3 More Tips To Protect You On Trips

In our last blog, we provided a few tips for vacationers looking to travel with their credit and debit cards. This information is equally important for both business owners and everyday consumers alike. After all, business owners are customers too! And they certainly deserve vacations. After the long winter we experienced, here in Canada, there’s no doubt you’re chomping at the bit to enjoy some warm weather. And with warm weather comes more reasons to spend money.

Even if you don’t plan on skipping town, it is likely that you’ll be out on the town more often than not. This goes for us all. So you can certainly expect a spike in business. And that means a spike in the use of credit and debit cards at your place of business. On Financial Post.com, Jonathan Chevreau writes that there are several precautions to take while using plastic to pay for purchases on vacation. In today’s blog, we’d like to review a few more that we didn’t mention last time.

Limit the number of cards and personal information you carry in your wallet or purse while traveling. In other words, walk light. That means bringing with you only the bare essentials. You may want to consider this tip for all of your valuables. Besides, do you really need that expensive watch, bracelet and necklace while you’re on the beach attempting to work on your tan? The less you carry with you, the less chance you have of losing anything.

Be aware of your surroundings when entering your Personal Identification Number. Whether you are making a purchase in a store or looking to withdraw cash at an ATM, be careful not to allow anyone to see you punching in your PIN code. This practice, as you may have realized, is one that you should implement whether you are on vacation or not. It’s just another way of keeping yourself protected from potential fraud.

Save and check all receipts against statements. This is another one of those “do this all the time” tips. To guarantee that you are only paying for what you purchase, you should make a habit of saving your receipts and comparing the transactions to those found on your credit card statements. That way, you’ll ensure that you are avoiding fraudulent charges. Too often, people don’t even check their statements and end up paying for things they never bought.

Obviously, there are a number of precautions that we can all take when using our credit and debit cards while shopping. And while these are especially important when you go out of town, you certainly don’t have to wait for your next trip to start taking such safety measures. No matter where you go, it’s important to be protective of your identity. Chevreau’s comments, however, speak to another very important point about the ways in which we spend our money.

Plastic rules. Yes, that may be a bold statement. But is it untrue? The convenience of using credit and debit cards to pay for purchases is well documented. With so many benefits to using plastic over cash, it’s very rare to come across someone who doesn’t opt to do so. As a result, it is also becoming more and more uncommon to find a merchant who doesn’t accept either credit or debit as a method of payment.

Is there any reason to remain “cash only” in 2014? We don’t think so either. If you’re looking to begin taking credit and debit cards from your customers, give Canadian POS Corporation a call at 1-877-748-2884. We offer top-notch POS terminals at the most affordable rates in our industry. As well, we insist upon providing unbeatable customer service. Take advantage of the summer rush before the summer starts and being accepting plastic today!