Is there UK Telephone number for Barclaycard/Mastercard?

[bizzylizzy]

We're tearing our hair out here ... we're going on holiday to the US tomorrow. We have a Barclaycard and a Mastercard. We haven't ever used the Mastercard and have mislaid the pin - so we thought it would be handy to reactivate the card as a backup to our Barclaycard. The indian call centre said they'd send a new pin for the Mastercard. This morning, the day before we're due to fly out, the letter arrived. They've sent us confirmation of our existing Barclaycard pin, which of course we already know. So now, not only do we have no pin for our Mastercard, but there's a possibility they may cancel the pin for our Barclaycard. This would mean going to America with no credit card at all. As you probably know Credit cards are essential for hotels, car hire etc in the States. We can't get any sense out of the Indian call centre... please, please can anyone give me a UK help number before I have a stroke!! :-)

[mccfluff]

0844 811 9111 is the number on the back of my blarclays mastercard, i spoke to someone scottish last time i rang if that helps

[237SJ]

Can you go to a Barclays bank cashpoint and change the existing pin to something else while it`s still current?

[mccfluff]

they don;t have the pin to change it....

[Zeuhl]

Aren't MasterCard and Barclaycard two separate organisations? How can a Call Centre confuse the two?

[VHG]

Nothing like planning ahead !

[237SJ]

I mean the Barclaycard pin, not the mastercard one. You can change to a pin of your choice in most cashpoints so if the Barclaycard pin is current (which it is at the moment) the OP could renew it via a cashpoint.

[mccfluff]

Zeuhl, i think they have the same as me its a

barclaycard mastercard :-)

[Zeuhl]

Fluff

are you sure it isn't a Mastercard Barclaycard?

[bizzylizzy]

You're right, there's nothing we can do about getting the Mastercard pin number now, but I'm afraid we'll get to America and find they've cancelled the pin on our Barclaycard. We've had awful probs with Barclaycard stopping the card due to 'unusual activity'. The last time they stopped it, they queried our council tax payment. A payment which, incidentally, we'd been paying for the same amount at the same time for the previous ten months. They seem to do these things on a whim. But the thought of being in America with no Credit card is alarming.

[237SJ]

...but if you change the pin yourself via a cashpoint, it won`t matter if they cancel it because it`ll be the old pin anyway.

[mccfluff]

lol zeuhl i'm sure

[bizzylizzy]

Good idea, I'll rush out now and change the pin. We have told them we're going to America, but frankly I don't think that'll make a jot of difference. It seems to me they do whatever they want, and if they fancy stopping the card they will.

[Zeuhl]

As suggested above, I would call Bcard and make sure they note your file that you are going to the states so transactions there are to be expected.

They are odd though - they have started emailing me with routine account notifications that nobody with any awareness of online fraud would open in a million years!

[237SJ]

I used to have a Barclaycard until they tried to charge me £10 per year for it so I told them to fluff off. I`ve got Santander Zero now which doesn`t have a hidden loading fee when used abroad. They don`t fuss about me using it all over the world either.

[fliptheswitch]

It will make a jot of difference if you phone them. They note it down on your records, so it can be seen when the fraud department notice the "unusual account activity". Do it now.