what's the best and safest way to use and access your cash?

hrmom26

hrmom26

Active Member
Original Poster
hello all, i have recently been threw what many of you have credit fraud, someone got ahold of my info off my debit card had another one made and used it out of state now i had no issues re cooping the $$ since i had never been to that state and while i was supposedly spending hundreds at a gas station in kansas i was also at the dollar tree up the tree from my house lol (several states away) so not hard to refute those charges . but the issue makes me more careful and a friend of mine recently went on vacation and used her debit card the bank froze her card when it saw out of state charges thinking her account had been hacked and she was left for a bit with no access to her money while she fought with the bank, because she was out of town it was not so easy to find a local branch to get a new card.


i usually just use my debit card, carrying cash seems scary , but i have horrors now of my card being ripped off and since i was actually in the state not being able to recoup the $$ or having the bank think i have been ripped off again because i have suspicious out of state charges and freezing my card on me since i am not getting a car finding a local branch to get another would be a huge problem

this all has me thinking what's the best and safest way to use and access your cash while on vacation?
 
LuvtheGoof

LuvtheGoof

DVC Guru
Premium Member
Most banks have a method where you let them know that you will be either vacationing or travelling to a different state for a particular set of dates, and they won't freeze your card. If you are going to take cash, then keep only what you think you would need that day on you, and leave the rest in the in-room safe. Never leave it in the open or in a drawer. If someone rips you off, there is nothing they can do, since you cannot prove how much money you had.

You might also think about getting traveler's checks as well. They would be much safer than cash.
 
T

thomas998

Well-Known Member
LuvtheGoof said:
Most banks have a method where you let them know that you will be either vacationing or travelling to a different state for a particular set of dates, and they won't freeze your card. If you are going to take cash, then keep only what you think you would need that day on you, and leave the rest in the in-room safe. Never leave it in the open or in a drawer. If someone rips you off, there is nothing they can do, since you cannot prove how much money you had.

You might also think about getting traveler's checks as well. They would be much safer than cash.
Click to expand...

Traveler's checks aren't as universal as they once were. Last time I tried to use those about 10 years ago some places wouldn't accept them. Personally I prefer using a money belt for most of the money and keeping what I think I am going to spend on a day in my front pocket. Hotel safes aren't fool proof. But a good money belt isn't noticeable so even if you were mugged they would only get the cash in your money clip or wallet.
 
Christine in NJ

Christine in NJ

Member
If your credit is still decent, apply for a credit card. Make it your credit card for this trip and this trip only. Call the company and inform them you'll be on vacation so they don't lock the account when you use it in Florida. Use it on just this trip and then stop using it. This way if it is somehow stolen, you'll be able to tell and the credit card companies are usually good about helping you if you report that it's being used fraudulently right away.

Also, if you then attach that card to your room (if you're onsite), then you don't even have to carry it, you just remember your pin for room charges and boop your magic band. All around safer than cash!
 
JIMINYCR

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
DW calls ahead and informs the bank that we will be traveling to FL and if charges appear its not fraudulent. Once she forgot to do this and we had a call to our house checking on charges, our house sitter let them know we were in WDW, and fortunately we were able to contact the bank before problems arose. It happened another time when we went to a neighboring state once to do some Christmas shopping and didnt think to call.
Before leaving for WDW I empty my wallet of any cards I know I wont be using on my trip. At WDW we pay mostly with gift cards or charge to our room. I carry my wallet with limited cash, just what I figure I'll need for the day, it is put in my front pocket where I can feel it and know its safe. The rest of my vacation cash is kept locked in the room safe.
 
FrostyNaples

FrostyNaples

Well-Known Member
People have to just stop using Debit all together. That is a DIRECT pipe to your main funds, and for many, livelihood.

I haven't used cash in ages. CC only. Payments made the day something posts. I'm on top of it, plus get the benefits of whatever promotions the card has (Disney Visa currently).

If cash is stolen, you don't get it back. If your CC is stolen, you (generally) get it back...

Speaking on broad terms here. Obviously there are independent scenarios for both sides of the argument.
 
Dwarful

Dwarful

Well-Known Member
WDW will still take travelers checks...as will most large Truck Stops. If you have AAA they can advise you on nations chain restaurants that take them as well. But as mentioned previously TC aren't as common as they used to be. We don't do CC and I don't like to use my Debit card when we are driving to WDW. So I still do the old school TC's for our trip down. I will use the debit card to put the charging on our MBs. But I do have to let the Credit Union know ahead of time for them to be active.

