Cash and Credit Card Payments Abroad

Are you abroad and want to pay in cash or withdraw money with your credit card?
What should you watch out for?

Paying in cash or by credit card abroad

1. A few useful checks before you leave

• Check the maximum amount you can withdraw abroad, as well as the authorised limit on your spending. If necessary, and if you're expecting large expenses on site (hotel, car rental, excursions paid for locally, buying transport tickets, …), ask your bank to raise the limit. This can certainly be useful if you're using a "family" card.
• Make sure you have enough money in your account.
• Also check the expiry date of your cards.
• Travelling outside the European Union? Check with your bank whether Maestro card use is blocked there, and ask whether using it to withdraw cash locally involves extra costs.
• Travelling to the USA and want to withdraw cash there? Activate your card through your bank. If you haven't done so and this is your first financial transaction on American soil, your credit card may get blocked. As a general rule, simply making a payment with your card using your PIN will unblock it. Check with your bank on the procedure to follow.
• Write down, and keep somewhere safe, the numbers of your debit and credit cards. They'll be useful if your card is lost or stolen, so you can have it blocked. Tip: email these numbers to your own private address. That way you'll only need to check your inbox to find them. (Do the same with copies of your official documents).
• Remember to bring some cash. If you need to exchange currency, do it in good time, as banks often take a few days to deliver it. Watch out: - Exchanging money abroad is often more expensive! - Ask for small denominations in good condition (notes that aren't damaged). - Split your cash across secure places (e.g. a money belt) and — if you're travelling with others — across several people.

2. Paying once you're there

• If you're staying somewhere with a safe available (e.g. at a hotel): use it to keep some of your cash, valuables or traveller's cheques.
• Using bank cards to make payments in countries outside the European Economic Area can involve extra costs. Check with your bank.
• Bring your card reader in case you want to make secure online payments while abroad.
• Where possible, favour your debit card (Maestro) for cash withdrawals.
• Always follow safety precautions when using your card to withdraw money at an ATM.
• Exchanging money at currency exchange bureaux in airports, stations or places with heavy tourist traffic is often more expensive than doing so at a local bank. Don't exchange money through unofficial channels. Keep your receipts.
• More and more merchants have an electronic device (terminal) to make paying by credit card easier. The old manual system, where the billed amount is written by hand, is however still used in some places. In that case, make sure the amount can't be altered without your knowledge, by drawing a line immediately before and after the billed amount, as well as in the "tip" box and the total amount box. Always keep your receipt as proof!
• Watch out for scams. Don't carry a large amount of cash on you.

3. If your credit card is lost or stolen

• Have your card blocked immediately by calling Card Stop on 078/170 170 (from abroad +32 78 170 170).
• File a police report if it's a theft.
• Check your bank statement as soon as it's available, and dispute any anomalies you notice by contacting your bank.
• Good travel insurance will let you get money abroad if your card is lost or stolen, or in case of unexpected costs (illness, accident, car breakdown).