Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some banks already require you to install and use apps to approve of transactions made outside of the app. When I traveled, this is how I was able to spend money without having to call my bank every time I tried to use my card in person.
Why do US banks do that? I’ve never had a UK or EU bank call me to verify a transaction. Do you have the IdentityCheck/SecureCode/3-D Secure stuff (2FA for online transactions and at certain terminals)? Are these calls for transactions without chip + PIN? I’ve had some transactions declined while travelling but maybe about 1/1000, and still no call, and nothing the bank support could do to allow them if I called. I’d…
That probably just means that you never made transactions that crossed the banks' suspicion threshold. Which might be quite high if the bank is confident that it won't be on the hook for credential abuse and does not care if their customers lose money to identify theft. That confirmation call would be an indication of good service, not of bad service.
I'm not saying that calls would be preferable to better authentication schemes like chip+pin (in skimming is very much a thing though), calls are just another second factor after all. And not even a particularly safe one. But defense should be layered and that layer stack should absolutely contain a form of confirmation call on some level if you are a bank.