Tips for trouble-free credit card travel spending

MANILA, Philippines – One of the surefire ways to enjoy an upcoming trip is to prepare beforehand what to bring and to make an itinerary of places to visit.

More often than not, however, travelers encounter hitches to their supposedly well-planned vacations or business trips because of problems with purchases using their credit cards.

Even seasoned travelers are not immune from temporarily suspended accounts, unnecessary charges, or even fraud.

Fortunately, there are also ways by which a person can make sure financial transactions do not spoil his or her trip.

Here are some tips from the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP) that can help ensure hassle-free spending while travelling:

1. Inform card issuers of your plan to travel as well as your itinerary. This will lessen the chances that your account is cut off in the middle of a purchase on suspicion of fraud.

2. Be extra vigilant when it comes to card security. It is easy to lower one’s guard on a trip especially if your main purpose really is to relax.

Unscrupulous persons can easily take advantage of unsuspecting travelers with skimming devices, unsecured public WiFi hotspots, and the like.

3. Pack extra plastic. Bringing other cards act like spare tires you can use in case one card suffers a hitch.

Credit cards that are temporarily suspended may take hours to be reactivated, having extra cards around can help prevent such delays.

4. Inquire from card issuers about foreign transaction fees. Some credit cards charge such fees for purchases abroad that can add to your expenses.

5. Take note of rewards programs. It is common for card issuers to grant incentives to their clients for accumulated usage. These may include travel-related benefits or perks such as room discounts, free breakfast, gift certificates, or travel certificates.

6. Credit cards may offer travelers medical insurance for free or at lower rates. In case of emergencies during a trip, you can be assured that you would be able to pay for healthcare expenses.

7. Check cards’ credit limits beforehand. Although this may seem basic, ensuring you have enough credit limit for expenses and charges will spare you the headache from finding out otherwise in the middle of the trip or a transaction.  

8.  Monitor your credit card even after a trip.

Looking at your transaction history online or checking with your card issuer will help you ascertain that your card is not being used by another person; and if it has indeed been fraudulently used, you can quickly have it reported and deactivated.

9. Put your credit card’s toll-free numbers on speed dial. It is advisable to contact the card issuer directly at first sign of any problem you encounter with using your credit card.

This will help reduce delays and clear any issues arising from your transactions.

10. Stay within budget and keep tabs of charge records.

Setting a budget will allow you to manage your payments efficiently and avoid penalties.

On the other hand, tracking your expenditures, particularly for incidental or unplanned expenses for food, entertainment, among others, will allow you to budget your next travel.