It is getting is less common every day to see someone pay a bill with cash, and even less common to see someone whip out there check book at the cash register. Nearly everyone has converted to paying with credit cards. It really just comes down to convenience. If you are like most people and use you card for nearly all of your transactions; before you go on that dream vacation out of country here are some things you should look into to avoid being stranded with a useless piece of plastic in your wallet.
Research Area:
It is important to look into what types of cards are accepted in the area you are traveling. Your type of card may be widely accepted where you live and usually travel, but this may not be the case where you are planning to take your vacation. For example, Discover cards, which are widely accepting throughout the United States, are not accepted at most places in Belize City. Obviously places not accepting your card could leave you in a very bad situation very quickly, so it is important to look into this as soon as you can so you have time to get a new credit card in time.
Avoid Getting Card Frozen:
When card carriers see abnormal charges on cards, they very often put a freeze on the card. This essentially makes the card unable to be used, due to the fact the credit card carrier believes the card may be stolen and/ or is being used without the card holders consent, and it attempting to minimize the amount of financial loss. This often happens very quickly after an out of the norm purchase and can take several calls to resolve; being out of country in a different time zone only makes that process longer and more difficult. Luckily this can usually can be mitigated by giving you card carrier a call ahead of time and notify them of your travel plans.
Foreign Transaction Fees:
The majority of credit cards out there have foreign fees along with other international restrictions along with them. Meaning you may be charged a percentage every time you use your card and may be limited to how much you can use it while out of the country. This is something you may want to look into before traveling. If you are planning on using your card quite a bit during your travels it may be worth it for you to get a new card specific for your international travels. There are several out there offered to those with good credit that do not have foreign fees or international restrictions. If you are planning an out of the country trip any time soon, the sooner the better when it comes