Ally account access while traveling overseas - ugh!

[Sojourner]

I'm currently on a multi-week trip overseas and, until today, haven't had any inclination or need to log into my Ally account. I have checking, savings, and brokerage accounts with Ally, so back home I log in to do various things on a weekly basis, but since heading overseas have left everything on autopilot until now.

To my chagrin, I've just discovered what seems like a fundamental issue with gaining access to my accounts while on this trip. Upon entering my login credentials (using the Ally app on my tablet), 2FA authentication kicks in and tries to text me a 6-digit code. I can't receive the code, however, because it's going to my Google voice number which is tied to my cell phone which uses AT&T prepaid... which has zero support for international texting. I cannot call Ally either, for the same reason. I tried calling, using their international help number, and the call fails. There is no option to have the 2FA code sent to my email account, nor does Ally support authenticator apps like Authy, which would have made the whole process trivially easy instead of impossibly difficult.

Has anyone else run into this issue with Ally? It's just incredibly frustrating that a large financial institution could be so "backwards" in this way, when there are very common and widely used technologies available to make the customer experience so much easier and satisfying. It honestly boggles my mind that they have no support whatsoever for 2FA methods such as email or authenticator apps. And, there is no way to chat online with their support staff... without logging in first!

 

[Sunset]

Travel can make online banking hard, especially when email is not an 2FA choice.

So your cell phone service won't text you in another country for an extra charge ? Seems like a missed revenue opportunity.

My T-mobile will text me when in Canada, for a large enough amount that I only turned on the phone for banking to get the 2FA (and hoped I didn't have 22 spam texts that would squeak in )

I did also have a temp google FI service for the traveling, and had changed a bank to use that number and tested it before I left. Then changed it back once I returned as I was cancelling the google FI.

 

[Sojourner]

So your cell phone service won't text you in another country for an extra charge ? Seems like a missed revenue opportunity.

According to what I've read online, AT&T prepaid does not support international calling or texting to/from any countries other than Canada and Mexico, period. And I agree, it does seem like an arbitrary limitation and a lost opportunity for some additional revenue. Heck, I would readily pay 50¢ per text (or even more) just for the ability to receive texts for things like 2FA! I think before my next international trip, I will be sure to log into any/all apps and services on all devices I'm taking with me, just to avoid the frustrations of those who haven't figured out modern 2FA methods.

 

[Sojourner]

Travel can make online banking hard, especially when email is not an 2FA choice.

What's really odd about this, too, is that I'm pretty sure Ally does offer the ability to enter an email address to receive security codes. I'm 90% sure I remember doing that while setting up my profile. But they don't actually send 2FA codes that way! It seems the only way to receive them is via text to a non-VOIP number via a carrier they support. Very user unfriendly!

 

[Lancelot]

Has anyone else run into this issue with Ally?

I used to live in Thailand and Ally closed my account because "I wasn't living in the USA." I'm a US citizen, have a US address and phone number but they closed my account and transferred the balance to one of my (US) linked accounts)

Left a bad taste in my mouth and I never used them again.

On a recent trip to Thailand, I could not log into my Vanguard or Synchrony Savings account; I had to clear cookies and use a VPN.

Never had an issue with Schwab any where in the world.

 

[cathy63]

... tries to text me a 6-digit code. I can't receive the code, however, because it's going to my Google voice number which is tied to my cell phone which uses AT&T prepaid... which has zero support for international texting...

If it's a Google Voice number, you should be able to read its text messages using a browser on your tablet. Just go to voice.google.com and use the little message icon on the left nav. If you have multiple Google accounts, you'll need to login to the one that has your voice number by touching the account icon in the upper right part of the web page.

 

[Chuckanut]

Can you open the Google Voice app on your phone or just open Google Voice on a browser and see the text messages? That might be your easiest way around the texting problem.

 

[Sojourner]

If it's a Google Voice number, you should be able to read its text messages using a browser on your tablet. Just go to voice.google.com and use the little message icon on the left nav. If you have multiple Google accounts, you'll need to login to the one that has your voice number by touching the account icon in the upper right part of the web page.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work with Ally. The 2FA codes simply do not come through to my GV number, which is really strange since I have gotten texts from some of my credit card providers over the past few days. It seems it really is an Ally issue.

 

[sengsational]

I've been bit by this very often while traveling. Not just Ally. You can do everything fine while in the states, no 2FA, and then, they see a foreign IP address and they kick-in "extra security", but leave you no alternative. One thing I've been hit with as extra security from a foreign IP is they call my home phone with a voice call containing the code. Yeah, I'm not at home, so can't do that! I thought about setting up a tunnel into my desktop computer and having VNC at the ready, but if you don't do that right, it can be real bad.

Some credit cards have a travel emergency help desk...I wonder if you could call them and see if they could shake something loose.

