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Travelling With Your credit card? Make Sure You Tell Your Bank

Posted January 18th, 2010 and last modified May 25th, 2011
Make hassle-free payments abroad with your credit card by informing your credit card company about your travel plans. Make hassle-free payments abroad with your credit card by informing your credit card company about your travel plans.

Citibank Clear Platinum Card

Best Travel Credit Card

The Citibank Clear Platinum Card is the perfect card to take with you while travelling. With Visa Concierge Service any arrangements or bookings you’d like to make are done for you over the phone. It also comes with complimentary international and travel insurance.

  • $99 annual fee
  • 11.99% p.a. on purchases
  • 2.9% p.a. for 12 months on balance transfers
  • Cash Advance Rate of 21.74% p.a.
  • 55 days interest free
  • Minimum Income Requirement of $35,000 p.a.
  • Get up to 25% off on retail shopping, travel and dining through Citibank World Privileges

If you’re planning on traveling with your credit card overseas, there are a few things you should know in order to make sure that your account remains open and you always know what your available limit is. This article will explain how to prepare for an overseas holiday with your credit card.

Traveling with your credit card overseas is usually problem free, but in some cases there can be an issue with your card not being accepted for any apparent reason. If you are planning an overseas trip, and plan to use your credit card for some purchases, there is a chance that your card could be declined even though you have enough credit available.

Traveling with your credit card:

If your card is declined it can be the result of a few different things, but here are some of the most likely causes.

  1. If an imprint is taken of your card by a car rental company or a hotel this can reduce the credit available and block some funds on the account even if no money is actually taken from your account
  2. The bank is trying to reduce identity fraud and credit card theft that occurs overseas and has therefore refused the transaction.

How to prevent problems when traveling with your credit card

Here are a few useful things you can do to help prevent any problems from coming up when you’re planning a trip overseas.

  1. Find out if there are any restrictions on your card and how much the daily withdrawal limits are overseas.
  2. Let your bank know that you’re planning to go overseas. Let them know which countries you will be traveling to and how long you will be away.
  3. Keep a record of any phone numbers for stolen or lost cards and keep a record of the number of your card. Don’t keep any of this information in your handbag or wallet though. MasterCard and Visa both have websites and emergency phone numbers that you can use overseas 24 hours a day.
  4. Find out from your bank what kind of fees you’ll have to pay for any credit card transactions made overseas.
  5. Make sure that you have memorized the PIN for your credit card for any ATM withdrawals done overseas.
  6. If you know that you’re going to be overseas for an extended period of time, make sure that you pay off the balance on your credit card so that you do not incur a lot of late fees.

Traveling with your credit card keeps you more protected than paying with cash and the conversion on currency is less when you pay with your credit card than if you convert traveler’s checks. You will not have to carry a lot of cash on your trip, and will not have to worry about theft.

As long as your credit card is linked to the Cirrus or Plus network, you will be able to withdraw money from ATMs worldwide, in over 200 different countries. If you’re planning on withdrawing money from ATMs when you are traveling with your credit card you need to let your bank know Sometimes overseas ATM activity can trigger an alert for fraud and freeze up your bank account.

When you’re traveling with your credit card use these simple guidelines to make sure that your money is available and that you are aware of your credit limits. Taking the time to put these things in place will help ensure that your trip is free of any financial problems.

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