should i let my bank know that i am traveling abroad so my debit card wont get blocked there?

Question

do u do that ? or there is no need for it?

Answer 1

Yes, it is a good idea to let them know. They will mark the account. Also give them the dates you will be traveling as well. Also be aware of the additional fees that they will charge you for using a debit/credit card. You might think about travelers checks as well. My experience is that converting funds in the US is an expensive proposition. So I would wait until you get to your destination and then make the conversion. But only convert a small amount at the airport, usually the highest cost location and then find a bank to do most of your conversions.

Have a great trip. Need somebody to carry the bags? :-)

Answer 2

It's probably a good idea to let your bank as well as any credit card companies know where you will be traveling and in which countries you will be using your cards.

I took a trip through Italy this spring, and I called to let the companies know. I didn't have any trouble using credit or debit cards.

Another handy thing to check before you leave, is where the ATMs are closest to where you are staying. This website is helpful: http://visa.via.infonow.net/locator/global/jsp/SearchPage.jsp

You might also check to see which banks/ATMs charge the lowest fees or have an agreement with your bank to waive fees. When I called the customer service line at my bank, I got passed around a bit before anyone could answer my question, but eventually I got a list of banks that waived the fees they charged to withdraw the money.

Answer 3

You don't really need to. I worked at a bank for a while and what really got people is limits on accounts. I don't know about yours. But everyone at ours automatically has a $300.00 a day debit amount. You could not spend more than that unless you told the bank to make the limit higher for a specific time period. HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Yes. Some banks will raise your daily authorization limit if you ask. $300 is kind of low. Mine is $3,000 but I have been with the bank for years. It stated out at $1,000

My bank requires me to notify them when I am going to do any type of international transaction. Then they activate the card for international use. I usually have them activate for 30 days because it take at least 30 days before the transaction will be hard posted.

Answer 5

It is not required but is a good idea. Otherwise your card may be refused or you may have to go through a lengthy phone call with a operator who may not speak good English.

This is usually not needed with American Express cards, but MasterCard, Visa and Discover may cause problems..

I travel abroad a lot and always do this.

Answer 6

ask your bank