Tips for travelling abroad
Paying for things without your plastic can be extremely inconvenient when you are at home – but it’s even worse when you are abroad and relying on your cards to pay for hotel and restaurant bills. Just as important are the other personal items that can go missing when cards are stolen, such as travellers cheques, passport, travel tickets and insurance documents.
If you are on unfamiliar territory with only a basic grasp of the language this situation could become a nightmare and may even cause you to cut short your holiday.
Card Watch offers you the following simple advice on how to protect yourself against card theft whilst abroad:
-
Only take the cards that you intend to use – store the rest securely at home.
-
Make a note of your card issuers’ emergency contact numbers and keep the information in a different location from your wallet or purse, separate from your cards. You will find these on your last statement or in the telephone directory.
-
Treat your plastic cards and travellers cheques as carefully as you would cash.
-
Don’t keep your cheque book with your cards.
-
Don’t leave plastic cards and other valuables unattended in a hotel room or on the beach – use your hotel’s safety deposit box if it has one.
-
Always keep your plastic cards with you while travelling to and from your holiday destination. Rucksacks or suitcases are not safe places to store cards.
-
When in crowds, keep your bag either strapped across your body or held firmly. Turn the clasp towards you, making it even harder for a thief to get at. A concealed money belt is an ideal way to carry your cards and valuables.
-
If you drive on holiday, keep handbags and wallets out of sight of opportunistic thieves – especially in slow-moving traffic. Always remove plastic cards and other valuables from parked cars.
-
Hot weather means less clothing, which can also mean that your personal items such as your wallet in a back pocket is more visible. Take extra care to ensure that your valuables are concealed.
-
Keep an eye on plastic cards when paying in shops and restaurants. Check your statement carefully when you return home.
-
Don’t tell anyone your PIN – even if they claim to be from the police or your bank – and don’t write it down.
