Most people going on a trip to another country or city unfailingly take their credit card along for availing various services and necessary items. It looks very convenient and sensible. But misfortune may be waiting just round the corner. You may lose the credit card during the course of travel or it may be stolen by a thief. So it is wise to take certain safeguards to prevent such things happening to your credit card.
Before traveling you must take photocopies of your credit card, travel documents like air tickets etc., and leave them with a friend or relative you trust and keep a copy for yourself. In case you lose your credit card these copies will be very helpful in notifying the credit card companies about the theft and avoid misuse.
Photocopies sometime may pose problems for you. Someone who has stolen your luggage may use the photo copy of your credit card to order costly articles on the phone. So make sure to black out the name and the expiry date on the card.
If you are accompanied by your wife or husband while travelling, having separate credit cards will certainly help. Suppose one of the credit cards are lost or stolen, one can survive the journey with the help of the others card, and continue using it until the stolen one is replaced.
Automatic credit card deactivation is one thing you should watch out for. Many credit card companies deactivate a credit card if it is found in use for 6 or more times a day. This is to prevent thieves from taking advantage of the cards they lifted. This may happen to you when you do extensive shopping on a trip. To avoid this calamity always notify your credit card company of your travel before you leave. In this way they will know your card is not stolen.
Before using your credit card while travelling abroad, check out the fee applicable for the conversion of currency. Like in the case of traveler's check, some banks charge and some don't. Generally a fee of about 1% is applied on each transaction amount. In case you have multiple credit cards to your name, it is in best of your interest you choose the one that charge the least.These are some of the precautions to be taken when planning to travel with your credit cards. By following these religiously you can save a lot of botheration and enjoy an uneventful business trip or vacation.
