Following good common sense tips & advice on travel money can help reduce the chances of theft and fraud whilst you are on your trip. The travel money tips offers some good tips and advice on sensible precautions and steps to take to help ensure you minimise the chance of theft of your travel money and avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
Travel Money Tips
Before You Start Your Trip
During Your Trip
When You Return From Your Trip
Before You Start Your Trip
Good planning and organisation can help stop a range of potential difficulties with travel money on your trip. Ensure you have local currency in advance of your trip.
Note: There are countries with exchange controls that do not allow local currency in or out of the country, in these cases you would have to exchange currency when you arrive at your destination.
Order a mix of both cash and travellers cheques, this ensures you are not stuck if your cash is lost or stolen or vice versa.
Order a range of denominations including smaller denominations to ensure you have smaller amounts ready when you arrive for i.e. tips for porters, taxis. Also having a range of denominations means you do not have to break in to larger notes for smaller amounts.
Travellers Cheques are considered safer to carry than cash, it is useful to have travellers cheques in widely acceptable currencies such as US Dollars. Get a range of different denominations meaning you can carry as much cash as you need as you go along without having to carry too much.
Get a note of the serial numbers of the travellers’ cheques in a safe place NOT in the same place where you keep the travellers cheques. It is very important to keep this with you, in the event the travellers cheques are lost or stolen your best defence is to call up and get the cheques cancelled and new ones issued. With this safeguard travellers cheques are very useful to take on all trips both for business and leisure, offering some extra protection than carrying cash alone.
Check that your credit cards/debit cards/charge cards are valid and will remain valid for the full duration of your trip.
Note down the credit card numbers, expiry dates and credit card telephones numbers, including emergency assistance numbers in case your cards are lost, stolen or misplaced. Having the information immediately assessable can help if you need to cancel the cards as soon as is possible in the event of i.e. theft. If you do not have the information with you and have to check back home for the details, it may already be too late to stop fraud occurring on your card.
Budget for emergencies, it is wise to have some travel money budgeted in case of emergencies or any unforeseen circumstances. This can help ensure less hassle even if the unexpected occurs.
Before you head off on your trip, make sure you are use to the look and feel of the foreign currency, some currencies have notes the same size for small and large denominations and it is easy to overlook giving the wrong denomination if you are not familiar with the currency.
Using Credit Cards abroad can be expensive, be sure to check with your credit card providers any charges that apply. There are a few cards that do not charge an extra fee to use them abroad, it is worth getting one of these before you start your trip if you intend on using credit cards.
Get a good travel money wallet, for added security consider a wallet with a strong chain that can be hooked to your trousers or a money belt & neck wallet that can be used discreetly under clothes.
During Your Trip
Carry your travel money in different places. Do not carry all your travel money in one place i.e. one main wallet. Spilt the cash and travellers cheques in a least two separate places ensuring you are not without any money if your wallet/purse is lost or stolen. If more than one person is travelling ensure the money is not all with one person and is spilt.
Do not take out all your cash in public, it attracts unnecessary attention and could alert thieves.
Do not carry all your money with you, carry what you need for that day.
Spilt your travel money so some is in your wallet (smaller amounts) and some in your money belt/neck wallet (larger amounts).
Leave your valuables in the hotel safe, check the safe is secure before leaving your valuables there.
If you have a number of credit/debit cards take only one with you when you are out keeping the rest in the safe, that way if you do loose your card or if its is stolen you only loose one not all of them.
Do not rush when paying or receiving money, it is easy to make a mistake and give the wrong amount or not count the change you should have been given. Take your time and double check all money transactions.
When paying by credit card ensure your card is not taken somewhere you cannot see it. Cover your hand when typing in your pin and ensure there is no one in close proximity to you when entering it in.
Be aware of the exchange rate, many people calculate what they think the something is worth in their home currency when abroad. If your calculations are wrong you could end up paying well over the odds for something, it is handy to have a small calculator or use your mobile phone calculator function to double check especially for larger amounts.
When You Return From Your Trip
If you have used your credit card during your trip upon your arrival back check your statement and see if there are any unusual items on there. If you suspect any fraud or foul play inform your credit card company immediately.
Double check your bank statements to ensure your accounts were not subject to fraud or suspicious activity whilst you were away. Check credit card and debit card statements even if you did not use the cards abroad to check for any signs of fraud/unusual items.
We hope you find the Travel Money Tips and Advice useful when planning your trips and that they help you ensure you have a good trip free from travel money problems.
Disclaimer: The information given in on this website is given in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. If there are any discrepancies in no way do we intend to mislead. Important travel details and arrangements should be confirmed and verified with the relevant authorities.
