Barclaycard to by-pass fraud checks for holidaymakers

Fraud committed on UK payment cards abroad cost banks £82.8 million in 2005, according to figures from Apacs, and banks have adopted a cautious approach to authorising transactions from far-flung holiday destinations.

Martin Warwick, head of card fraud operations at Barclaycard, says: "There is nothing more inconvenient than going abroad on holiday and not being able to use your card because it has been declined. At Barclaycard we want to ensure that cardholders enjoy a hassle-free holiday."

Provided customers inform the company of their travel plans, he says, the bank will ensure that transactions processed from the designated destination are able to bypass the usual fraud checks.