Travel Credit Cards Don’t Leave Home Without Them

Traveling is one of the things everyone does at one time or the other, every year. The greatest tension in traveling is carrying the cash required for traveling. There is always the possibility of the cash getting misplaced, stolen or lost. So to prevent all this, the best option for all travelers is the travel credit card. Instead of carrying money, all one has to do is to make purchases and pay bills using the travel credit card.

Another reason for travelers to use travel credit cards when traveling is to get the best rates of exchange in foreign countries while using credit cards for purchases and for cash withdrawal. But travelers shouldn’t forget to check with the card issuers on the issue of surcharge before leaving on the trip, which is usually 2 to 3 %.

Travel Credit Cards Let You Earn While You Spend

Most of the travel credit cards let the traveler earn a mile for every dollar spent using the credit card. The miles earned then can be used for discounted airline tickets and car rentals, free travel and even hotel stays. The catch here is that a fixed amount of miles has to be accumulated, say 10,000, before it can be redeemed.

Other perks which usually come with travel credit cards are free car rental insurance and lost luggage insurance each time the travel credit card is used to purchase an air line ticket or to rent a car. There are also some travel credit card companies which have exclusive arrangements with a specific airline or car Rental Company.

Travel Credit Cards Offer Insurance Protection

Most of the travel credit cards have insurance coverage for the goods which you purchase using the card. Faulty goods which have been purchased are normally insured 100% for a month or two. Even if the goods get lost, the insurance will cover the loss in that time period. If you go shopping while traveling and end up with the card getting lost, all one has to is to phone the local credit company, cancel the card, and the new one will be issued in a few days time. If money is lost, it is lost forever!

Some of the reputed travel credit card companies are American Express, Carte Blanche and Diner’s Club. These companies have branches and ATM outlets practically all over the world, and charge only a minimal annual membership fee. The card holders are billed for their purchases every 30 to 60 days. It is best to pay the bills in full, to avoid poor credit report, interest charges and eventual cancellation of the account.

Some Hotels Accept Only Travel Credit Cards

There are some hotels and car rentals which do not accept bookings unless the person has some sort of credit card. So while traveling internationally, the best card to carry to avoid such problems is a travel credit card. There are also some travel credit card companies which offer additional services like group life and accident-and-health insurance, gift catalogues and cash advances. Some also offer to stretch payments for large bills for three to six month periods.

Another point to be noted is that it is better to use a credit card than a debit card while traveling as it has better protection safeguards. However, whichever card is used, it is wise to keep all receipts and check them against the credit card statement once you return home. But nowadays, with the internet, this can also be done online.