Cash money

[tvguy]

In addition to cash I would say to make sure that you have more than one CC. Also you might consider telling the CC company to put a note on your account informing the Fraud Dept. that you will be in travel status. With all the fraud around CC companies are quick to turn off the CC if a charge looks suspicious or out of the ordinary. I once found out while waiting to board our cruise at port Canaveral that my credit card was shut off. When I called the CC company it was because I used the card to get gas on Disney World property and they sent a charge of one dollar through to verify the card was good. That caused the CC company to shut the card off.

That is something I am thinking about. I only have one credit card. I did briefly have a second one when I was considering changing banks, but closed it out after a year. At the time my kids were starting college and I didn't want that second credit cards credit limit to make it harder for me to get Parent Loans for my kids college. That is another reason I carry plenty of cash (actually, half of it is in Travelers Checks).

 

[insureman]

That is something I am thinking about. I only have one credit card. I did briefly have a second one when I was considering changing banks, but closed it out after a year. At the time my kids were starting college and I didn't want that second credit cards credit limit to make it harder for me to get Parent Loans for my kids college. That is another reason I carry plenty of cash (actually, half of it is in Travelers Checks).

Ha . Now you're dating yourself for using Travelrs checks and me for knowing what Travelers checks are.

 

[tvguy]

Ha . Now you're dating yourself for using Travelrs checks and me for knowing what Travelers checks are.

Still around. My travel money plans include a credit card, cash and travelers checks. DCL still takes them at Guest Services.

 

[insureman]

Still around. My travel money plans include a credit card, cash and travelers checks. DCL still takes them at Guest Services.

You'll appreciate this old Karl Malden commercial. Don't leave home without them.

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

We have a restaurant like that in our town also. Maybe a tax avoiding situation.

I'd also be wary of any of those private ATM's. I used my debit card 2 times in the past year at places other than my bank ATM. One was at Lowe's when I forgot my credit card in my jacket pocket...and the other was at a nail salon I took my daughter to for a fix while we were out of town back in August. Someone in Brazil was trying to make some charges the other night.

 

[AquaDame]

In addition to cash I would say to make sure that you have more than one CC. Also you might consider telling the CC company to put a note on your account informing the Fraud Dept. that you will be in travel status. With all the fraud around CC companies are quick to turn off the CC if a charge looks suspicious or out of the ordinary. I once found out while waiting to board our cruise at port Canaveral that my credit card was shut off. When I called the CC company it was because I used the card to get gas on Disney World property and they sent a charge of one dollar through to verify the card was good. That caused the CC company to shut the card off.

FWIW I ran into trouble with this for the first time last month... I couldnt find where to put a notice on my Bank of America card, so I called them. The phone tree said you don't need to, and hung up on me. Not satisified I called back and lied on the tree until I got a person. She reiterated that for security they no longer will put on travel notices since people may know when you travel and use that to their advantage. If there is an issue they'll text or call you to verify the charge is legit. I then asked how that would work since I was going to a foreign country and would not have cell service, and she said I could call THEM if it was blocked and they would remove it... which in my case also wouldn't have worked since there are no phone lines on the boat I was traveling on. She then told me to take another bank's card which I thought was kind of funny...

 

[tvguy]

FWIW I ran into trouble with this for the first time last month... I couldnt find where to put a notice on my Bank of America card, so I called them. The phone tree said you don't need to, and hung up on me. Not satisified I called back and lied on the tree until I got a person. She reiterated that for security they no longer will put on travel notices since people may know when you travel and use that to their advantage. If there is an issue they'll text or call you to verify the charge is legit. I then asked how that would work since I was going to a foreign country and would not have cell service, and she said I could call THEM if it was blocked and they would remove it... which in my case also wouldn't have worked since there are no phone lines on the boat I was traveling on. She then told me to take another bank's card which I thought was kind of funny...

Just asking, you were on a boat or a cruise ship? I ask because it seems an awful lot of folks don't see to realize that on almost every cruise ship there is a phone in your stateroom that can call anywhere in the world. Not cheaply, but it is available.

 

[AquaDame]

Just asking, you were on a boat or a cruise ship? I ask because it seems an awful lot of folks don't see to realize that on almost every cruise ship there is a phone in your stateroom that can call anywhere in the world. Not cheaply, but it is available.

