The average American has at least four credit cards. Travel rewards enthusiasts may be slightly different from the average American when it comes to their credit cards. You might not have a wallet full of credit cards if you are just taking it slowly.
You probably don't bring all of your credit cards with you while traveling if you're above or below average. Have you thought about how many you should bring and what type?
Whether you are traveling within the United States or internationally, it is important to travel with at least two cards.
The United States has four major credit card networks. A merchant can use a credit card to make a transaction. American Express and Discover are both networks and issuers. Both Visa and Mastercard have their own issuers. Chase or Bank of America will issue a Visa credit card if you have one.
Visa and Mastercard credit cards are more popular in the US and abroad than American Express and Discover. If you have an Amex or Discover card at home, how much do you spend every day? It's a good idea to bring a Visa or Mastercard with you if you're going to encounter merchants that don't accept Amex or Discover. If a network goes down and you can't make purchases, you can switch to a backup card on a different network.
If your primary card is lost, stolen, or declined due to a fraud alert, you may need another card. You should have a card from a different bank than your primary card.
If a bank flags your accounts for suspicious activity and locks all of your accounts while you travel, you will be able to switch to a different bank. If all of your cards are from the same bank, you won't be able to use them unless you can clear up the issue with your account.
If your card is declined or locked, it would be helpful to have a second card with you at all times. Your hotel room is a good place to keep your backup card. If your wallet is lost or stolen, you should have at least one card for protection.
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Travelers keep a second wallet as a decoy. A decoy wallet with a small amount of cash and some closed or expired credit cards can be used to fool a mugger or pickpocketer. The main wallet and other cards are safe in the hotel room while others use a second wallet to carry around just the card they need.
Adding multiple cards to your mobile wallet is possible with the growing acceptance of mobile payment methods. At least you will know that the mobile wallet option is available in a pinch.
It could be a big problem if any are lost or stolen, as you will have to call many times to cancel cards. Who would want to spend their vacation doing that? If you want to maximize rewards by using multiple cards for different spending bonus categories on your trip, but keep at least one card back in your hotel room, you should bring a variety of cards.
You should make sure your primary card and any backup cards have no foreign transaction fees. The Capital One Venture rewards credit card is an excellent option.
The best cards with no foreign transaction fees are related.
An extra credit card is a must when packing for a trip. There are a lot of situations where a backup card can be useful. If something goes wrong with your primary card, you still have a way to pay, even if you only use one card.
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