All, I have just discovered something that had changed since the last time I had traveled overseas. I assume this applies to most nationalities since banking is so global. Before you travel, you need to call the 800 number (in the US) on the back of any bank, debit, or charge card and let them know when and where you plan to be traveling. Otherwise, when you use the card for the first time in a country they do not expect you to be in, they will freeze the account. As you might imagine, this would be inconvenient. -TED -- Ted M. Coopman Ph.D. Lecturer Department of Communication Studies Radio, Television, and Film Program San Jose State University http://www.sjsu.edu/people/ted.coopman/