Should You Use Your Credit Card When Travelling Internationally

While traveling, there are not many tools that one can carry to fulfill every need.  Credit Cards are one of the things people prefer to carry while traveling as they are a great financial tool that can help you get extra money in case of emergency. Traveling is quite an expense where we never know when we will be short on money even after thorough financial planning.

There are also a lot of ways through which you can access your money while being abroad, you can use your Debit cards, carry your cash, use online applications, and make online payments. Debit Cards ensure that you are not over-exceeding your finances but Credit Cards will ensure that you do have some spare money in case of need. Where cash can be a very viable option but there is only much you can take with you while traveling. Cash is also not a very secure way of payment; it can be easily stolen and can’t be replaced. Carrying a large amount of money also makes you an easy target for thieves, etc.

This is also why take their credit cards and debit cards with them. The best part of a credit card is that you will be well prepared for any emergency or need. There are many other ways where a credit card is proven to be much more reliable than a cash or debit card.

Few Scenarios Where Credit Cards are most likely to Help –

1. Debit Cards can be used up to an extent where you are aware of how much your bank balance is and the same goes for Credit Cards. But taking your Credit Card along will only increase your purchasing power and you will have more money in hand.

2. When you make any purchases with the help of a debit card, you do not get any reward or value back for the same, whereas Credit Cards will help you accrue reward points. These Reward points are a type of value back that will in the future be redeemed against the contents on the bank’s official website portal.

3 . The major expenses of traveling is the flights, stay, and food. Debit cards rarely have any complimentary programs or benefits, but with Credit Cards, you can get discounts on your flights, stay, and dining as well. This will help you decrease the amount of money you will spend while traveling. Hence, expenses will be less and you will be able to save something even while traveling.

4. By using Debit Cards, you will need to pay the Foreign Exchange Markup fee which is always fluctuating. The Credit Card will help you somewhat avoid these fluctuating rates because the rates will be conveyed by the card issuer to the user. The rates are conveyed at the very beginning of getting a Credit Card to the user and they will have to pay the Forex charge according to those mentioned rates only, until the bank says otherwise.

5. While traveling, when your flight or train gets delayed and you visit the lounge, you get an extra charge for the same. But with the right Credit Card in your hand, you can get these services as a complimentary service for which you need not spend a single paisa.

There are many other cases where a Credit Card can be much more favorable for you to use. Not only some extra money be at hand but it can also be used as a major source for expenses. As you use the Credit Card for every other expense, you will get value back in the form of rewards for the same. Although you will also have a cash and debit card, you can still use the payment options at different times.

Suppose, when you are paying for flight, hotel, and dining bill, choose a Credit Card to make the payment. When you are making payments at tourist spots and some activities, choose your debit cards and when you are buying some souvenirs from places or small shopping, use cash. This will not only help you divide the pressure of your expense but will also help you save the money where you can.

Also Read: Things To do if Credit Card is Lost or Stolen While Travelling Overseas 

Conclusion

There are many options available that can be used as a method of payment. While traveling, even after taking care of every financial need, there might be times when you need to make an expense and you might find yourself in a situation of not having enough money at hand. In these cases what you can do is to have credit cards with you. Credit Cards are extra money you might need in cases of emergency, it will also benefit you by giving you value back in your every expense. There can be many situations where having a Credit Card can seemingly help you save money, but the condition is to have the right credit card.