, nowadays. 

I receive mines, from Belgium, here in Thailand with normal post. 

[new2here]

If I recall, Thailand like several countries, has a restriction on the importation of BLANK credit cards, but not on printed cards for individual use (ie not a bulk shipment) themselves.

That said, a private carrier, like UPS, FedEx etc, is of course free to impose restrictions or limitations that exceed national standards, but not less-than national standard.

I routinely have replacement cards sent to me here in Bangkok by family in the US and a few times, sent directly by the card issuer themselves.

I’ve never had an issue nor have I had any of the shipments physically opened by Thai customs prior to delivery.

As recent example, my Apple Card arrived about 2 weeks ago from the US and it took 8 days from the date mailing out of the US and arrived here unopened/sealed.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Henryford]

I think it is too risky to send a CC in a normal letter even if wrapped in cardboard. I get mine sent by DHL from the UK. OK it is expensive 36 GBP but it's only once every 3 years.

[topt]

7 minutes ago, helloagain said:

I use DHL and its put between two pices of card. On form its documents. From uk not a problem. Or bank with krungsri, deposit 800,000 and they block it, you then can get their credit card to value of 600.000 baht. I use this blooked account for my retirement visa. Everybody happy. 

There were comments a year or 2 ago that some banks when writing the letter for Immigration were deducting the blocked amount first. Caused a few issues but from what you say has not been an issue with your bank?

[wtfracing]

Use DHL door to door service and you should have no problems

[animalmagic]

Amex ship using DHL, a separate packet for each card!  That strikes me as a little daft but the cards arrive the same day.

Have had a problem with local delivery when godmother sent me a birthday card and the bottom had been slit open and resealed with sellotape.  Delivery chap probably thought it contained cash as a birthday present as it was obvious the envelope contained a card of some sort.

Therefore be careful how you package the cards and send them.

Agree the card needs to be activated but it is possible to clone the card, let it arrive to the card holder and then use it.  

[wgdanson]

17 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

Admit not so for me as almost never use as have local accounts/cards for spending.  And both Chase and USAA use normal mail directly to me here in Thailand so not my choice in any case.

Why have them if you never use them....emergency use only, yes.

If you use for buying on the internet, you simply need the number, date and security number.

Get a scan sent to you.

[firefox999uk]

Funny enough my daughter just posted mine yesterday.

Tracked International Signed for.

This is the 4th time we have used this service with no problems in the past.

the cards are flanked with 2 pieces of stiff cardboard and my pension letters

either side......cost 9.50 quid... weight .199kg posted in Durham

it is currently at Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre.

 

PS....Also had it addressed to my sister in law as she has a  Thai name.

 

 

 

Have a Nice Day.

Edited August 29, 2019 by firefox999uk
Added Info

[Jaxxper]

My ATM/Credit cards are either forwarded by the Royal Mail under a mail forwarding agreement normal air mail, or from family by regular air mail if it turns up at one of their addresses. If they do they always pack it within 3/4 sheets of A4 paper to make it less obvious what it is and never had a problem in 10 years.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

Why have them if you never use them....emergency use only, yes.

If you use for buying on the internet, you simply need the number, date and security number.

Get a scan sent to you.

Buying on the internet with a credit card often requires - at least in my case - that you use a small device provided by your bank that will only do the transaction when you input a combination of passwords (generated on the spot) and your credit card pin-number.  In some cases this is not required (e.g. for very small amounts or when you are a regular customer of the internet retailer).

Also a credit card send directly to me here in Thailand would not work, as I need to do at least one transaction with it in my home country (Belgium) to have it validated.