An Ounce of Prevention

If you're planning a trip abroad, don't forget to call your bank and credit card company before boarding the plane. Sudden changes in your account activity, such as frequent withdrawals or charges in a foreign country, can trigger a fraud alert and cause your bank or credit card company to freeze your account. To prevent being stranded without funds, be sure to make that important call before traveling. With my bank, I send an e-mail message to the customer service department alerting them of my travels. I tell them specifically where I am going and the dates of travel. If you have never before used your ATM card outside of the country, call your bank to ensure that your card is part of an international network such as PLUS or Cirrus. International ATMs only use a four-digit pin. If you have a longer pin, call the bank and convert it. And, if your pin is based on letters rather than numbers, convert the letters to numbers before you leave. Many foreign ATMs only have numbers on the keypad. Keep in mind that most ATM's abroad will only let you access the primary account on your card. My credit card company now has an option on its automated directory for leaving vacation information. Using the phone keypad, I entered by credit card number, security code and dates of travel in addition to speaking my name and countries of travel. The process took about three minutes. Finally, don't forget to get your credit card's international number for reporting a lost or stolen credit card.