Few people think of taking this step, which is strongly recommended by banks for all your trips outside France.
Whether you are a beginner adventurer or a seasoned backpacker, no one is safe from one day experiencing a hassle while traveling. For example, you may encounter a problem with your bank card. Imagine yourself faced with an ATM who refuses to give you cash or a blocked card for no apparent reason while you are away from home. Without a solution to pay for a restaurant or pay for a hotel room, you will agree, this can quickly become problematic.
To prevent this type of problem, there is a precaution to take before leaving on a trip. It’s a reflex that few people have, and yet it can save you from finding yourself in an embarrassing situation. Banks also recommend it to all their customers who travel outside France (in Europe or internationally). This simply involves telling your banker the dates of your stay so that he can enter them electronically in your file. An approach which prevents your card from being automatically blocked in the event of suspicious bank transactions abroad.
Indeed, we don’t always think about it, but if you withdraw money one day in Marseille, and the next day you make a payment in Paris, then the same evening in Tunisia for example, your bank may think that you are the victim of fraud. While this type of situation can happen to anyone, especially when traveling with a stopover for example or when you multiply destinations to pay less for the journey. As a precaution, the bank may nevertheless have to block your bank card (to protect you). Result: you find yourself overnight without means of payment.
And you only need to be in a country where there is a significant time difference for the situation to last a long time, since your banking establishment will be closed. In any case, please note that if you want to enter the dates of your trip, you can in principle do so directly in your bank’s customer area, or you can also contact your advisor to notify you.