Visa Credit Card Tips For Travelling Overseas

June 23rd, 2010

Using your Visa overseas is a great thing to do when it comes to ease of payment and emergency funding.

Visa is especially useful in that it is already geared to the new chip and pin system that is now common in many parts of the world, and preferred over the simple magnetic swipe transaction for security purposes.

You may be affected by this new policy if travelling to such areas as mainland Europe, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, China, and the US, amongst others. Be aware that some places may no longer authorise transactions on the old swipe system.

The chip and pin system means that the card is embedded with a chip where all the relevant information is stored in a very safe way – far more so than the magnetic strip on the reverse of the card that can be cloned with the right know-how and equipment.

When using your Visa overseas to make a purchase, the cardholder is required to enter a personal identification number (PIN) so the transaction can be verified as legitimate. This guards against someone simply forging a signature as can happen with the old swipe system.

Tips for using credit cards internationally

• Any merchant location or ATM displaying the Visa logo will be able to process your transaction or provide you with cash, although using your Visa overseas in an ATM can be very expensive.
• If your transaction is refused you should ask to speak with a manager so that the problem can be investigated.
• If your credit card does not operate with a chip and pin at the moment, ask your provider in good time before you go abroad to upgrade you.
• One great tip for using your credit cards internationally is to always let your card issuer know you are heading abroad. If you don’t, they may not authorise your foreign transactions thinking they are fraudulent.
• Your card issuer will also be able to let you know of any issues that relate to your area of travel.
• Take a list of your account numbers and the phone numbers you need if your card is lost or stolen. Do not keep these with your credit card, and never keep a written note of your your PIN with your card – memorise it.
• The UK has switched to chip and pin but as an international traveller you should still be allowed to use the magnetic swipe system when using your Visa overseas.
• A great money-saving tip for using credit cards internationally is to always pay in the local currency. This should be the norm, and it is your legal right to choose to do this. Merchants or bank ATMs that want to charge you in your own currency are looking to impose some hefty exchange fees on top of everything else.

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