12 Aug 2016

Traveling to another country? Watch out for additional credit card fees!

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

U.S. citizens should be aware of the additional fees their credit cards may rack up when used in another country (including Canada and Mexico). The two major types of fees are foreign transaction fees and currency conversion fees.

A foreign transaction fee is assessed by the credit card issuer and is usually charged as a percentage of each purchase, generally around 3%. A currency conversion fee, on the other hand, is assessed by the card’s payment processor and is, therefore, less obvious. To find out the full currency conversion fee, a traveler might have to compare their store receipt to the transaction cost on their statement.

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these additional costs. Some credit cards do not charge foreign transaction fees, and some credit card issuers pay the currency conversion fee to the payment processor for the customer. Travelers should consult their credit card company about these fees before making international purchases. And, if you will be in another country for quite a while - be sure to shop around for a "foreign-friendly" credit card before you leave!

Read the full article here:
What Is a Foreign Transaction Fee? #wanderlusting

Travel Tips

Forage for your supper - at luxury hotels

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Now you can go to luxury hotels and: forage for your supper - and cook it too!

23 Apr 2015

Traveling solo? Enjoy it!

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Does the thought of traveling alone scare you? The best ways to overcome the anxiety of traveling solo is by putting yourself out there. Whether at a hotel or restaurant, smile, be friendly, and be open to conversation.

23 Apr 2015

Don't want to iron in your hotel room? Try this.

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Yes, we all know that most all hotels have ironing boards and irons. But - who wants to iron when you can have fun?

21 Apr 2015

Do you want to open your hotel door with your smart phone?

Submitted by Wanderlust Andi

Some hotels are beginning to experiment with keyless entry into hotel rooms. The hotels outfit their doors with special technology so that guests can use smart phones to open the doors. There are some issues with this, however. The biggest problems that have cropped up so far are convenience issues and issues involving guest security.