How to Avoid Credit Card Problems When Traveling Overseas

Hundreds of people might have experienced a situation where their credit card was not accepted in a foreign country. I assume that all of you know the consequence of a declined credit card. After my research, I found out that most of the credit card problems that you might face abroad can be avoided if you take necessary precautions.

Tips to Avoid Credit Card Problems Abroad

The majority of the credit card problems that you might encounter in a foreign land are due to the lack of preparation before the journey. Here are a few things that you should do to avoid credit card problems:

Inform Your Bank
The frequency of the financial transactions done abroad might make your bank suspect a fraud. There are 2 reasons for the suspicion.

• The transactions are not confined to your city.
• The frequency of your credit usage is abnormal.

So, if you inform your bank, they will probably make a note of your travel, and this may help them understand that the unnatural usage of credit card is due to your traveling. If you have cards from multiple financial institutions, do inform all of them, else you might have to face automatic deactivation.

Check the Limit
Most of you might have heard of instances where tourists were arrested, as their transactions exceeded the credit card limit, in majority of these cases, the tourist did not know that he had exceeded the limit. To avoid such a blunder, make sure you inquire about your credit card limits, and do make a note of it.

Credit Card Information
Note down all the important credit card information (account number, contact information, etc.), and keep them securely with you. Credit card thefts are very common while traveling, and this information will help deactivate your credit card in such circumstances.

Get an EMV card
Most of the countries abroad do not accept cards with magnetic strip technology (common in the U.S.), they cater to the use of EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) cards, which have an embedded microprocessor chip. So, ask for a microprocessor chip card from your bank. These cards are also called "chip and PIN" cards.

Carry Multiple Cards
If you are not successful in getting an EMV card, then I advise you to carry multiple cards. At least one of them might work at a receptacle outside your country. Having multiple cards will also prove beneficial if one of your cards is lost.

Check Your PIN
If your PIN (Personal Identification Number) is 6 digit, then you might face problem abroad. Generally, the ATM's there are programmed to accept a 4 digit PIN, so it will not respond to your 6 digit PIN. Thus, take the necessary measures by contacting your bank.

Separate Credit Cards
If you are traveling with your partner, each of you should have a separate credit card. You will experience the advantage of having a separate credit card, when either one of you loses his/her credit card. If you lose one of your credit cards, you can use the other credit card to meet your needs, till you get the lost card replaced.

In addition to the above, you can purchase a Travelex chip and PIN passport to avoid hassles, but remember that it may be comparatively expensive than using your regular credit cards (because of high conversion fees). If you find that your credit card is not working at a store, and if you have multiple cards, then ask the cashier to try all the cards, if you are lucky, one of them might work! A good research about the methods of financial transactions of the country you are traveling to, will keep most of the credit card problems at bay.

You can book tickets (bus, train, etc.) online, this will help you avoid credit card problems at kiosks. I advise you to take care of your luggage, and refrain from using public computers for financial transactions, as cases of identity thefts are on the rise, and do report a credit card fraud immediately. If you take precautions, you will have a great experience abroad. Happy journey!