Scary thought.

[Mollysdad]

I just had my debit card rejected at the grocery store. Of course it would be Friday night.
Returning home, nothing made sense. Online, my card number was invalid, it was like I didn't exist.
After an hour on the phone with customer service (50 minutes on hold!) I discovered my card was one of many that were somehow involved in a merchant hack.
So BOA decided in my best interest to cancel my card an issue a new one. They mailed it to me, however, they didn't e-mail me or text me that this was done. (It was sitting in my pile of junk mail, I assumed it was another credit card offer.)
I had the thought about how stranded I'd be if I was touring and wasn't home to see I had a new card in the mail.
I've pretty much cut out credit cards because I don't like paying a yearly fee and not using them. Time to put that AmEX back in the billfold, I guess.

On my previous trips I'd take $500 in cash and try to keep it as a emergency fund. I'd avoid ATM's where it took your card in, and instead I'd get cash from Walmart after buying groceries. No fee, and you keep control of your card.

What do you do to protect yourself from being stranded 1000 miles from home?

____________

BTW, Kudos to Publix who let me take the groceries home if I promised to bring the money in by Monday.

[Lily&Me]

I never travel without some extra cash stashed away, in case of emergencies like this.

I also make sure my bank and credit card company have my email and cell phone addresses, and can reach me immediately if there is a question about card usage or a hacking that requires them to cancel/replace it.

I’ve had to have replacement cards overnighted to me at locations far from home, an occasional inconvenience I consider part of the privilege of travel.

It seems unusual for a bank to cancel a card and reissue without notification, so I would make sure in your settings that they have a reliable way of reaching you.

Maggie

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

. . .
It seems unusual for a bank to cancel a card and reissue without notification, so I would make sure in your settings that they have a reliable way of reaching you.

Maggie

AmEx has great settings you can toggle on for instant notification of whatever you choose. I think most cards do too. Some extra cash and a checkbook come in handy. Don’t forget extra TV and AS keys you can access if you lose a set or are locked out.

Lots of precautions to take . . .



Thank you Publix!

Peter

[DoubleR]

I normally contact our credit card companies with a high level itinerary of our trip, just so they don’t cancel the card for erratic usage. I started doing that when we went on motorcycle trips and continue to do that for trailer trips.

[McDave]

I was part of the same B of A recall that you mentioned. The card they cancelled wasn't the same one I was carrying with me on my trip, but it could have been. I have always carried only one card with me, to be safe, but now I think I’ll start carrying TWO cards with me to be safe.

[urnmor]

Most card companies have ways to notify you if you sign up for it to include text alerts or emails. Like others have said I also notify the card company when I will be out of the area so they do not shut me down.
Finally ask them if they are providing some type of free alert service. Most will provide this especially if your info may have been compromised as a result of the hack.

[hickory]

Open all my mail that comes to me.

[Al U. Minium]

BofA sent me a new company card without telling me. Then they mailed a notice about it and how to activate the new card. Guess which mailing I received and which I didn't?

Now my card is cancelled and I am waiting 20 business days for the new one...

Best thing is carry more than one card issued from more than one institution.

I will say I have been an AMEX customer for years and the one time I was stranded (in Albuquerque of all places), they actually went out of the way to help me out.

[Airtandem]

My wife and I have debit and cc thru same CU. Same acct, but when one is sacrificed , the others work.

We have had CU contact us while in line making a purchase; away from home.
mj

[xrvr]

Aftet our debit was hacked a few years ago i never ever use a debit card, only a credit card and i akways call and notify when i am going out of town to keep the card from being canceled due to unisual usage.Your crefit card is protected, most debit cards are not, you can lose money.

[MontyV]

c cards and cash. we only use debit cards overseas at banks for currency conversion. the electronic funds transfer act (debit cards) does not provide anywhere the protection you get with a c card. in our experience AMEX is the best at taking care of the customer if there is a probem. Citi bank seems to have a lot of problems. my card has been replaced 3 times in a year. but we keep it because it is the costco card.

[68 TWind]

What do you do to protect yourself from being stranded 1000 miles from home?

Cash and AMEX

[urnmor]

One other thought regarding cards this time an ATM card. After my wife was robbed a number of years back we no longer use an ATM card. If one thinks about it one only goes to an ATM machine to withdraw money. So a robber only has to stand back a ways and wait for you to walk away from the machine to rob you.

[Caffeinated]

I carry three c cards plus my debit. I mostly never use the debit card, because I don't want it being used by bad guys to get to my bank accounts. I have had c cards that were compromised, and banks cancelled them without telling me while traveling. That's why I carry three.

Mike

[Shacksman]

My wife and I carry separate, different credit cards. If one is lost the other will work

[ZOZ]

ATM or Debit Card Loss or Fraudulent Transfers.

If you report an ATM or debit card missing before someone uses it, the EFTA says you are not responsible for any unauthorized transactions. If someone uses your ATM or debit card before you report it lost or stolen, your liability depends on how quickly you report it:

If you report: Your maximum loss:

Before any unauthorized charges are made. $0.

Within 2 business days after you learn about the loss or theft. $50.

More than 2 business days after you learn about the loss or theft, but less than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you, $500.

More than 60 calendar days after your statement is sent to you. All the money taken from your ATM/debit card acount, and possibly more; for example, money in accounts linked to your debit account.

If someone makes unauthorized transactions with your debit card number, but your card is not lost, you are not liable for those transactions if you report them within 60 days of your statement being sent to you.

[ZOZ]

I only use my ATM card at my bank branch (the same one) during daylight regular business hours to obtain cash. If the machine eats my card, I can walk into my bank to get someone to it return it to me.

Before using any ATM machine, pull on the card transfer slot to see if it is phoney. Cover your hand that presses the buttons for your PIN with the other hand. Wipe the buttons when you're done.

Buttons can reveal numbers pressed via infrared sources, so press more buttons than the PIN number amount after the transaction.

Use a credit card instead of an ATM card to limit your loss liability or....

Buy a VISA gift card pre-loaded with set amount of spending money.

Carry at least two credit cards and cash with you.

The back of the credit cards have a 800 number you can call to have a replacement CC overnighted to you. Record those numbers aside.

[Bill M.]

I have not seen my mail for 3 months now. Have been locked out of some of my card accounts but they will mail me a new password. Be interesting to see what is there when I get home. Son did open one important piece and scanned it to me. But there is so much junk even from the companies we already do business with it is hard to tell the chaff from the seeds.

[brick1]

Amex has top notch customer service.
brick

[markuscis]

When I go on a week or more vacation 4 cc cards, 4 atm cards(rarely use them) 4 different bank accountaccounts, $1000 in emergency cash, all the above split into two wallets and a hidden location, don't have an AS yet but looking