There are not as many things as bad as losing your credit card while you are travelling, except if it gets stolen and someone is using your money. Credit card fraud is not uncommon at all – but it can be avoided and you can protect your card against unauthorised charges.

Do you need all your cards?

You would not need all your cards every time you step outside on your trip – always take one of your cards and leave the others in your hotel or room. Always make sure to have copies of your cards, simply quickly snap a pic of each side so you always have it on your phone in case of an emergency.

Always report it

If you realise someone is using your card – be sure to report it to your bank immediately. It’s possible the bank can still reverse those transactions and you won’t have any losses, just a bit of inconvenience.

Backup card

Travelling with more than one card is always a good idea – if you lose the one card at least you have a plan b till the bank can send you a new card.

SMS & App Alerts

Ensure to set your SMS and app alerts before you leave so you get notifications on each and every swipe – so you will get notifications of transactions you are not aware of in the case of fraud and you can catch and report it sooner rather than later.

If someone stole your card and some transactions did go through on your card be sure to report it to the nearest police station, get a case number and a copy of the report and remember to cancel your card.

If you have travel insurance and you have suffered losses because of credit card fraud, it’s possible that you could claim the losses from your policy. Always be sure to read your travel insurance policy and compare plans so you are sure to have the right cover for your trip. Use insurance comparison to compare a range of travel insurance policies all on one website. This will save you time and money!