tips on taking credit (and debit) cards on holiday

More and more people are relying on debit and credit cards to draw holiday whilst abroad. However, fraudsters net more than £100 million a year from cards belonging to British holiday makers, with most losses occurring in the U.S., Spain and France. Travellers are particularly vulnerable because crooks know they won’t check their accounts until they get home.

Here are a few things to think about if you plan to use / rely on your credit and debit cards whilst abroad:

1. Check credit / debit card expiry dates before you travel
2. Only take the cards on holiday that you are likely to use - leave store cards, company credit cards, and any other cards you won't use in a safe place at home - and be 100% positive you know which cards you have with you.
3. When is your statement / payment due? Consider making an advance payment if it falls due during your holiday. You don't want your card to be put on stop when you might need to use it.
4. If you intend to rely heavily on your card, especially if this spending is outside your normal spending pattern, let your card issuer know before you travel. Your spending might be picked up by the card issuer's automated fraud programs, which will put your card on stop!
5. Make sure the card is accepted in the country you are visiting, especially if you plan to draw cash on them. Use these ATM locators to find out:
   a. Visa
   b. MasterCard
   c. American Express
   d. Diners Club (you will need the first 6 digits of your card to get access to this part of the site).
6. Check sales vouchers carefully before signing - especially the number of zeros. Put a line through any blank space and always keep a copy of the sales voucher.
7. Whilst on holiday don't carry all of your cards with you - leave at least one in the room / hotel safe.
8. Don't lose sight of your cards in shops or restaurants - dishonest merchants only need a few seconds and one swipe of your card to get all of the information they need to make a copy of it.
9. Report lost or stolen cards to your card issuer immediately - quick reporting limits your responsibility for unauthorised use.
10. Make a note of debit and credit card company emergency telephone numbers, or photocopy both sides. Keep the list seperate from your cards.
11. Another trick to watch for is an extra zero being added to the amount, so you are changed ten items more than you should be. In countries where the exchange rate to the pound is in the hundreds or thousands this can be particularly easy to fall for.