Travel: Credit Card Safety Tips
Travel: Credit Card Safety Tips
With thousands of our clients traveling overseas this year, I thought it was time to update our credit card safety tips.
Sadly, bad guys are out there looking to steal your credit card information.
However, you can prevent disaster with some forewarning and a dash of prevention.
You’ve spent months dreaming of your extraordinary journey. Don’t let thieves destroy your fun.
14 Tips to Keep Your Credit Cards Safe While Traveling
- Leave most of your credit cards at home and only travel with those you need while traveling.
- Only use bank ATMs while traveling, and if possible, go inside the bank to use the ATM. Thieves have created scanner technologies to steal your credit card information. Take a peek at this video: CLICK HERE.
- Before traveling, call your credit card companies to make them aware of your destinations. You don’t want to be overseas and have your credit card company lock down your card because they suspect fraud.
- Don’t keep your money, passports, and credit cards in your purse. Purses are generally easily stolen. Buy a cross-body travel purse or keep your valuables in a front pocket.
- If traveling overseas, be sure to use a credit card that does not charge currency exchange fees. If you have the wrong card for international travel, you could wind up paying an extra 3% on all of your transactions.
- If your credit cards are stolen, be sure to keep your credit card company’s toll-free number in a separate place from your credit card.
- Grab some international currency before you travel. You will need cash right away to tip drivers, hotel porters, and such. However, keep your cash to a minimum. There are bank ATMs all over should you need more cash.
- Say NO when a store or restaurant offers to convert the local currency to U.S. dollars. If you say yes, another layer of fees will be added to your transaction. Politely say no and give them your credit card. Your credit card company will make the necessary currency conversions.
- Check to see if your credit card will give you access to airport lounges. Many credit cards offer access through the Priority Pass Network. If you happen to have a long layover, you will enjoy this perk.
- Make a photocopy of essential items like your passport, driver’s license, and the front and back of your credit cards, and keep them in a separate place, not on your body.
- Set up alerts with your credit card company so that you can receive a text message if something goes afoul.
- Do not access your financial accounts through public Wi-Fi networks.
- Limit your use of Bluetooth when not in use. Cybercriminals can pair their devices with your Bluetooth and steal your information without you knowing.
- RFID Credit Cards: Some credit cards possess Radio-frequency Identification that allows you to make a payment by simply tapping your card at the payment terminal. To learn if your card has RFID technology, look for what seems to be a Wi-Fi signal on its side. Here is an article from bankrate.com on this issue: CLICK HERE.
Please feel free to use the comments section below if you have additional tips or questions.
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David,
Regarding Tip #8: everything I’ve read says just the opposite if using a credit card, i.e., do not have the restaurant, hotel, or whatever convert the bill into dollars, but pay in the currency of the country you are in. Am I missing something here?
Amy, you are right. When I created this article I had the currency statements backward. I fixed that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Nonetheless, say no to the currency conversion.