Travel season is upon us! Debit and credit cards provide a lot of convenience when traveling. Before you pack your bags and head out of town, we want to remind you of a few key travel tips to consider:
- The easiest way to protect your finances is to notify First Interstate Bank before you travel. Helpful travel details such as dates and locations of your trip help us to better monitor the activity on your accounts and prevent fraud. Contact us via phone or our Secure Messaging System:
- Phone:
- Debit or ATM Cards: 1-855-342-3400 (M-F 7:30am – 7pm and Sat 10am – 2pm MST)
- Credit Cards: 1-888-791-4071
- SMS:
- Send a message via the SMS feature available through Online Banking.
- Phone:
- You may consider placing a stop or hold on your mail to help protect you against identity theft. An overflowing mailbox may create the appearance that you’re not a home.
- Consider using a travel card, a prepaid, reloadable card you can use anywhere MasterCard is accepted.
- Pack a list of emergency phone numbers you might need while traveling. This may include the phone number of your credit card companies, doctor’s office, airline customer service, or the U.S. Embassy if you are traveling internationally.
- Carry some cash. Having some cash on hand is always a good idea in case a vendor does not accept cards or if you encounter issues with card readers.
- Check your card’s travel discounts. Many cards, even some that aren't specifically travel related, offer benefits on particular airlines, hotel chains, and more.
- If you are traveling internationally, be sure to investigate potential card fees for foreign transactions. Ask merchants if your transaction will be processed in U.S. dollars or the local currency. While it may be nice to know your exact purchase amount in U.S. dollars, you may end up paying more than you have to. Ask what the currency conversion fee is and know that you can decline that service.
By planning ahead, you can make your trip as hassle free as possible!