 

[TheWizard]

I have Google Fi on my smartphone, which works in most friendly countries around the world.
So I have no difficulty logging into my various financial accounts in Indonesia, Japan, or (upcoming) Australia.

Now I notify certain firms of my travel plans ahead of time, so I shouldn't really NEED to log into my accounts from afar but I do anyway, just because...

 

[cathy63]

Unfortunately, this doesn't work with Ally. The 2FA codes simply do not come through to my GV number, which is really strange since I have gotten texts from some of my credit card providers over the past few days. It seems it really is an Ally issue.

It sounds like Ally is using your AT&T number rather than your GV number, so they're sending texts directly to your phone instead of having Google forward them. Some banks can't text to voip numbers, so if you had difficulty when you were originally setting up 2FA, you might have given them your AT&T number to get around the problem then.

This doesn't help you access the account from overseas though. I hope whatever you need to do isn't too critical.

 

[tulak]

I never received codes from Chase using a GV number. I had to update my account to use my cell number. GV doesn’t work for everything and there’s a way to tell it’s not a “real” number.

 

[brett]

2FA is a real problem for us. We typically travel twice per year for two months at time. Plus a few shorter ones in between.

We got caught out last time. We do not bother to buy international access or sim cards. Our ipads do what we need them to do. So, the only 2FA we can handle is via our email.

This has caused us to do our banking a little differently when we are on extended international trust. Our everyday bank cannot accommodate us but our on line HISA bank can...for now.

 

[ncbill]

I'm currently on a multi-week trip overseas and, until today, haven't had any inclination or need to log into my Ally account. I have checking, savings, and brokerage accounts with Ally, so back home I log in to do various things on a weekly basis, but since heading overseas have left everything on autopilot until now.

To my chagrin, I've just discovered what seems like a fundamental issue with gaining access to my accounts while on this trip. Upon entering my login credentials (using the Ally app on my tablet), 2FA authentication kicks in and tries to text me a 6-digit code. I can't receive the code, however, because it's going to my Google voice number which is tied to my cell phone which uses AT&T prepaid... which has zero support for international texting. I cannot call Ally either, for the same reason. I tried calling, using their international help number, and the call fails. There is no option to have the 2FA code sent to my email account, nor does Ally support authenticator apps like Authy, which would have made the whole process trivially easy instead of impossibly difficult.

Has anyone else run into this issue with Ally? It's just incredibly frustrating that a large financial institution could be so "backwards" in this way, when there are very common and widely used technologies available to make the customer experience so much easier and satisfying. It honestly boggles my mind that they have no support whatsoever for 2FA methods such as email or authenticator apps. And, there is no way to chat online with their support staff... without logging in first!

Yep, thats one of my pet peeves.

2FA should never happen unless I've already set it up & chosen it.

And I should always be able to use an alternate email address that I've already setup on their website or voice call to get the code for 2FA instead of being forced to accept a text.

 

[Sunset]

One thing we do prior to leaving on a long trip, is to pay off all owing money on the CC's. And even overpay by $50 on any CC that might get used.
That way even if we miss paying the CC payment, they can't ding us for not paying anything at all, avoiding the penalty.

If they could allow email 2FA to pre-established email addresses, that would be easiest, but some don't allow it.

 

[Sojourner]

OP here. Quick update on my situation. I did manage to get past the 2FA roadblock by borrowing a local cell phone that could dial Ally's international support phone number. They were able to confim my identify via security questions and then turn off the 2FA requirement so I could login using the app on my tablet. I asked the lady who was helping me why they didn't send the 2FA code to my email address, and she said that Ally discontinued their support for email 2FA several months ago! It's quite remarkable how some of these big financial firms can be so utterly hapless when it comes to 2FA. I am strongly considering closing my Ally brokerage account (access to which was the initial issue) and moving to Schwab. Any bank or brokerage I deal with going forward needs to at least support email 2FA or, ideally, authenticator apps like Authy. The lack of such support is utterly bewildering. 2FA via SMS is the least secure of all the methods, so I've read, and is undoubtedly the most inconvenient and user-unfriendly for international travelers.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

I never received codes from Chase using a GV number. I had to update my account to use my cell number. GV doesn’t work for everything and there’s a way to tell it’s not a “real” number.

I've noticed this, too, so I try to have both my cell and my GV number on every account, especially since I discovered that I can access the texts from my Android phone in my browser at https://messages.google.com/.

 

[TripleLindy]

Our daughter is living overseas and we discovered that neither Ally or BoA will send 2FA texts to Google Voice numbers. That’s not even allowed domestically, which is probably a good thing from a security perspective. Adding an international plan to your ATT number and using that number with your bank should allow you to receive 2FA texts but doesn’t address your concern about supporting email 2FA.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I'm currently on a multi-week trip overseas and, until today, haven't had any inclination or need to log into my Ally account. I have checking, savings, and brokerage accounts with Ally, so back home I log in to do various things on a weekly basis, but since heading overseas have left everything on autopilot until now.

