Why traveling with only one card is a bad idea
Traveling is a real passion for many people around the world. Its popularity has been growing at a record rate since the arrival of affordable accommodation and low-cost airlines.
Nowadays, most people travel with a credit or debit card. It’s a very convenient and simple way to pay for most things, especially when abroad. The problem is that many individuals travel with just one card. And even if they bring a spare card, more often than not, it’s from the same bank. This is a huge problem for a number of reasons:
The card may get lost or stolen. During a long trip we change hotels, pack, and unpack our suitcase. It can be a veritable rat race through customs or train stations. This makes it fairly easy to lose a card. Likewise, when we visit highly populated tourist sites, we are perfect targets for pickpockets and thieves. Sometimes you might be so overwhelmed by the chaos at a tourist hotspot that you — perhaps the most careful of travelers — cannot avoid becoming a pickpocket’s “target.” It can make a world of difference if you travel with a backup card.
Cards are often skimmed at ATMs. Copying the magnetic band, also known as “skimming”, is becoming increasingly common in ATMs. If we tell our bank about the fraudulent transaction, they will block and lock the card, making it unusable. Then you’re left without access to your money if you don’t have a second card.
Your bank might block your card. If your bank detects fraud they may block your account automatically. That’s bad if you’re using another card from the same bank — since it’ll get blocked too. Contacting your bank to unblock it is a painful and inconvenient process. Which makes it a good idea to keep another card from another bank with you.
Blocking the card when abroad is very complicated. You have to find your bank’s telephone number, stay on hold forever before you even explain the problem, confirm all the transactions with the operator to figure out which were suspicious, etc. Don’t forget the amount you will be charged for making an international call.
Close your eyes and imagine a bank where you can do everything via an app. Your life will be so much easier. It is much simpler for you to block and unblock the card in an instant, or to review all your transactions, checking that no fraudulent transactions have taken place.
Banks like N26 also offer you customer service support via chat lines, not charging you anything. If you prefer phone calls, you can phone home with any questions that you cannot resolve via the app.
Most banks take a week to send you a replacement card, and very few of them send it to an address that is not stated as your home address, for security reasons.
Let’s say you are traveling in Southeast Asia for 3 months, it would be almost impossible for your bank to send you a new card. This is why traveling with only one card can be a cause for concern.
If you find yourself in this situation you can always request help from the Embassy or Consulate, wherever you may be. They will help you and lend you money, so that you can return home.
For this reason, opening a second account and having more than one card is an ideal solution when traveling. Banks like N26 — coming soon to the United States — have a variety of solutions, and travelers will be able to quickly open an account and get a card that matches their lifestyle.
