When I worked at a ski rental shop in Breckenridge, Colorado, I witnessed many international (and some out-of-state) customers’ credit cards get declined.
Not because their credit limits were too low or because they were purchasing too much — but because they failed to set up travel notifications with their card issuers.
So now, any time I travel to a foreign country, I always set up a travel notice on my credit card beforehand.
Since I travel with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review), I create a Chase travel notice, but you can take this step with most major credit or debit cards. Here’s how.
What Is a Credit Card Travel Notice?
As a way to prevent fraud, your credit card issuer monitors your spending activity. If it notices a suspicious purchase — in an unusually large amount, or from a new location — it may decline the transaction. This could be more likely in countries where fraud is a bigger problem.
Which is why the answer to the question “Should I notify my credit card company when traveling?” is usually yes.
Although you can often get away with shopping in another state without triggering a red flag, international travel is another story.
By notifying your credit card of your travel plans, you’ll reduce the chances of getting your transaction declined in the checkout line — which, trust me, is never fun — and having to call your card issuer to verify your purchases. It’s still possible to have your purchases declined after setting a travel notice, but it’s much less likely.
How to Set Up Travel Notices for 8 Major Credit Card Issuers
Ready to create your first travel alert? While you could call your card issuer, it’s easier to do it online.
Here’s how to set up travel notices with eight different credit card issuers.
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| Card Issuer | Recommended Card Pick |
|---|---|
| Chase | Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
| American Express | The Platinum Card® from American Express |
| Capital One | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card |
| Bank of America | Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card |
| Citi | |
| Discover | Discover it® Miles |
| PNC | PNC Premier Traveler® Visa Signature® |
| Wells Fargo | Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card |
Chase travel notice
Because of the company’s abundant travel perks and partnership with the Visa network — which is widely accepted worldwide — Chase cards are a favorite among globetrotters.
You can create Chase travel notifications up to a year in advance for credit cards, and up to 14 days for debit cards. Your travel dates can span an entire year — if you’re away for longer, you’ll simply have to adjust your dates once you’re on the road. Chase will have your request on file within 24 hours from the time you submit.
To set up Chase travel notifications, you’ll need to log in to your account and click on the credit card you plan to use. Under the “Things you can do” dropdown menu on the right, you’ll see the “Travel notification” option. That will take you to your “Profile & Settings” page, where you’ll be able to create a travel alert.
Insider tip
Depending on the type of Chase account you have, the process may be slightly different for you. In any case, just look for your “Profile & Settings” page, and then look for a button to set a travel notice.
Alternatively, if you’re already outside the country, you can call Chase collect at 1-302-594-8200 to alert the issuer of your travel plans.
Setting up a travel notice with the Chase bank app
After logging in to the Chase mobile app, tap the profile icon (this should appear as the outline of a person) and select “My settings.” Choose “Travel” within the settings menu and tap “Update” near any credit or debit card products you’ll be taking.
This will allow you to enter the details for your upcoming trip, which can be edited at a later time. Saving this information will successfully set up a travel notice.
Our favorite Chase travel card: While many Chase credit cards are adventure-ready, we’d recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card for new travelers. Not only does it earn 2X Chase Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel, but you’ll also get a great introductory bonus: 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. You’ll also earn 5X Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on Lyft rides and travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer the points you earn to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs. The Sapphire Preferred has a $95 annual fee.
American Express travel notice
Surprise! You actually can’t create an Amex travel notice.
On its site, the issuer says it uses “industry-leading fraud detection capabilities” that help it recognize when you’re on the road, thereby eliminating the need to create an American Express travel notification.
The issuer does recommend you update your contact information, so it can reach you in case of any complications, and download the Amex app, so you can manage your account on the go.
Note that Amex credit cards aren’t as widely accepted across the globe. If you’re a frequent international traveler, we’d recommend looking for a card with a Visa or Mastercard logo instead because they’re accepted by most merchants.
Our favorite American Express travel card: For its $695 Rates & Fees annual fee, The Platinum Card® from American Express offers a slew of travel perks. They include extensive airport lounge access; 5X Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible flights and hotels (starting 1/1/21, on up to $500,000 spent per calendar year); and up to $200 in Uber credits per year. Its introductory bonus is Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu..
Capital One travel notice
As with Amex, there’s no need to set a travel notice for Capital One credit cards.
If you log in and click “Set Travel Notification,” you’ll be greeted by this window:
The issuer, long popular with international travelers for its lack of foreign transaction fees, says: “With the added security of your Capital One chip card, travel notifications are no longer needed on your credit card.”
It notes Capital One will cover you with its $0 fraud liability policy, and will also be on the lookout for any suspicious activity.
Our favorite Capital One travel card: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic, easy-to-use travel rewards card, offering 2X Venture miles per dollar on everything. The introductory bonus is 60,000 bonus miles for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. It comes with a $95 annual fee.
Bank of America travel notice
Ready to travel with your Bank of America card? Log in to your account, and in the menu at the top right, you’ll see “Help & Support.”
Hover over those words, and a drop-down menu will appear. Click on “Set Travel Notice” — and voila! You’ll be able to add your travel dates and destinations, as well as extra details about your trip, like any planned layovers.