To my chagrin, I've just discovered what seems like a fundamental issue with gaining access to my accounts while on this trip. Upon entering my login credentials (using the Ally app on my tablet), 2FA authentication kicks in and tries to text me a 6-digit code. I can't receive the code, however, because it's going to my Google voice number which is tied to my cell phone which uses AT&T prepaid... which has zero support for international texting. I cannot call Ally either, for the same reason. I tried calling, using their international help number, and the call fails. There is no option to have the 2FA code sent to my email account, nor does Ally support authenticator apps like Authy, which would have made the whole process trivially easy instead of impossibly difficult.

Has anyone else run into this issue with Ally? It's just incredibly frustrating that a large financial institution could be so "backwards" in this way, when there are very common and widely used technologies available to make the customer experience so much easier and satisfying. It honestly boggles my mind that they have no support whatsoever for 2FA methods such as email or authenticator apps. And, there is no way to chat online with their support staff... without logging in first!

If you can go online to voice.google.com you should be able to get your texts. Google is maaking me use 2FA now and I am regularly in an area without cell service. Google lets you create and save codes to avoid 2FA in packs of 10.

You should be able to make a workaround although it clearly is a PITA when traveling!

 

[luckydude]

One thing we do prior to leaving on a long trip, is to pay off all owing money on the CC's. And even overpay by $50 on any CC that might get used.
That way even if we miss paying the CC payment, they can't ding us for not paying anything at all, avoiding the penalty.

If they could allow email 2FA to pre-established email addresses, that would be easiest, but some don't allow it.

+1

I do the same with all my CC accounts prior to every trip. If I know that I'm going to travel beyond one billing cycle and can't make on-line payment due to 2FA while overseas, I overpay my balance prior to the trip.

In general, I make a point of not logging into any of my financial accounts while traveling regardless of the 2FA issue. No reason to risk it when I am relying on hotel/public WiFi or foreign SIM card. I bring a few thousands in cash + one ATM card with just enough balance for trip expenses + a couple of CCs to fund my travel expenses. If the ATM card gets hacked, damage is limited. Any issues with CC, I can wait to sort them out when I get home.

 

[audreyh1]

We also pay off my credit cards before a long trip.

Because we were traveling often internationally we had the postpaid T-Mobile plan that supported text and calling internationally, receiving from US free. I have had to occasionally execute a 2FA overseas and it worked. Depending on how often you travel internationally, you might want to have your regular cell number supported internationally instead of using a foreign SIM card which has a different number.

I have also used my cell data connection to access financial accounts overseas from my laptop using the cellphone hotspot capability. May be a little slow at times, but it works fine. If we’re on a long trip I do need to access financial accounts occasionally.

 

[braumeister]

Depending on how often you travel internationally, you might want to have your regular cell number supported internationally instead of using a foreign SIM card which has a different number.

More and more phones are supporting dual SIMs and/or e-SIMs now, so this should become much easier as time goes by.

 

[audreyh1]

More and more phones are supporting dual SIMs and/or e-SIMs now, so this should become much easier as time goes by.

I haven’t needed a foreign number, but DB who lives overseas but works all over the world carries two phone plans/numbers and really appreciates the dual SIM with both active at the same time. One of them is an e-SIM.

 

[TheWizard]

+1

I do the same with all my CC accounts prior to every trip. If I know that I'm going to travel beyond one billing cycle and can't make on-line payment due to 2FA while overseas, I overpay my balance prior to the trip.

In general, I make a point of not logging into any of my financial accounts while traveling regardless of the 2FA issue. No reason to risk it when I am relying on hotel/public WiFi or foreign SIM card. I bring a few thousands in cash + one ATM card with just enough balance for trip expenses + a couple of CCs to fund my travel expenses. If the ATM card gets hacked, damage is limited. Any issues with CC, I can wait to sort them out when I get home.

I used to worry a bit about credit cards and other payments when out of the US for three weeks or more. But as I mentioned in a previous post to the thread, with Google Fi working in a lot of developed countries, the world is more seamless nowadays.

I pay off the BALANCE on my two credit cards twice a month using their respective apps, linked to my checking account, on my smartphone. So I did that on schedule in Indonesia a few months ago, no problem. They texted security codes to me which worked fine.

My Cap One Visa card sends a push notification to my phone whenever a charge goes through so that's fun in foreign countries: you see what you paid in USD for a purchase in the foreign currency a few seconds after the transaction...

 

[braumeister]

I used to worry a bit about credit cards and other payments when out of the US for three weeks or more. But as I mentioned in a previous post to the thread, with Google Fi working in a lot of developed countries, the world is more seamless nowadays.

I was accustomed to setting a travel notification on any cards I was planning to take on a trip. Some wanted to know every state and/or country I was going to visit, sometimes even down to the city.

But in recent years the need for that has diminished to the point that some of them have sent me notices that travel notifications are no longer necessary, no matter where I go.