I think its classified as an expedition yacht (1st class, not luxury). There really truly was no phone aboard - if we needed to contact someone the captain would need to use the radio. We bought sim cards to use for our cell phones, but only had signal for a couple hours on the days we were closest to the inhabited islands. I guess maybe the tiny shops when we were ashore would let us use their phones to call the US... er yeah probably not.

 

[insureman]

FWIW I ran into trouble with this for the first time last month... I couldnt find where to put a notice on my Bank of America card, so I called them. The phone tree said you don't need to, and hung up on me. Not satisified I called back and lied on the tree until I got a person. She reiterated that for security they no longer will put on travel notices since people may know when you travel and use that to their advantage. If there is an issue they'll text or call you to verify the charge is legit. I then asked how that would work since I was going to a foreign country and would not have cell service, and she said I could call THEM if it was blocked and they would remove it... which in my case also wouldn't have worked since there are no phone lines on the boat I was traveling on. She then told me to take another bank's card which I thought was kind of funny...

My USAA card only wanted to know that I was traveling with no details. My credit union debit card wanted to know the cities, country and ship I was going on. Go figure.

 

[Husker Mike]

Why should cash customers have to pay 3% more to cover expenses of freeloading credit card users?

Because cash can wind up in the pockets of employees or accidentally given to customers as too much change. There actually are many businesses that are going cashless to eliminate the need to handle cash. (Try buying a beverage on your next flight, for example...)

 

[tvguy]

Because cash can wind up in the pockets of employees or accidentally given to customers as too much change. There actually are many businesses that are going cashless to eliminate the need to handle cash. (Try buying a beverage on your next flight, for example...)

Flights make sense. But actually the trend is the other way among small businesses. They are fed up with fees.

 

[Jasperann]

In addition to cash I would say to make sure that you have more than one CC. Also you might consider telling the CC company to put a note on your account informing the Fraud Dept. that you will be in travel status. With all the fraud around CC companies are quick to turn off the CC if a charge looks suspicious or out of the ordinary. I once found out while waiting to board our cruise at port Canaveral that my credit card was shut off. When I called the CC company it was because I used the card to get gas on Disney World property and they sent a charge of one dollar through to verify the card was good. That caused the CC company to shut the card off.

That sounds more like your credit card requires the chip to be used and the gas station you used the chip reader wasn't working. The cards at my work do that too. It is always because the card was swiped and not chip read.

 

[Akck]

Over the past 6 months, I’ve had one credit card compromised 3 times, twice for me and once for my wife. It was our Costco card and I thought it had been compromised on a trip where I was helping a son move. Later, my wife’s card (different CC#), had a fraudulent charge and then my new card had one. I suspect the CC company may have been breached. The worst part was the first one happened while we were traveling and the last one happened just before a trip. Having a second card was a necessity.

As for cash, figure out what you might need and add 25-50% more. Get it in $5’s and $10’s. You don’t use as many $1’s as you used to, mainly because as tips inflate from $3 to $4, you just use a $5 bill because $1 bills take up too much room in your wallet.

 

[MillauFr]

Why should cash customers have to pay 3% more to cover expenses of freeloading credit card users?

Cash users need to pay more. I want my discounts

 

[MillauFr]

Flights make sense. But actually the trend is the other way among small businesses. They are fed up with fees.

They need to use a different credit card processor then

 

[tvguy]

Cash users need to pay more. I want my discounts

Sorry, but you have to pay your own way if you use plastic.

 

[tvguy]

They need to use a different credit card processor then

Are there any that don't charge fees?

 

[dwg]

I am seeing more and more small businesses (primarily local pizza shops and restaurants) charge a fee for using credit cards to offset their fees. I learned to always ask in advance because some shops did not let you know when you used the CC you were being charged the fee even though in NJ they are required to tell you. I try to use cash in shops that charge a CC transaction fee.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

A stack of singles for tips for room service, extra cash as a a supplement to the suggested tips to servers and room stewards, and extra cash for tipping porters at the port and drivers and guides on excursions.

 

[tvguy]

If you don't mind me asking why all that cash?

Thought of you today when I saw coverage of the situation with Russia and concerns that they could launch a cyber attack on our financial systems. The suggestion, Americans might want to keep enough cash (or extra cash) on hand to cover a few weeks expenses in case something happens. Sort of like the whole Y2K situation, where ATM cash withdrawals hit record levels in the final weeks of 1999.