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Tips For Travelling Overseas With A Visa Credit Card

Posted January 29th, 2010 and last modified June 21st, 2011

Citibank Clear Platinum Card

Best Overseas Travel Visa Card

The Citibank Clear Platinum Visa is the best credit card to go travelling with. It features complimentary international travel insurance plus a low ongoing interest rate so you can easily pay off what you spend while you are away. You also have access to Visa Concierge that essentially acts like your own personal concierge to help find you tickets, restaurants or gifts worldwide and anytime

  • $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.
  • Optional credit card insurance

Travelling overseas requires you to be aware of the different requirements of foreign countries. Even with new regulations your card will always be accepted anywhere that displays the Visa logo.

If you will be travelling overseas in the near future you should take note of new policies in certain locations. In the Europe including the UK, New Zealand, China, Ireland, and France among others there is a chip and pin system now being used. This system uses cards that have been embedded with a chip and are then further protected with the use of a PIN or personal Identification Number. Although the process has been successful there have been incidents where clerks have refused to accept traditional magnetic stripe Visa credit cards. You can travel with ease knowing that the system is set up to handle both magnetic stripe and chip and pin transactions.

Tips for overseas travel with a visa credit card:

  • Any place that displays the Visa credit card logo is able to process your transaction.
  • If you are refused a transaction politely ask to speak with a supervisor and request that they follow the instructions on their credit card terminal. If they need help they can call the card issuer or Visa global assistance so that the problem can be investigated.
  • If you do not currently have a PIN you should try to get one before you travel overseas. You may get one easily by contacting your financial institution.
  • If you are at a location that does not have a sales attendant, like a petrol station or a toll road, that only accepts PIN card you should try to find a terminal that has an attendantĀ  who can help you with the transaction.
  • Before you travel overseas you should notify your issuing bank of your plans so they do not flag your transactions as suspicious and freeze your account.
  • Your issuing bank will also be able to inform you of any withdrawal restrictions that may be in affect while overseas.
  • Take along a list of your account numbers and the phone numbers to call to report a lost or stolen credit card and place it somewhere safe but not in your wallet or purse.
  • In China, since the Olympic games there has been a switch to accept Visa chip and pin cards. You will probably need to use your pin if you have one of these cards, However, magnetic stripe cards are also still accepted.
  • The United Kingdom’s banks and retail outlets have a national policy that requires all UK cardholders to use their PIN when making transactions. However, international travellers are still able to use magnetic stripe cards wherever the Visa logo is displayed.
  • France has also enacted security measures that require the use of a PIN. Some merchants have refused to accept foreign issued cards that

Whenever you are travelling overseas you should always keep a bit of cash at hand for certain transactions like train tickets and petrol. Also, know that Visa is working hard to integrate their system and make all of your transactions simple and safe.

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