Many of us travel internationally for business or for pleasure. It is very important to secure our passport while traveling, but many of us don't put quite as many safeguards on our credit cards. Using a credit card overseas can be very convenient. However, it is important to follow these five easy tips to make sure you don't have any credit card mishaps while traveling abroad:
Record Credit Card Info In Two Places
Before you leave home, make two photocopies of your credit card. The first one should be stored in a safe place in your home. The second copy should be stored with your passport while traveling. By having a copy of your credit card information, you'll be able to contact the card issuer and have all your information should something happen to your physical credit card while traveling.
Limit The Number Of Cards And Keep Them Notified
Before you leave on your trip, it is important to notify your credit card company that you are traveling internationally to make sure they approve your purchases and don't flag them as fraud. Limit the number of credit cards you take with you. Select the best international credit card which is usually the one with no foreign transaction fee.
Chip And Pin & RFID Cards
Many international merchants are moving away from the traditional swipe credit cards and toward cards with chips used for payments. Make sure you research the area you are traveling to and confirm that they still accept traditional credit cards. If they do not, contact your card issuer to see if they can supply you with a chip and PIN card.
Avoid Suspicious Merchants/ATMs
Be careful where you use your credit card as it could open you up to identity theft or fraud. Use common sense in selecting the merchants and the ATM machines. There's nothing worse than having your credit card information stolen overseas and dealing with that nightmare while traveling.
Keep All Your Receipts
Keep every single receipt from when you travel, just in case you arrive home and find you were charged more on a purchase. Carefully review the receipts upon your return to verify the correct amounts and to confirm that you do not have any unauthorized charges.
