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A few tips from past experiences…
1)
VISA Card
We highly recommend
you carry a
VISA debit card attached to a personal checking account as you travel
around the
world. In our experience this is the most reliable way to get money
overseas.
Mastercards work… SOMETIMES. American Express works… NEVER. VISA is the
most
accepted card and will give you the least trouble.
2)
ATM Symbols
When you enter a new
country, you’ll
want to stop by an ATM machine and take out cash for your personal
money. You
will want to look for an ATM with symbols that match the symbols on the
back of
your debit card. The most popular symbols are Cirrus, Interlink, Star,
and
Plus. The more symbols you have on your debit card, the more ATMs you’ll
be
able to use. If your debit card isn’t working check to make sure you are
at an
ATM with the right symbols.
3)
Daily Limits
Your ATM card comes
with a daily
limit. Most likely this is going to be an extremely high number that you
don’t
need to worry about. However, I would recommend you call your bank and
know
what your limits are each day at an ATM. If your debit card isn’t
working, the
second thing to check would be if you’ve gone over your daily limit for
money
or times used.
4)
Security Removed
Your bank account
comes with
certain fraud protection systems. As you travel to multiple countries
and use
your card, banks will suspect your card as stolen. You have to call your
bank
and tell them that you are travelling for 11 months through all kinds of
random
places. They will want to know where you are going. Some people give
them the
route and dates. Some people simply say “the whole world.� There are
pros and
cons to both approaches. If you only give them your route, you will need
to
notify your bank of any route changes or stops along the way. If you say
the
whole world then you no longer have ANY fraud protection. You choose
which way
you want to go.
5)
Credit Card for backup
Sometimes you’ll be in
a place
your debit card just isn’t working for whatever reason. It’s not a bad
idea to
have a credit card for a backup plan. It won’t be accepted with the
fruit lady
on the street, but in major cities you can get your basic needs with a
credit
card. Not necessary, but not a bad idea.
6)
Add a person you trust to your account
One of the best things
I did was
add my mom to my bank account. She could then walk into the bank and do
anything that needed to be done for me financially at that bank, no
questions
asked. It made life very hassle free. Your mom might not be the best
person to
add to your bank account, but I would recommend you add a trusted
source.
Someone who can deposit money for you, change information, and generally
take
care of anything you need. Not to mention when your mom calls and is so
sad
that she can’t send you a birthday present on the field, I will tell her
that
she should add a little cash to your personal bank account. You should
make
that a simple process!!!
7)
What if it’s stolen?
Debit cards, credit
cards, cash,
wallets, computers… all that good stuff… it gets stolen. It’s happened
multiple
times. First thing you need to know is to protect your stuff, if
someone can
see it, they can steal it. So don’t let them see it!!! Second thing you
need to
know is that it will be okay. Plenty of Racers have had their stuff
stolen and
they’ve all lived to tell the tale. If your debit or credit card gets
stolen
the VERY first thing you need to do is contact your bank or credit card
company. Any transactions that happen after it is reported will not hurt
you.
If you wait to report it… assuming it will just “turn up�… you could
find
yourself in a whole heap of trouble. In order to report your card
stolen, you
need to have the phone number available. Don’t keep that in your wallet…
it won’t
help you! I recommend you send an email to yourself with that
information. Next,
contact your financial power of attorney or the person added to your
bank
account. Let them know the situation and they can help get you a new
card.
Last, let the field support staff know. We can receive a new debit card
and
bring it to you on the field the next time coaches or staff come to
visit. We
need to know in advance that it’s coming, so please send an email and
let us
know.
