Whether you’re traveling for vacation or for business, the last thing you want is to run into issues with your credit card. That kind of stress can make it difficult to enjoy your trip and worse, leave you without a source of funding. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while you’re traveling to make sure your payment methods are protected.
Let your credit card issuer know if you’re going out of the country. Otherwise, your credit card issuer could flag your purchases as fraud in an attempt to prevent actual fraud. And if your credit card issuer does flag your account, you could have trouble getting in contact with them to have the fraud lifted. Give your credit card issuer a quick phone call a day or two before your trip to be sure your credit card works seamlessly.
Take a backup credit card. A backup credit card will be essential if your primary credit card is lost, stolen, damaged, or flagged as fraud. This way you’ll have another way to pay for things until you sort things out with your credit card issuer. Some credit card issuers can expedite a replacement card to be sent to you if you’re traveling within the United States. This may not be an option if you’re traveling internationally.
Use your credit card, not your debit card. Credit cards have stronger fraud protections than debit cards, but that’s not the only reason to use your credit card over your debit card. While credit card purchases are added to your outstanding balance, debit card purchases are deducted from your checking account balance. If your debit card is stolen, a thief could drain your bank account and you may have to wait until your bank sorts it out before your funds are made available to you again.
Use the credit card with the best travel perks. Taking advantage of your credit card’s travel benefits can make even a budget trip feel like a first-class excursion. Some airline credit cards have some very useful credit card perks. For example, a credit with priority boarding will let you board the plane faster. Of course, your best rewards credit cards is a great option to take while you’re traveling to give you the opportunity to rack up major rewards.
Save your credit card issuer’s contact information. If your credit card is lost or stolen while you’re traveling, you won't be able to use the back of your credit card to locate your credit card issuer's contact information. Before you leave for your trip, save your credit card issuer’s information to your phone or write it in a notebook that you'll carry with you. Don’t take a picture of the back of your credit card. You don’t need your credit card number; your credit card issuer will be able to locate your account with just your name and social security number.