Maintaining a credit card while moving residency.

I have flown back to Canada a number of times since relocating to Ukraine for business, but my experience listed below was on my first trip back after relocating to Ukraine and changing my residency status. I landed in Toronto and had four hours to have a quick meeting just north of Toronto. I jumped in a taxi at the airport, and within 30 minutes I arrived. Paid for my taxi with my credit card, no issues. The meeting lasted about one hour, and I had a taxi pick me up to take me back to Toronto airport. Again, I paid with my credit card, but it failed—no problem I paid with a debit card. Having checked in, I moved through security and then grabbed a bit to eat. My credit card failed again. Well, I will sort it out later. Having squeezed in a number of phone meetings, my delayed flight was finally ready to depart. I called the rental company where I was flying; it was very far in the north of Canada. They said they would wait for me as they normally are closed at that hour. I arrived one hour later than expected; the plane needed de-icing twice.

I arrived, and the car rental guy was waiting, very tired and not too happy. I still needed to drive six hours for my meeting in about ten hours form the time. He went to process the credit card. It did not work, I was on the phone, and the card company explained my card was compromised a number of hours ago so, it was canceled. I would need to get a new card. I told them I was in the north and needed to rent a car. I explained the situation; they were sorry. They asked me a few security questions, and I told them the truth, I explained I am now a non-resident of Canada as I just moved a couple of months ago. At that moment, they canceled all my cards, for the exception of the cash/debit cards. So, the rental guy went home disappointed and having spent one hour with me with no rental revenue. The car rental agency would not consider any debit card. I learned over the next few hours in Canada; it is nearly impossible to rent a car in Canada without a credit card in your name. And not a prepaid card. A credit card in the principal driver's name! Stuck at the small airport, I checked and changed my flight to the next flight out in four hours, back to Toronto. Continue my planned trip.

In Canada, there are about five big banks, and if you are a non-resident, they do not want much to do with you, so I learned. They were happy to offer me the cash side of the banking services. They offered me a prepaid credit card and said it would work for car rentals. I applied, and it was express processed for $125.00 and sent to my next destination in Western Canada. Well, as I said, the prepaid card did not work even though they said it would being backed by a big bank and tied to my accounts. I did find that in a city of 8 million people, there are one or two companies that will rent you a car with a $1,000.00 deposit and offer you an auto of poor quality, dirty, plenty od dents, and at a higher price.

Many people pointed out that my honesty was my own doing of the trouble I had, due to the fact I told them about the changes I had made. Also, renting an auto in the USA with a debit card is no problem.

So, life without a real credit card is cumbersome, I can fudge it, I can get a card on a friend supplementary cards system, but it's just not right. I can lie to the bank, and they will set things right, but I just don't like to be that way. My simple cash credit cards let me book hotels, buy airline tickets, and most everything, for the exception of renting a car in Canada. Eh, what do you do?