Summertime is the best. There’s sunshine, BBQs, and so much more for us to enjoy. And perhaps best of all, it means vacation time for many of us. Whether you plan to trek in Nepal, visit the Statue of Liberty, or sail on lake Coeur d'Alene, you deserve to have a fun and worry-free trip.
To help ensure your next vacation goes smoothly, we’ve put together a quick list of dos and don’ts. Get ready to kick back and relax.
Do: Make Sure You Can Use Your Credit and Debit Cards while Traveling
Before you leave on vacation, you should let your financial institution know that you’ll be traveling, especially if you’ll be crossing states or leaving the United States. Sometimes, you can do this online in mere minutes.
Letting your financial institution know about your travel plans helps ensure you’ll have access to funds while on vacation. It also lets your financial institution be on extra alert for fraud and keep your accounts safe. Most importantly, you don’t want to suddenly not be able to use your cards while on vacation.
Don’t: Carry Large Amounts of Cash
Carrying cash can be convenient while traveling, especially for purchasing smaller goods. However, avoid having too much cash on hand because it could put you at risk. Thieves often target travelers who carry a lot of cash or appear to be wealthy.
If you do choose to carry cash on vacation, make sure you take extra precautions to secure it: keep it close to your body and divvy bills between pockets. Most places accept credit and debit cards, so hopefully that reduces the urge to carry large amounts of cash on vacation.
Do: Use Social Media for Travel Recommendations
Social media is a great place to get ideas for a vacation. If you aren’t sure about where to travel, who to book with, or what you’ll do when you arrive, try asking family, friends, and work colleagues on social media. They are likely to give you unbiased opinions that could really improve the quality of your vacation.
Look up reviews for hotels, restaurants, and to see what others have experienced and have to say. While you should always take reviews with a grain of salt, they can help you plan your vacation or save the day if you need to adjust plans on the fly during your trip.
Don’t: Post When You are Going on Vacation
As trustworthy as your family and friends on social media may be, it’s best to avoid posting when you will be away from home. This information, if shared, could find its way into the wrong hands.
According to the FBI’s 2019 Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program , 72% of reported burglaries occurred when nobody was home. So be careful about sharing that you will be gone from home on vacation.
Wait to post pictures from your trip until you return home if possible. If you do post, keep details as sparse as possible.
Do: Plan and Book in Advance
You’ll save time and money booking vacations as soon as possible. Waiting too long limits your options, can be a lot more expensive, and is often stressful. Nobody likes scrambling at the last minute. Vacations are supposed to be worry-free!
Before you embark on vacation, call your hotel, or check with your rental host to verify your reservation. Write down the address and contact information too in case of an emergency. If you have a rental car in advance, it’s not a bad idea to confirm that with the rental agency ahead of time as well.
Don’t: Pay for Vacation Accommodations with Cash or Cash-transfer Services
Always use a credit card to pay for your travel accommodations. Legit booking sites will hold security funds in escrow, making sure you’ve got funds in place before you get keys to your room or rental. Using a credit card versus cash also can make it easier to recover money in the event of fraud.
Do: Ensure that Rentals are Legit
Unfortunately, vacation rental scams exist and are plentiful. If a rate seems too good to be true, it probably is. Use reputable and trusted vacation rental sites when booking accommodations. If you have doubts about a place, check for reviews. If possible, Google map the addresses of potential rentals so you can get a better idea of what you are looking at. You’d hate to show up to an empty lot.
Don’t: Overthink Your Packing
We’ve all been there – it’s the night before a trip and we’re frantically digging through clothes trying to decide what to pack. Make it easier on yourself. Pack at least two or three days ahead of time.
Bring clothes that go with each other and can be worn in different ways depending on the situation. Consider the weight of each piece of clothing, as clothing adds up quickly and don’t want to be bogged down by heavy luggage.
If you are flying to a vacation destination, remember that checked baggage fees range from free to $100 depending on the number and weight of bags. So, find your airline’s baggage policy and pack accordingly.
Do: Use Your Smartphone to Make Your Trip Easier
If you have a smartphone, take advantage of it and use it as a travel tool. Ride share apps such as Lyft and Uber can help you get places without renting cars. Map applications can be your best friend in unfamiliar areas. Location review apps, such as Yelp, can help you decide on the best places to eat. Many hotels and venues have their own apps for checking in and storing event tickets.
However, watch your data usage when using most of these apps. Because they rely on GPS, they use a lot of data and drain your phone battery. It’s a good idea to bring a battery pack for quick charges so you lessen the risk of not being able to use your phone.
And a quick reminder about using Wi-Fi, be careful when using public or free Wi-Fi while traveling. Always use secure and encrypted networks when submitting sensitive information like credit card numbers.
Need to keep an eye on your funds while on vacation? Use the TwinStar Mobile Banking App. You can access your accounts 24/7 on the go.
Don’t: Make Yourself an Easy Target for Hackers
Skimming (a thief uses a device to scan your card and steal your information) and other thefts of card information are common.
To help prevent your information from being stolen while on vacation, stay alert when you are out and about. Gas stations and restaurants are skimming hotspots. Skimming involves bad actors using devices that can scan cards and steal personal information. For that matter, never use your cards with any vendor that’s not reputable.
When you aren’t using them, store your credit and debit cards in an inside pocket or lock them in a hotel-room safe. Many hotels have storage safes separate from the ones in the guest rooms, so ask at the front desk.
Enjoy Peace of Mind with TwinStar Fraud Monitoring Services
To protect your debit and credit card transactions, TwinStar utilizes a fraud monitoring system. If suspicious or unusual activity occurs on your TwinStar debit or credit card, a TwinStar Fraud Prevention Services representative will contact you to verify whether the transaction was authorized by you.
Again, if you’re planning to travel, call us or visit your local branch and let us know when and where you'll be going. We’ll update your card information and keep your card(s) from being blocked in error.
If your card gets blocked, contact TwinStar Fraud Prevention Services at 866.272.4481 to verify legitimate transactions and unblock your card. If you will be traveling overseas, you can download the list of toll-free numbers for dozens of countries at TwinStarCU.com/lost-or-stolen-card.