# Moving abroad and keeping AIB credit card



## murphaph (7 Apr 2013)

Has anyone experience of being an existing AIB credit card customer and moving abroad, moving your billing address to your new foreign location?

I have a "nice" limit on my AIB card and have only recently gotten a German card, with a paltry limit on it that only increases if I deposit my salary with the same bank (very common practice with German banks and credit cards). Currently I don't do this and it's not yet convenient to do so, therefore I'd like to hold on to my AIB card.

Up to now I have been using a family address in Ireland for all correspondence but I've read that non-residents are not liable for stamp duty on credit cards, so if AIB were ok moving my correspondence/billing address abroad, I'd have a free credit card with my decent limit.

I like being able to go on hols and put everything on the card for the whole time, including hire car and hotel deposits etc. which can quickly max out lesser cards ;-) I like knowing that my limit will just cover everything, so I don't want to "spook" AIB unless I'm pretty sure there will be a positive answer. I do NOT want them to suspend my card because I'm non-resident.

(I also like knowing I don't have to pay back the entire balance if I don't want to, though never use this feature to avoid interest payments. My current, and most German cards, force you to clear the entire balance each month, so function more like charge cards than credit cards really)


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## itsallwrong (7 Apr 2013)

It would be prudent to ring them and tell them 'you travel a lot'.
That will cover the fact the card is being used a lot out of the country.
Make sure they have your mobile number to verify any transaction.
I would certainly expect terms to change if you tell them outright you are moving 
out of the country for good.


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## Charley (7 Apr 2013)

I've done this several times with AIB and it's never been an issue.  They simply require a request in writing to alter the billing address.


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## murphaph (7 Apr 2013)

Hey there,
I've read threads about AIB declining legitimate transactions abroad due to suspicions of fraud (some automated system) but tbh I've never had a transaction declined on the card and have been living abroad for 5 years or so now!

I think I'll do what you say though, just in case. They only have an Irish number for me (which is only active when I'm at home). I might see if I can add my German number as a contact.

Oops, crosspost. Charley: sounds great. I'll ask them about it then


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## kimmage (7 Apr 2013)

Might not be ideal in these circumstances but you can update your AIB credit card address on AIB Internet Banking.


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## murphaph (7 Apr 2013)

I don't see that option anywhere. It might be because I'm waiting for a code card to be sent out (as I have no AIB accounts any more apart from the CC, so my card reader doesn't work as it needs an active debit card). Perhaps the option to change billing address will materialise when the code card is activated...

EDIT: I see it now...you have to click on the little + symbol beside the CC a/c to get the menu to expand. Cheers for the tip!

SECOND EDIT: You still need the code card to complete the change of address, which I pretty much expected.


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## Sue Ellen (7 Apr 2013)

Didn't the stamp duty charge of €30.00 go through on 1st April so you may be caught for this year.


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## murphaph (7 Apr 2013)

Yeah caught for this year alright but would be nice not to be liable in future. It's still worth the thirty quid to me to keep the card though even if I couldn't escape the stamp duty.


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## murphaph (8 Apr 2013)

Just for anyone else reading this and to confirm Charley's post...
I emailed AIB card services and they said it would be no problem to change billing address to a German one. So I checked the Revenue site and it seems likely (as Stamp Duty on credit cards is levied in arrears on the 1st of April) that I'll even get hit for the tax once more next year as you have to have a foreign billing address for the entire duration of the billing period, but after that it'll be plain sailing.


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