Credit Card or Cash: What to Take on Vacations?

Everybody loves going away on vacations. Being able to pack up and go with your friends or family members on a wonderful trip is one of the best things that can make our life so interesting and fun. However, traveling today is a lot more complicated than it used to be. Many people feel uncertain with each departure. No matter where you are going or for how much time your trip will take, money will inevitably be the basis of any trip. What is the best way to pay the bills for meals, museum tickets, airline tickets or souvenirs?

Everybody can face with the situation when a perfect summer getaway has been planned, all necessary arrangements have been made, but you are still not certain what to take on vacations - credit cards or cash? As many experts say, it is much better to use credit cards than to carry cash. Here are some reasons why plastics will be your best travel option:

Convenience. Carrying a small piece of plastic is easier and more convenient than a big roll of cash. You don't need to hide a money belt stuffed with cash under your clothes or put several hundred dollars in your back pocket and sit on that pile of money during your flight.

Moreover, with a high limit credit card you will not get into embarrassing situation when your tab is bigger than the amount of cash you have in your wallet.

Safety. If you carry several hundred dollars, you can become vulnerable for pickpockets. Just imagine how dangerous it can be to go to a theme park with your family and pull out a bulk of cash to pay for the tickets or beverages. If the wrong person sees it, you can lose your money.

Of course, your plastic can be lost or stolen as well. However, you are only liable for $50 if you report a loss within 48 hours.

Worldwide acceptance. As many experienced travelers know, there are some strict rules for accepting US currency in many foreign countries: it must be in mint condition. If a bill has tiny tears, ink marks, a missing corner, you may have problems to pay with your cash. Also, bills printed prior to 2001 are typically not accepted.

On the contrary, MasterCard and Visa credit cards are accepted nearly everywhere around the world. You can pay with your plastics in China and France, Zimbabwe and Australia. Moreover, you don't need to worry about converting your dollars into local currency - it is done automatically.

Insurances. Credit card issuers offer their customers a lot of beneficial free insurances that will help you solve many problems. For example, you can get a refund for goods that didn't arrive, or that ended up being in poor condition. And don't worry about losing your receipts: your credit card statement reflects all your transactions.

Rewards. If you have a reward credit card, then you can earn cash back or points every time you pay with your plastic. It is an excellent opportunity to get back up to 5% of your vacation purchases.

Using a credit card with travel rewards, you can cut down your travel expenses. You will be able to accumulate points redeemable for hotel accommodation, airline tickets and other travel-related goods or services.

Now you can see the benefits of using a credit card on vacations. Having some cash is also a good idea, but for the most purchases, a credit card is the way to go.

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