2023-08-05 12:39:52
During a trip abroad, certain precautions should be taken before the trip, to avoid unpleasant surprises on arrival.
In France, paying with your credit card is a daily gesture, which has become so simple that you can act without thinking regarding it. But in the long list of things to prepare before a trip, certain points are to be checked for your credit card, whatever the bank. These little precautions are repeated by the Ministry of Economy during the holidays.
• Date d’expiration
It almost goes without saying, but it’s easy to be fooled. Before leaving, always check the expiry date of your credit card. Better to do it early, because during a renewal, the new part is sent to his home or must be collected from an agency. Which may take a little time.
However, a person who has not calculated these deadlines can easily find themselves far from home, without any payment option, the cash also having to be withdrawn using a card.
• Check your ceilings
Another warning from Bercy: check your card’s withdrawal limits, and, if necessary, “ask your bank to increase them if you think you need to withdraw more than usual”. In addition, the ceilings can be defined according to the transactions and/or by cumulative amount on a person. For example, it is possible to ask your bank to only authorize withdrawals of an amount of 300 euros, or 1000 euros over seven days.
“Be careful, sometimes the withdrawal limits abroad are different from the withdrawal limits granted to you in France”, warns the ministry.
Some banks allow you to manage your limits yourself through their mobile applications. However, some geolocate their users and may consider these management acts as suspicious when they are carried out from abroad. A quick look is therefore advised.
• Report his departure to his bank
It can be interesting to indicate to your bank that you are regarding to take leave abroad. The reason is very simple. To limit the risk of fraud, banks sometimes block bank cards on certain international destinations.
“Inform your bank before your departure so as not to risk finding yourself abroad with a blocked card”, recommends the government.
There are two ways to go regarding it: go directly to the branch to report the departure at a counter, or write to your advisor, by email or via a dedicated messaging service at the bank.
• Pay attention to fees
Paying by credit card rather than making withdrawals can be a bad idea depending on the vacation location. Some destinations will incur fees for each withdrawal and payment.
“So it’s best to withdraw a large sum of money at once. For commission fees, check with your bank before you leave,” the ministry said.
Basically, in the euro zone, the conditions do not change. There is no overbilling when paying by card, and the pricing conditions for withdrawal are strictly identical to those known in France. Conversely, when traveling outside the euro zone, using the CB can quickly become very expensive. Find our complete guide to reducing foreign payment fees here.
• In case of loss or theft
Last major risk, the loss – or even theft – of his precious credit card. The two scenarios must lead to the same reaction: “immediately oppose it with your bank”, urges Bercy. Then, in the case of loss, nothing more until the return from vacation. There, you have to check whether the recent purchases were actually made by yourself before the loss.
Finally, in the case of theft, following having opposed it, you must file a complaint. “If you are abroad, file a complaint with the local authorities and inform the French consulate of the country visited”.
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