What’s a Travel Credit Card?
Essentially, a travel credit card is a flexible, personal payment tool that you can use worldwide. Its global acceptance makes it super handy for buying things and paying for services. What’s great is, you don’t have to worry about any extra charges when using it.
Often when traveling, people worry about moving money across borders. But with a travel credit card, it’s hassle-free! Plus, you get to manage your expenses. You can check every purchase you make and keep track of your spending, all through your bank’s online platform.
But picking the right travel card isn’t something to rush into. You need to consider several factors: the currency you’ll be using, the country you’re visiting, and the cash you’ll need. To make things easier, you can find the most appropriate credit card for your travel needs on websites like Effectify.com.
When it comes to choosing between Visa and MasterCard, people often say Visa is for America and MasterCard for Europe. But in reality, both are companies with global services, so your choice doesn’t really matter that much. Nonetheless, it could be good to have a card from each just in case one has technical issues – although that’s pretty rare!
So What Are The Benefits?
Firstly, you can easily add money to your travel card either through cash or transfer. Second, your card and the money in it don’t need to be declared at the border. Plus, because the card is in your name, there’s minimum risk of anyone else using it without your permission.
But what about currency?
Choosing the currency for your account is a big deal. Ideally, you should open an account in the currency you’ll be using. If you’re visiting a non-Euro zone country in Europe, it’s still better off having an account in euros. For other countries, US dollars are best.
When choosing a card, opt for one that’s classified as ‘classic’ or higher (like Visa classic or MasterCard Mass). If you choose a lower class card, you might not be able to access certain services like hotel bookings, car rentals, phone orders, and insurance.
Just One More Tip!
Split up the money you’ve set aside for your trip into three. Carry some in cash (in euros for Europe, or dollars for other places), keep some in your primary credit card, and put the rest into a spare card. That way, you’ll have money in your pocket and two bank cards handy. Use your card wherever possible and reserve your cash for when you can’t use your card. It’s that simple!