Credit cards also may include other benefits such as cancellation insurance for flights (usually onl

The acceptance of debit and credit cards varies by country, with acceptance generally being more common in more developed countries, and close to non-existant in non-developed countries. southwest airline reservations By far, the most accepted cards worldwide are VISA and MasterCard. American Express and Diners Club cards have global networks but acceptance varies widely depending by country and merchant. Most other payment southwest airline reservations networks such as Diners Club, Discover, JCB, NYCE, Star, MAC, and Shazam are regional, not global, and are rarely accepted outside of the region they are issued in, and, even then, acceptance is often limited to areas catering to visitors from that region.
Some developing countries either have no ATMs, very limited ATMs, or are not connected to the international networks. southwest airline reservations This includes Burma in South-East Asia, as well as parts of Africa. In Japan, most bank ATMs don't work with international southwest airline reservations cards (the cards are even an incompatible size), and you need to look for a post office, southwest airline reservations 7/11 or Citibank ATM. In certain countries, not every ATM accepts foreign credit or debit cards.
Debit cards are linked directly to a bank account and immediately deduct the amount of the purchase or withdrawal southwest airline reservations from the account. Credit cards are cards that are not linked to a bank account, but that instead charge against a credit line, which must be repaid at a later date. If the charges are not repaid before the end of a grace period (usually 0-25 days), interest will be charged.
When using an ATM to withdraw cash, it is much more expensive to use a credit card than a debit card. If you withdraw from an ATM using a credit card, you will typically be charged a cash advance fee of ~3% on top of foreign exchange fees (see below). southwest airline reservations In addition, most card issuers will start charging interest on your cash advance the day you withdraw money from an ATM (i.e., they won't give you a grace period) unless you have a credit balance on your account. In addition, the interest rate for cash advances is generally much higher than for purchases. In most cases, cash advances are limited to a small portion of your overall credit line.
When making a point-of-sale purchase, notwithstanding the fees (see below), it is usually better to use a credit card than a debit card, since if your card is stolen you can easily dispute the charges on a credit card and simply switch southwest airline reservations to using another credit card for the duration of your trip, while a stolen debit card may lead to an overdrawn bank account requiring many additional hassles. Credit card companies will also protect you if you are charged more than you agreed to pay, if you pay for something southwest airline reservations and never receive it, or if your card is cloned southwest airline reservations (duplicated) without your knowledge and then used for fraud without being physically stolen. For this reason some experts do not recommend using debit cards except at ATMs.
Credit cards also may include other benefits such as cancellation insurance for flights (usually only in the case of serious sickness), theft or loss insurance for goods (usually only if stolen southwest airline reservations within southwest airline reservations 90 days of purchase and a proper southwest airline reservations police report is filed), collision insurance for rental cars, and emergency health insurance in certain situations while you are travelling.
Many (but not all) ATM cards are also PIN-only debit cards; these do not have the Visa or Mastercard logo. They can not only be used to withdraw cash at ATMs, but can also be used for PIN-based point-of-sale purchases at certain merchants with PIN pads. Because these cards always require a PIN regardless of the type of transaction, they are somewhat safer than cards with the Visa or Mastercard logo as those cards can be used to make purchases without PIN authentication. Keep in mind, however, that Visa- and Mastercard- based debit cards are processed as credit cards when a PIN is not used; therefore, the cardholder has more protection under the law and less liability when signature-based "credit" purchases are made.
Travel with one primary debit or credit card as well as a backup card from a different issuer, in case you have trouble with your primary card. Clear your wallet of additional credit or debit cards -- these will only cause you more headaches if your wallet is lost or out of your control. Also, it is a good idea to carry around only the card you will usually be using and keep the backup cards in a safe location southwest airline reservations where you are staying, providing further safeguards in case you are robbed or lose your belongings.
You may have to get international ATM support specifically activated for your debit or credit card. In addition, some banks will stop your card if they notice sudden transactions in a foreign southwest airline reservations country. It is best to notify the bank beforehand and get a note added to your account so it does not get passed through their fraud section. Be sure to add the bank/issuer hotline numbers to your mobile southwest airline reservations phone before you depart so that you don't have to scramble if your card is lost or stolen. Do not include your credit card numbers - the bank can easily find them when you call.
