Credit cards have kind of become a travel essential nowadays. They can offer valuable rewards, minimize your risk of losing cash (or having it stolen), get you a fair exchange rate if traveling abroad, and even offer great travel protection. Global credit card acceptance has increased greatly over the years, and I can take many international trips without even getting local currency.
That raises an interesting question — when you travel, should you let your credit card company know of your upcoming travel plans? It’s a question that a reader just asked me, so let me share my take and experiences.
Maybe I’m just lucky, but my card issuers don’t seem suspicious when I make a purchase in Singapore one day, in Vietnam the next day, in Germany the next day, and in the United States the day after that. But if there’s a purchase at a Nordstrom Rack somewhere in California? Yep, that immediately triggers fraud alerts.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.
