Plastic Safety

While credit cards are convenient when you're travelling, they also make you vulnerable to theft. Here's how to stay safe.

As plastic rapidly replaces the hassle of carrying cash, particularly when travelling, more and more people use credit cards as their sole method of payment.

But, beware. Says Jacques Celliers, CEO of FNB Credit Card, 'We tend to get carried away with the convenience of our credit cards and sometimes pay little or no attention to how we use them. Our customers need to be encouraged to use their credit cards safely, and to be extra vigilant about keeping an eye out for theft whilst travelling.'

Celliers suggests the following tips when travelling with your credit card:

• Make sure your card is always near you or in a safe place. Don't leave it in your hotel room or on the restaurant table while you visit the bathroom.

• Be vigilant about card swapping or any suspicious skimming devices at toll gates and ATMs.

• If your wallet goes missing, immediately cancel all your cards, including your petrol card.

• Register for your bank's transaction notification service so that you are kept up-to-date on what's happening with your bank account 24/7.

• When leaving an ATM or when paying with your card always make sure that you receive the correct card back.

• Try to avoid drawing cash late at night or when you are alone.

• Be aware of the daily withdrawal limits on all your accounts, and decrease your limits if you don't need them.

• When you need assistance while travelling in a foreign country or at home don't accept help from strangers - go into a branch to obtain help instead.

Author: Susan Hayden