For many people, traveling is a great way to break away from the monotony of everyday living, tough schedules, stressful work environments, noisy streets, and probably polluted air in the city.
Besides giving you a chance to explore the world, learn about new cultures, and make new friends while engaging in thrilling activities, a trip to a new (international) destination such as Tuscany or Sicily, Italy can present the perfect opportunity to relax and calm the mind.
However, proper planning is one of the most crucial determinants of how convenient, enjoyable, relaxing, and affordable your trip will be. And as you may already know, a big part of planning involves booking flights, rooms, excursions, or travel packages in advance.
If you’re among the increasing number of people who book or pay for travel online – especially after Covid-19, read on to discover why you should always use a credit card when doing so.
Benefits of Using a Credit Card When Booking Travel
Credit cards provide a myriad of advantages to the user. Some of these include:
1. Convenience:
Besides allowing you to transact online, a credit card also spares you from the agony of carrying hard cash on you. The best part is that you can book your trips, rooms, or flights right from the comfort of your office or humble abode as long as you have Wi-Fi and a connectivity device.
Especially after Covid-19 when the world was reminded that hard cash can spread germs faster, a credit card is a much more convenient and secure way to pay for your trips or other travel bookings.
2. Protection from Fraud:
One might argue that debit cards also provide convenience similar to credit cards as mentioned above. However, credit cards add an extra level of security to your transactions because; in the first place, it’s virtually “borrowed” money spent when using a credit card.
Moreover, most credit cards have a limit as to how much you can spend, and how much the card can hold. And as much as card fraud is not unheard of, reputable credit card companies may even spot a fraudulent charge on your card before you actually notice them, and this calls for caution when picking a credit card.
Choosing the Right Credit Card
Not all credit cards are the same. Some options like the SoFi credit card are actually designed to help you save, invest, and consolidate debt. These will often have lower interests, zero annual fees, and several cash-back rewards.
They are also provided by reputed and experienced issuers who’ve invested well in protecting the consumer from fraud and ensuring the user’s convenience.
3. It’s Easier to File a Chargeback Request
Chargebacks are meant to protect consumers from a wide range of issues, including fraudulent activities and wrongful charges, perhaps from transactions where the goods or services were never delivered by the merchant or provider.
Let’s take, for example, you booked a flight but canceled within the airline’s requirements, or perhaps the airline postponed the flight due to technical reasons. In most cases, the airline should give you a voucher equal to the flight value or offer a refund.
If none of that happens or the airline is unreachable/unresponsive, or they won’t agree to a refund, you can file a chargeback with the card issuer to settle the dispute if you booked using a credit card.
4. Save Money Through Rewards and Discounts
From banks to Fintech companies, and credit unions, different institutions issue credit cards to their customers these days. Well, here’s some good news for anyone traveling on a budget and who owns a credit card.
The credit card market is increasingly becoming more competitive, which is why many card issuers have partnered with airlines, travel companies, and hotels to provide offers, discounts, and lucrative travel deals to holders of their credit cards.
Most such cards let you accumulate travel miles or miles, which you can redeem for a free flight, shopping, or hotel accommodation as soon as you hit a certain milestone. If the idea of going on a free trip doesn’t sound fascinating, what does?
Finally, credit cards are globally-recognized. As long as you have a sizable balance on your credit card account, you can use it to access cash or make purchases literally anywhere around the globe where you can access the internet, an ATM, or a POS system that accepts credit cards.