Travel Tip: Call Your Credit Cards Before Going Abroad

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I’ve got an upcoming trip to Singapore soon and it’s time to start many pre-flight rituals. One among them is calling your credit card company.

Call Your Credit Cards

Before you leave the country, even going to Canada, it’s a good idea to call your credit card company ahead of time. The number on the back of the card is fine.

Let them know where you are traveling (including any airports in which you have a layover) and your travel dates. This will prevent them from prematurely freezing your credit card account under the guise of fraud.

It’s really simple and painless and the 2 minutes it takes at home will pay for itself in the avoided hassle and expense of calling your company from abroad when all you want to do is book that exclusive tour.

Change Your Pin to 4 Digits

Additionally, in some countries ATM Card PIN numbers need to be 4-Digits. Anything more, and you may not be able to access your cash. Yikes! Do yourself a favor and visit your bank before you depart and change that pin, just in-case.

Numbers Only

And while you’re changing that PIN, many ATM machines don’t have letters on their keypad (and some phones too). If your ATM Card PIN is a word, you may find yourself in trouble trying to access your cash – if you don’t know the numerical equivalent. It’s a good idea to either change your PIN to a number (provided you can remember it), or write down your translation key like this:

2 – ABC

3 – DEF

4 – GHI

5 – JKL

6 – MNO

7 – PQRS

8 – TUV

9 – WXYZ

So, in summary…

1. Call your credit card to inform them of your travel plans
2. Create a 4 Digit ATM Card Pin
3. Be sure you know the numerical equivalent of your ATM Card Pin

Do you have any credit card tips while traveling? Share them by commenting.

I’ll see you out there…! Now what was my PIN number again?

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