Credit card - can I top up to buy something > limit?

lemon1984

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I recently switched my Credit Card from KBC as they are leaving the market to PTSB as its who I do my main banking with.
I had a query regarding using the CC I was hoping someone might know the answer to. I really should be asking PTSB I know but I was on hold to them for over an hour and a half before someone picked up and they didn't know and was then passed through to 3 other different people with still no answer. I couldn't stay on hold any longer.
If I wanted to purchase something that is more than my limit, can I "top up" the PTSB Credit Card by transfering funds to it to increase my limit? So if my limit is €1000 and I want to get something for €1500 can I transfer €500 to the card to make the purchase for €1500?
I could always do this with KBC and I always found their CC team great when it came to queries like this. KBC always told me it was possible to do but there would be a €7 or €7.50 charge for doing it. I did it a few times and they never actually did charge me for it in the end.
Sorry if this is a stupid question. The CC with KBC was the first one I ever had so I'm not very sure how it all works and we don't use it very often, mostly only for booking holidays flights car hire etc.
Maybe this is just a general thing with Credit Cards, or maybe it's card/bank specific, I don't know! I'd appreciate any advice!
 
I have done this for large purchases in the past with ptsb, last time was about two years ago, and i can't recall any additional charge.
 
Yes, fairly standard with all credit cards.

KBC may have been thinking that you wanted to withdraw the top-up in cash from an ATM
 
I had problems with doing this a few years back with PTSB, but things may be different now.
They said it was against policy, something about anti money laundering which I didnt understand why, but accepted this at the time and made alternate plans.
 
I had problems with doing this a few years back with PTSB, but things may be different now.
They said it was against policy, something about anti money laundering which I didnt understand why, but accepted this at the time and made alternate plans.
Thanks for the reply. When you say you had problems how was this? Did you ask them beforehand, or you just transferred the funds first and then they contacted you about it.
 
I was buying something that was around 8k at the time. I had the cash in my account and called and asked if it is ok to load the account with credit and they said no.
I just had to make a few payments, then make immediate transfers to pay the CC off quick by bank transfer. Not ideal and took a few extra days but it worked.
Still never understood the AML issue but just took their word for it.
 
It was in the recent past a great way to hide money, just say you were buying a car and stood to gain lots of CC points by paying by CC. Then decide against "that" car but leave the money on the CC account.

CAB and RC got on to this though and put some limits on how much positive balance you could add, why you needed to do so beyond your usual monthly spend and so on. Normally I would think that a call to your CC helpline number would resolve all this once you say I am going abroad for X days and need a share of cash on my card for car hire, flight rearrangement, hotel, etc.
But PTSB may feel "under observation" from FR due to past infractions so they pass on the anxiety to customers.

It is terrible customer relations to let you on the line so long with no one taking responsibility for as much as an opinion.
 
I am not sure if you purchase something using a "credit" on your credit card if the purchase has the same protection, if any.
 
I am not sure if you purchase something using a "credit" on your credit card if the purchase has the same protection, if any.

By this do you mean if you put a positive balance of €1,000 on your CC and buy something worth up to €1,000 but later seek a justifiable refund on it then it's not something the CC company would pursue for you . . . ?
 
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