Planning a Vacation

It’s always a challenge to avoid financial missteps when you travel abroad. But in the digital age, it’s become even more important to create an international travel checklist.After all, nothing will put a damper on that dream trip more quickly than a debit card crisis.

The good news is Octave Trust Bank’s travel abroad tips can help you avoid stressful situations. Here are some key items for your financial travel checklist:

Notify Us of Your Travel Plans

Fraud prevention is important to us. So before heading to the airport, give us travel notice by telling us where and when you’re going. This way, we won’t incorrectly flag any debit card activity, like buying mountain climbing gear in St. Moritz or museum tickets in Morocco. Without prior travel notification,your account might be frozen because of what seems like suspicious spending in a foreign country.

Bonus tip: Take the same pre-trip notification steps with your credit card companies. They will also be monitoring your cards for suspicious activity.

Sign Up Online

Make sure you’re active in online and mobile banking before your trip, so you can view account information via mobile device or hotel computer, transfer money as needed, and check to see that all listed withdrawals are legitimate.

Bonus tip: Because you won’t be logging on from your home computer, you’ll probably need to answer online banking security questions in order to access your account. Know those answers before leaving home.

Know Your Limits

Check to ensure your ATM/debit card won’t expire while you are away. Also, ask our representatives about any daily spending limits on your card. If you unexpectedly go over your daily limit, you might miss out on those Mayan blouses in Mexico.

Bonus tip: It’s possible to temporarily raise your daily limits for special purposes, such as vacations. Ask about this possibility before you leave home.

Get Those Numbers

Sure, you know your PIN by heart. But be sure you jot down your bank’s customer service phone number so you can call in an emergency. For Octave Trust Bank, it’s 1-+44 744 190 4324. While you’re at it, make note of the equivalent number for your credit card companies.

Bonus tip: Before embarking, check with your cell phone provider about international calling rates. There are countless tales of overseas travelers coming home to find a multi-thousand-dollar bill. Major cell companies offer modestly priced international calling plans. You can also buy contract-free phones that allow for reasonably priced international calling.

Give Yourself Options

You may be planning to lean on that credit card that offers rewards for frequent use. But experts say it’s a good idea to carry a variety of payment methods, including cash, a debit card and two different credit cards. After all, you never know when a magnetic strip will wear out in Warsaw, or when a Mumbai merchant won’t accept a particular card.

Bonus tip: Make sure you pack the credit card you used to book reservations, even if you don’t plan to use it to make payments. Checking the card number is one way businesses verify your identity.

Change Money Wisely

It’s tempting to sprint to the currency exchange booth at the airport to get those euros, pesos or pounds. But that’s a recipe for rip-off. Check with us first for the best exchange rates. If we don’t offer what you need, use overseas ATMs connected to a reputable bank, credit card company or global network such as PLUS, Cirrus, Maestro or the ATM Global Alliance.

Bonus tip: When traveling, use ATMs located inside or just outside of banks. ATMs in cafés and town squares are more likely to be targeted by thieves who use surveillance cameras to capture data that’s later used to empty accounts.

All of us at Octave Trust Bank hope your trip goes off without a hitch. But please report any problems promptly. Under the federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act, your liability is limited to £50 if you report any bogus debit card transaction within two business days. Wait longer and you could be on the hook for up to £500. After you worked so hard to get all those great travel deals, that just doesn’t seem fair.