I do take some cash...for tips, small purchases, etc.,
 
Goofyernmost

Goofyernmost

Well-Known Member
I had a credit card that I used on a trip to Florida. I lived in Vermont at the time. I had charged close to $4000.00 for rental and misc expenses while I was there. Then I had my car decide that it didn't want to make the trip back to Vermont and I had $3500.00 in repair costs. Never heard a word from the card company. A few months later I bought a piece of furniture at home for about $400.00 and before I got home the card company had called me and asked if that was a legitimate charge. Still, I use the credit card for everything and bring around $100.00 in cash for misc. stuff. I just pay it back as soon as I get home, which really is the same thing as using a debit card.

Back in the dark ages I always used Travelers Checks, but had more cash on me. What I did was divide the entire amount by the number of pockets my wife and I had. Did the same thing with the Travelers Checks. My logic was if I run across someone good enough to pick all my pockets and all my wife's at the same time, he had earned whatever he got out of it. It just seemed that even if some were stolen, I would still have some left in one of those pockets to get me through until I could make contact with the Travelers Check people.
 
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PigletIsMyCat

PigletIsMyCat

Well-Known Member
i second the idea of if you have decent credit apply for a card. use it for this trip, pay it off when you get home. don't even bring your debit card with you. we'll be connecting a credit card to the magic bands for charging and then paying it off each night at the front desk with disney gift cards. we bring enough cash for tips and leave it locked up in the safe when we're not in the room.

i'm not worried about getting mugged at disney. i grew up in new york, weigh more than most guys i know, and my husband is a weight lifter who could bench press me.
 
MinnieM123

MinnieM123

Premium Member
I never use a debit card (connected to my bank account), for point-of-service transactions, anywhere. If I travel to Disney, I take some Disney gift cards, credit cards, and a Visa prepaid cash card, that you can buy at Walgreens and other places. You just load whatever dollar amount you want on them. That way, if the cash card is lost or stolen, at least the thieves don't have any access to my bank account. I carry a small amount of cash as well. Luckily, I've not had any problems.
 
Tom

Tom

Beta Return
Not to sound harsh, but your first step should be to find a new bank. Denying you a credit to your account when you report something as fraud is the sign of a poor bank. As long as you sign their form, attesting to the fraud claim, you should get your money back, then they close the card and issue you a new one. I've had SEVERAL cards - both debit and credit, personal and company - compromised over the past 3-4 years, and it's been a seamless process every time.

With that said, our debit cards are ONLY ever used as ATM cards - when we get cash out or make deposits at the bank. Otherwise, they go in a drawer at home.....and never on vacation. As others have said, a debit card is a direct pipeline to YOUR money. As soon as someone steals it, and uses it, you're immediately out those funds.

However, with a credit cards, it's Visa's (or whomever's) problem first. You're not out anything, except the hassle of filing the fraud complaint and getting the replacement card.

And I don't know if it's because we've had our cards long enough for them to have learned our habits, or if it's because charges at Disney don't send up red flags, but we've never had an issue when using our cards down there. And we've never called ahead to warn the bank. But again, we may be unique in that situation. We bank with Chase and all of our cards are through Chase, so their analysis machines may have "learned" our habits.

My suggestion - get a credit card. Use it, pay it off when the bill comes. You'll always be protected by Visa/Mastercard that way.
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
hrmom26 said:
hello all, i have recently been threw what many of you have credit fraud, someone got ahold of my info off my debit card had another one made and used it out of state now i had no issues re cooping the $$ since i had never been to that state and while i was supposedly spending hundreds at a gas station in kansas i was also at the dollar tree up the tree from my house lol (several states away) so not hard to refute those charges . but the issue makes me more careful and a friend of mine recently went on vacation and used her debit card the bank froze her card when it saw out of state charges thinking her account had been hacked and she was left for a bit with no access to her money while she fought with the bank, because she was out of town it was not so easy to find a local branch to get a new card.


i usually just use my debit card, carrying cash seems scary , but i have horrors now of my card being ripped off and since i was actually in the state not being able to recoup the $$ or having the bank think i have been ripped off again because i have suspicious out of state charges and freezing my card on me since i am not getting a car finding a local branch to get another would be a huge problem

this all has me thinking what's the best and safest way to use and access your cash while on vacation?
Click to expand...

The answer is - stop using a debit card as a credit card. Get a real credit card. Then fraud is painless to reverse. When you use your debit card, you tie up your actual money and any fraud issues make it painful to actually access your money or tie it up.

Unless you have such bad credit you can never get a credit card - stop using your debit card as a Visa!!

The suggestion of Disney gift cards are popular too. Honestly when I'm at Disney I don't need much more than $20-$40 in cash because everything goes on the credit card or room account.
 

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