Setting a travel notice with Bank of America.
Bank of America cards allow you to set travel notices up to 60 days in advance, and they can last for up to 90 days. If you’ll be traveling longer than that you’ll need to adjust your travel notice later on.
Our favorite Bank of America travel credit card: If you don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card might work for you. You’ll earn 3X points per dollar at the Bank of America travel center and 1.5X points on everything else. After you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days, you’ll earn 25,000 points — enough for a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
Citi travel notice
If you have a Citi credit card, the first step is to log in to your account.
Then you should hover over the “Services” button in the menu, and then select “Travel Services.” Next you can select “Manage Travel Notices,” before selecting the card for which you want to set a notice. Unlike some other issuers, you’ll need to set a separate notice for each card you plan to travel with.
Citi advises making sure your contact information is up to date before traveling, and also to download the Citi Mobile App to more easily monitor your account.
Here’s what setting a Citi travel notice looks like:
Setting a travel notice with Citi.
Then, once you fill out your destination and dates and verify your info, you’ll be good to go!
Our favorite Citi travel credit card: The offers a generous 3X ThankYou points per dollar on air travel and at gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels. You can earn None. There’s a None annual fee to pay for this card.
Discover travel notice
Although Discover credit cards aren’t the best for traveling internationally, as they aren’t accepted as widely as Visa or Mastercard, you should still set up a travel notice if you bring your Discover card overseas.
You can do this from your online account by selecting “Manage” at the top of your screen, then clicking “Manage Cards” and then “Register Travel.”
Setting a travel notice with Discover.
Our favorite Discover travel card: For a card with no annual fee, the Discover it® Miles isn’t a bad choice. You’ll get 1.5X miles per dollar spent on everything, with double your miles at the end of your first cardholder year.
PNC travel notice
If you have a PNC credit or debit card, the bank recommends you set up a travel notice, explaining: “You typically use your card at local merchants and online, but suddenly you’re buying tapas in Madrid or sushi in Tokyo. This unexpected activity is what triggers the alert. Although less likely, this kind of predicament also can happen when traveling domestically.”
To notify PNC, you can either call the financial institution at 1-888-PNC-BANK or set up an alert online. After logging in to your account, you’ll select: “Customer Service” –> “Account Services” –> “Debit/ATM Card Services” –> “Edit/View Preferences.”
Then, in the bottom right corner of your screen, you’ll see an option to “Notify PNC of Foreign Travel.” After filling it out with your dates, destinations, and phone number, you’ll be ready to go.
Recommended PNC travel credit card: Like the BofA card, the PNC Premier Traveler® Visa Signature® isn’t the best option out there — but it’s fine for PNC loyalists. It offers a 30,000-mile introductory bonus when you spend $3,000 in the first three billing cycles, and 2X miles per dollar spent on everything. Its $85 annual fee is waived the first year.
Wells Fargo travel notice
If you’d like to tell Wells Fargo of your travel plans, you can either call the number on the back of your card, use the bank’s mobile app, or log in to your online account.
If you choose the latter method, you’ll hover over the “Accounts” dropdown menu, then click on “Manage Cards” –> “Manage Travel Plans.” As with the other issuers, you’ll enter your dates and destinations before submitting.
Recommended Wells Fargo travel credit card: There aren’t any Wells Fargo travel cards at the moment.
Insider tip
If you’d prefer a Visa card from Wells Fargo for traveling, consider the Wells Fargo Active Cash℠ Card. It offers 2% cash back on everything you buy, with a solid introductory bonus, but it also has a foreign transaction fee.
4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Travel Credit Card
If you’re looking for another piece of plastic to add to your wallet, here are four things to consider when choosing the best travel rewards credit card:
- Foreign transaction fees: Some credit cards charge a 3% fee for making purchases in a foreign currency. If you plan to travel abroad, make sure your chosen card has no foreign transaction fees.
- Annual fees: Many of the top-tier travel rewards credit cards have hefty annual fees. But before getting scared off, see if the card offers any credits or benifits that offset it. For example, while the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a $550 annual fee, it also offers a $300 annual travel credit that applies toward flights, car rentals, and even Lyft rides.
- Rewards and perks: One of the most compelling reasons to get a travel credit card is the opportunity to earn points and miles that you can exchange for free travel. So take a look at your potential card’s introductory bonus and earning ability. You should also read the fine print to learn all about its travel perks, which might include airport lounge access or travel insurance.
- Loyalty programs: The majority of hotel chains and airlines have co-branded cards that earn additional rewards when you spend money with them. So if you are loyal to a particular brand, it’s wise to consider the co-branded options. For hotel cards, examples include the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, and The World of Hyatt Credit Card. For airline cards, you can choose from options like the United℠ Explorer Card or Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card.
Whichever card you choose, be sure to set a travel notice before you board your next train or cruise or flight — and then enjoy your vacation free of worries!
Insider tip
You don’t have to stick to “travel credit cards” just because you want to, you know, travel with your credit card. As long as you set up a travel notification when you go, you can use any card you’d like. So, in case they’re a better fit, here are links to the best cash back, balance transfer, and 0% intro APR credit cards.
