The most common Credit cards come from Visa, Mastercard and American Express. In the meantime there are no longer any differences in the distribution between Visa and Mastercard, so that duplicate cards no longer make sense, at least for this reason. American Express is almost as popular as the two big brands. With a Diners Club, Discovery or JCB card, there is no hope of acceptance everywhere. Many credit cards are available in the versions "Standard", "Gold" and sometimes also "Platinum" or similar. The payment function is the same for the cards, only the additional services such as international health insurance, traffic legal protection and the like are rarely found with standard cards. The details can be found in the respective additional information. You have to decide for yourself whether you need a gold card or the additional services.
costs
There are annual fees for almost all credit cards. In recent years, free credit cards have also emerged, which serve the same purpose as the fee-based cards. It is recommended to get free credit cards from banks such as DKB, Comdirect and Co. These allow free money to be withdrawn from ATMs outside the EU or partly within the EU. However, paying by credit card often costs money. There are other credit cards from other providers that pay for free.
Credit cards with an annual fee and with special programs and bonuses can also make sense. One example is Miles & More. With the so-called travel hacking, some people manage to travel around the world very cheaply through various bonus programs. This usually requires precise planning and a lot of effort in the selection and use of these cards.
In addition to the annual fee, there are no other costs in Germany, but for payments in a foreign currency, a conversion fee of 1–2% of the purchase price is usually charged on the invoice (sometimes an additional foreign fee). When it comes to fees, credit card providers often differentiate between withdrawing from an ATM and paying with credit cards in a shop or on the Internet. Most offer free cash withdrawals but not free in-store or online payments. But there are also providers that do the opposite or offer both of them free of charge. These offers could quickly become out of date, so always inform yourself when applying. In addition, the fees for German credit cards are often differentiated depending on the country and region. Often the subdivision is different within Germany, within the EU and outside the EU.
In addition to annual credit card fees, there are sometimes account management fees for an additional (sometimes mandatory) current account. Foreign banks abroad often also charge additional fees when withdrawing. So-called third-party fees. These were previously set by DKB and Comdirect to the customer. Currently (March 31, 2021) this has not been the case for a long time. Personally, I would not be aware of any credit card that still offers this. I also don't have a complete overview of all credit card offers.
It is also important that the credit card or account has sufficient funds for trips lasting several months and that there is little or no interest (depending on the credit card tariff). Often this interest only accrues if the credit card bill is not paid in full after the billing period (often at the end of the month).
Due to the low interest rate phase in the EU, many credit card providers are also changing their offers and increasing their costs, so other banks may have better credit cards than the DKB and Comdirect credit cards that are often used. These can differ significantly from bank to bank. Due to the above-mentioned different costs, fees, possible uses, etc., a timely comparison and conclusion before departure is therefore important.
In some countries or if the exchange rates are poor, it can therefore be worthwhile to change cash in the respective country in exchange offices, hotels etc. and thus have a better exchange rate than on the credit card. When changing, you always have to make sure that you have actually received the amount (count after receipt) and that no counterfeit money has been handed to you. One trick of many is to take the changed money away from the customer again and to make bills disappear or to slip counterfeit money. Many tourists don't count again.
Pay
In the past, you usually paid your bill by credit card with a card and signature. Nowadays almost all cards have an EMV chip. If the POS terminal reads this instead of the magnetic stripe, a PIN request is made (depending on how the chip is programmed by the issuer) (for example, for cards from DKB, Advanzia Bank or Airplus, the issuing bank usually informs about this) . Either the billing comes at the end of the month, which is then debited from the specified account, or the amount is debited from the current account on the next banking day. Alternatively, you can agree to pay in installments with some card providers.
ATM
Modern credit cards have a PIN function. In some cases, an additional fee is charged for activating this function. This means that withdrawals can be made at ATMs anywhere in the world. Since the costs of withdrawing vary greatly depending on the provider, it is better to ask your card provider before leaving. Of course, you also have the option of withdrawing money at the bank counter if you have your PIN with you.
security
When paying larger amounts and / or abroad you have to be prepared for this in addition to the credit card and photo ID such as B. Must show identity card, passport or driver's license. A picture of the cardholder on the credit card, as some providers provide, does not help in these cases. It is important to never let your credit card out of sight and, if possible, not to give it away. It can happen that the cards are pushed through an additional device, that the data is copied and thus a duplicate of the card is made.
It is important and recommended to have credit cards from several providers Visa, Mastercard and Co. with you. This increases the choice of ATMs that can be used. Certain credit card companies are also more common in certain regions. For example, Visa is more common in Asia than Mastercard.
It is also advisable to have 2 credit cards with you if one does not work for technical reasons. Even in the case of crimes such as pickpocketing, trick theft or robbery, you should carry your credit cards and money with you in at least 2 different places for prevention. It is also important to have the blocked numbers and credit card numbers and other necessary data written down for blocking so that credit cards can be blocked quickly and securely in the event of loss, theft or robbery. You should of course also check this for your EC cards (debit cards).
limit
Every credit card has a maximum monthly amount that can be spent. This depends on income and is usually around € 2000 to € 5000 per month. In addition to this monthly maximum, there can also be a daily maximum. This can be very different. On longer trips, this amount may not be sufficient if you pay for flights, rental cars and accommodation with your credit card. You should therefore check whether the maximum amounts per day and / or month are sufficiently high. Therefore, you should speak to your provider before traveling to see if you can increase the maximum amount for a short time. In some cases you can do this during the trip. There are usually special forms / applications that you have to print out, fill out, sign and scan again and send back to your bank. This shows that you need the necessary technical equipment, for example in a hotel, as well as internet access. Alternatively, you can pay an amount into your credit card account in order to increase the limit.
Lock emergency call
In the event of loss or theft, the credit card should be blocked immediately. This is via the single emergency number 116116 (from abroad 49 116116) possible. It is also important to have the blocked numbers and credit card numbers and other necessary data written down for blocking so that credit cards can be blocked quickly and securely in the event of loss, theft or robbery. You should of course also check this for your EC cards (debit cards).
