| My first time overseas, I had to exchange | | | | |
| cash in $200 of travelers checks to pay a | | | | Of course, on longer trips it's a hassle to |
| mountaineering guide who hadn't heard of | | | | pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't |
| American Express. The bank charged me $8. | | | | a problem with debit cards. Carry both, and |
| During the same trip, I used my debit card at | | | | on longer trips you can wait until you're a |
| an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. | | | | few weeks from home to use the credit card. |
| Once home, I saw that the charge for this was | | | | That way you'll get there before the bill |
| one dollar, and that was the last time I used | | | | does. |
| traveler's checks. | | | | |
| | | | An important advantage credit and debit cards |
| Debit And Credit Cards When Traveling | | | | have over travelers checks, is that when you |
| | | | need the local currency, you'll almost always |
| I usually carry a debit card and a credit | | | | get a better exchange rate with your cards. |
| card when I travel now. I keep them | | | | Also, the cash you get from the local ATM |
| well-hidden in two separate places. If they | | | | will truly be accepted everywhere, something |
| are stolen, which has never happened yet, | | | | even American Express Travelers Checks can't |
| they have either zero liability, or a fifty | | | | promise. |
| dollar liability limit for any unauthorized | | | | |
| charges. Ask your bank or credit card company | | | | I have nothing against American Express. |
| about this. | | | | Once, when I was robbed in Mexico, they |
| | | | quickly and curtiously replaced my stolen |
| When an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't | | | | traveler's checks. Also, at times it is |
| take one of the cards for some reason - and | | | | appropriate to carry money in several forms, |
| this will happen - I use the other card, | | | | including theirs. However, times change and |
| which usually works fine. Credit cards may be | | | | ATMs are everywhere now, so my policy is : |
| less trouble than debit cards. Your liability | | | | Travelers checks; don't leave home with them. |
| could be zero on your stolen debit card, but | | | | You can take an American Express credit card |
| you probably won't have access to your | | | | instead. |
| account until the matter is sorted out. | | | | |