5 reasons to use a credit card when travelling

Make sure you have the best protection for your funds while travelling.

14:44 19 May 2013

One of the UK’s most wanted fugitives was located and apprehended in Spain. You can take a holiday without the drama Andrew Moran experienced when it is time to book holidays.

 

Wherever you decide to travel be sure to use a credit card whenever possible.

Benefits of using a credit card for your holiday plans:

 

• Accuracy—you can easily trace your purchases and get your updated balances through phone services and online access. You’ll have the built-in spending limit to stymie large impulsive purchases, but you’ll also know how much you have available.

 

• Receipts—if you are reimbursed for any part of your travel expenses, keeping your purchases limited to credit cards, or one particular credit card can make filling out the reimbursement forms a lot easier.

 

• Widely accepted—in most places you visit, using a credit card is a preferred, or at least accepted method of payment unlike cheques and sometimes even cash.

 

• Money protection—when you’re travelling it is easier to become distracted and misplace a purse or wallet, or to become a victim of a thief. If you are carrying your spending money in the form of cash, you are out of luck. If you have been using a credit card though, you can call to have your card blocked immediately which saves your money.

 

• Guarantees—most credit card companies offer you the ability to dispute charges so if your travel plans don’t go as promised, or there are other issues you may be able to use the credit card company’s assistance to receive credit or other action from the merchant.

 

There are other benefits depending upon the type of credit card you have, for example one which gives you frequent flyer miles, discounts on hotels, or other incentives for using the card. It is a safer, in some cases, to use primarily credit cards when travelling.