Consider getting an ATM-only bank card with no debit feature, i.e. no visa/mc logo. In the event of theft you will have much lower risk that your bank account will be looted as ATM-only cards cannot be used at merchants.
Be sure you know the PIN for each of your debit and credit cards, in case of an emergency. Many people are not able to access cash using their card because they forget the PIN code. PIN code lengths vary from country to country, but up to six digits are usually accepted anywhere on the Plus/Cirrus networks. If you have a six-digit PIN and six digits don't seem to work, try entering just the first four numbers of your PIN, or find another ATM. If the ATM requires 6 digits and you have only 4 digits in your PIN, enter 00 as the last two digits. If your PIN is based "word based" know its numeric equivalent. Many ATMs outside the USA have no letters to correspond with the numbers. (example: "CASH" = 2274)
Use of credit and debit cards is not recommended in a few countries due to high potential for fraudulent misuse, e.g. Nigeria. It is recommended that you consult with experts southwest airline reservations at FlyerTalk and Tripadvisor prior to using cards in certain under-developed southwest airline reservations countries.
In case of an emergency, you can use Western Union or MoneyGram to wire yourself some money using your debit or credit card (if you know the numbers). However, exorbitant fees will apply. southwest airline reservations XOOM is an excellent southwest airline reservations option for sending $$$ anywhere in the world...often within 15 minutes (if it is linked to a debit card acct with cash in it. XOOM transfers have very reasonable fees (lower than Western Union) for example: $3,000 can be sent for a $30 fee. XOOM is also very quick and easy to set up. You can use XOOM to send money to anyone or YOURSELF (like an ATM withdrawal). All the recipient has to do is show up at the the chosen southwest airline reservations bank (most banks are affiliated with XOOM) and present proper ID to pick up the $$$.
Be sure to carry some cash if you can. Many credit cards issued in Western Europe (such as France ) as well as Japan feature a chip and PIN system, where credit cards all have a chip built in and you have to type your PIN code into a reader instead of signing a receipt. All stores southwest airline reservations that display the Visa, Mastercard, or Amex logos must also accept the sign-and-swipe southwest airline reservations version of the credit cards; southwest airline reservations however, some may initially refuse to do so (be persistent, ask for the manager if necessary). With self-service vendors such gas pumps and ticket vending machines, you may be out of luck.
In many cases, the foreign transaction fees are included in the exchange rate, or purchase or withdrawal amount. They are hidden but they are in fact being charged. Foreign transaction fees are generally between 2-3 percent of the amount of your purchase. southwest airline reservations This can add up to a lot over time, so if you plan on traveling for an extended period it may be worth applying for a credit card with no foreign transaction fee before your trip. Capital One is the issuer that offers the most cards with no foreign transaction fee by far.
The exchange rate applied to a transaction is usually the rate on the transaction posting date, which can be up to 10 days after the actual transaction date. Therefore, unless currency prices are fixed, it is impossible to know exactly what exchange rate will be charged until the transaction is posted to your account.
Visa and MasterCard, the most widely accepted credit card networks worldwide, offer the best exchange rates, according to an Exchange Rate Study by CardHub.com . The study not only found that no international fee credit cards on the Visa and MasterCard networks serve as the best tools for spending money abroad, but also that they save international travelers an average of 7.9% relative to major banks and 14.7% as compared to an airport service on U.S. dollar-to-Euro exchanges. Even if one uses a credit card with the maximum 3% foreign transaction fee, he or she will still save 4.9% and 11.7% as compared to banks and airport companies, respectively.
If you are staying for a long time in a single country, you may save on fees by opening a local bank account and obtaining a local ATM card. You will usually need a local mailing address and you may need a valid residence permit.
When making point-of-sale purchases, most US-issued Visa/MC debit cards can only be used in "credit" mode (i.e., swipe-and-sign, as opposed southwest airline reservations to PIN-based "debit" mode). In addition, southwest airline reservations if you are faced with a situation where a PIN is required (such as certain unmanned train ticket southwest airline reservations kiosks in Europe), it is certainly better to use a debit card than a credit card, as PIN-based transactions with a credit card usually incur hefty cash advance fees (in addition to any foreign exchange southwest airline reservations fees).
When you are paying by Visa or Mastercard, some merchants will offer to convert your transaction into your home currency ("'Dynamic Currency Conversion'"). If this offered, you should decline it, as an exorbitant exchange rate of 7% may be c