Money Safety Tips While Traveling

Summer officially arrives this month and many activities and events are starting to open up again. Whether you’ve been planning your vacation for months or are looking for a weekend getaway, here are a few quick tips to secure your cash and cards while you are on the road:

• Slim down your wallet. Your wallet is probably full of cards ranging from frequent-buyer punch cards to your library card. If there is a card or information in your wallet that will not be used while on vacation, take it out and leave it home. It will lighten your wallet plus if your wallet is lost or stolen, there will be fewer items to replace.
• Keep small bills in easy reach. When carrying cash, have small bills available for lower cost items like souvenirs or meals. It can be more convenient for the merchant to provide cash back at lower denominations. Additionally, showing a large amount of cash in your wallet could draw the attention of a pickpocket. 
• Divide your money. Whether you are carrying cards or cash, when possible, divide it into various safe spots. If all of your money is one place, one incident with a thief will eliminate your funds. 
• Accessorize securely. If you are back-packing or plan to spend a lot of time on your feet, take advantage of on-body storage and anti-theft bags that have features like cut-proof, steel cable reinforced shoulder straps, slash-proof fabric, and locking zippers. You can find many of these options at a local retailer or online.
• Notify your local branch. Ensure your Bank First debit and credit cards will work when traveling out of state. Call 1-844-771-9302 in advance for debit cards or contact your local Bank First office for debit or credit cards.
• Bank First Card Manager app. Our Card Manager app is an excellent tool when you travel! Card Manager is a customized CardValet app which helps you safeguard your cards from fraud. Another benefit of Card Manager is once you enable your location controls within the app, you set your debit card usage area. The “My Location” option allows in-store transactions if your mobile device and merchant locations match. The “My Regions” option allows you to set in-store transactions by region. You can even set “International” options. Learn more about the Card Manager app by watching the CardValet tutorial.