Exchange rates and saving money

[wrtiii]

Very easy to eliminate this issue completely. A simple call to your credit card BEFORE you leave on your trip. Tell them what days you will be in a foreign location and to not accept any foreign charges after your date of departure.

No, really, that doesn't work. If someone is trying to run charges against your card using your card number, the company will terminate that number and reissue. They know it's a fraudulent transaction, they block it, they still cancel and reissue. Had this happen this spring. I absolutely always call and tell the card company my dates, and I only take one card with me when I travel, and it's one I don't use except when I'm traveling. And I still end up with the security dept. calling me to tell me that they think there are fraudulent transactions being entered and they're reissuing.