For many years, conventional wisdom said that if you were headed out of town, particularly to an international destination, you should notify your bank before traveling. If you didn’t, your card might be declined for suspected fraud. But in today’s age of online banking apps, smartphone payments, and sophisticated algorithms, is that outdated advice? It depends. If you plan to use a debit or credit card on your next trip, here’s what to know before you depart.

What Is a Travel Notice?

A travel notice or travel alert is a notification that a customer provides to a financial institution, outlining their upcoming travel plans. In the past, adding a travel notice to your account was the only way to ensure your bank or credit card issuer knew that any upcoming charges from a new city, state, or country were legitimate. This minimized the chances of your account being flagged for potential fraud and your card being declined.

Within the last decade, however, many major credit card issuers have dropped travel notice requirements. Technological advancements, including EMV chips and contactless credit cards, help protect cardholders’ credit card information, significantly reducing credit card fraud.

The small metallic EMV chips embedded in your card generate a unique encrypted code each time you insert your card into a reader. That means it doesn’t have to share all your information to complete the transaction, thus making your card less vulnerable to fraud. Tap-to-pay contactless cards and mobile payments also work this way.

The following major financial institutions no longer require travel notices: American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Wells Fargo, and Chase. (Citi, however, still lets customers add travel notices for select credit cards.) Instead, these companies rely on advanced technology to automatically monitor accounts and may reach out if suspicious activity is detected. If your bank or credit card issuer doesn’t require travel notices, double-check that your contact information is accurate, so your financial institution can reach you if necessary.

When a Travel Notice Is Still a Good Idea 

Travel notices aren’t completely a thing of the past. Travelers who bank with a smaller regional or local bank or credit union may need to notify their financial institution before traveling abroad. 

Smaller financial institutions may have less-advanced fraud detection technology, and if you don’t add a travel alert, an unexpected charge from overseas could trigger a freeze on your account.

This is especially true for debit cards. If you’re heading abroad and plan to use a debit card to withdraw local currency at an ATM at your destination, you should check with your bank before traveling. Unlike credit cards, debit cards are tied directly to your checking account, and a freeze on your debit card could leave you without any access to cash abroad.

Pro tip: If you’re bringing a debit card abroad, avoid using it for everyday purchases. Standard debit cards typically have a foreign transaction fee of 1% to 3%. Since this applies to every transaction made in a foreign currency, the cost can add up quickly. The best strategy is to bring a travel credit card with no foreign transaction fees for everyday purchases.

How To Add a Travel Notice to Your Account

You can notify your bank or card issuer of your travel plans by calling the number on the back of your debit or credit card. You’ll be connected with a customer service representative, and from there, you can confirm whether a travel notice is necessary and, if so, ask them to add one to your account. In some cases, you’ll be asked to provide your travel dates and a list of destinations you’ll be visiting.

Alternatively, you can add a travel notice online by logging in to your account on your bank’s or credit card’s website or mobile app. Once logged in, navigate to your account settings and look for the travel alert or travel notification section. 

If you can’t find the option in your settings, your financial institution may no longer accept travel notifications. However, you may still want to contact them directly to verify whether this is the case.

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