Summer is the most popular time for vacations and travels. An equally important element of preparation for the journey is financial planning. In this case, a correct approach is the key to a successful holiday. First of all, the most important point is the issue of payments abroad. Nowadays, most travelers use payment cards as a convenient and quick means to pay for their expenses.
Knowledge of their pros and cons will allow you to get the maximum comfort from the use of your credit card travel during the trip and to relieve unnecessary financial hassle.
Cash or card: how to find the right balance
It is necessary to determine not only the amount needed for the trip, but decide how much money you need to take in cash and how much to leave on the card account. Experts recommend to take 30% of funds in cash, and leave 70% on the card account. Using a card you can book hotels, buy airline tickets, rent cars, etc.
It is important to keep in mind that in some spots you can pay only in cash: in the duty free at the calves of some of the airlines, gas stations abroad, etc.
How to choose the right one?
If you are going to do shopping abroad, be aware that some shops accept only cards of certain payment systems. To ensure that you could freely choose the shops to buy, you should have two cards of popular payment systems like VISA and MasterCard. It will be useful not only during the travel but also for a daily use.
Moreover, both payment systems often offer cardholders a variety of interesting loyalty programs and discounts. In addition, two cards will provide you access to funds in case of loss or theft of the card or in case of failure in one of the systems. It’s recommended to use cards with chips. They become more and more popular abroad. They have a higher level of security thanks to the advanced data encryption system. They are more reliable because the chip is better protected against mechanical damage.
Control and safety
Money needs to be counted. To avoid unnecessary costs and prevent unpredictable spending of the funds, you should connect the SMS-service to your account, allowing you to quickly monitor expenses and always be aware of your account balance.
Before traveling, ask whether your mobile operator provides a roaming service and define the terms. Don’t forget to take care of the safety of your funds. In this aspect, the card is undoubtedly more secure than the wallet. In the case your wallet is lost or crooked, most likely you will not get it back while the card can be blocked anytime. In most cases, you just need to call the contact centre of your Bank.
[…] also means that other people in your chain of movers will be dealing with summer holidays and you also run the risk of estate agents and solicitors being away into the bargain, which will […]
[…] counterfeit cards have been the most common route for credit card frauds. But now with the latest chip reading technology, this is eliminated and even if a credit card fraud happens, the merchant is no more liable. […]