Post: #1

It's common advice for travelers to photocopy their credit cards (sometimes the advice says to only photocopy the backs of them) and other documents such as IDs and passports, to leave one set of copies at home and bring the other set traveling. The photocopies can be left in the hotel safe (for example) so that in the event of street robbery, you've got contact info for your credit card issuers as well as information that could help you get your IDs and passport re-issued faster.

I think only some of this advice makes sense and would like to hear if there's something I'm missing in this.

Makes sense:

-Photocopy the backs of credit cards for contact info, NOT the fronts. Or, just write down the issuer phone number for each card.
-Photocopy IDs and passports, or, just write down ID numbers.

Doesn't make sense:

-Photocopying the fronts of credit cards. This is a security risk because the photocopies can be stolen, and the credit card number plus the security code on the back (which you also photocopied) are sufficient to make online purchases.

Initially I thought that having both the credit card number and security code might make sense so that you could make online purchases (for example train tickets or airfare to come home) after your plastic was stolen, but then I realized that you'd potentially have to tell your card issuer that certain charges were fraudulent except for the ones you made after the card was stolen, in which case you didn't inform them of the theft as soon as possible. Fail (and potentially, major financial liability!)

A more general question: what's the best way to ensure a supply of funds even if your cards are stolen in a street robbery or your hotel room or hostel is robbed? The obvious solution is to have more than one credit or bank card and leave one in your hotel (or hotel safe). That way, if you're robbed in some way you still have another card.

Is there anything better than that?

Post: #2

Don't bother copying your credit cards. If the point is to be able to easily report them stolen, then either:

1. Remember your logins to the credit card websites, so you can report it online (assumes you have internet access of course).
2. Write down the international (not US) phone number for each credit card's customer service, and possibly the credit card number too. Just write it so it's not obvious on the paper. Make it look like some other number and not like "CREDIT CARD NUMBERS"
3. Keep another credit card or couple hundred US$ not on you (like at your hotel) just in case of emergency.
4. Do have a copy of your passport. 1) Carry this around instead of the real thing while walking around at night. In countries where police can just stop and ask for this, the photocopy will do and offer to go back to your hotel for the real thing if they need it. 2) The copy will make it really easy to get a temporary passport issued if your is lost/stolen (I know this one from experience).

You can also consider just not carrying any credit cards when going out at night. Just take enough cash to cover you for the night and then some, and distribute it in 2-3 pockets just to be safe. Then each day, hit up the ATM to get more cash as needed.

Post: #3

There's an app called Lemonwallet that kinda does the same thing.
http://lemon.com/

Post: #4

Why go through whole the photocopy thing?

Just scan the cards/passport and email the pictures to yourself. Or just take pictures with your smartphone and mail them to yourself. Don't even need a scanner anymore nowadays.

Post: #5

(08-06-2013 01:59 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Why go through whole the photocopy thing?

Just scan the cards/passport and email the pictures to yourself. Or just take pictures with your smartphone and mail them to yourself. Don't even need a scanner anymore nowadays.

That makes sense. It's pretty unlikely that you'd not have some kind of Internet access.

Post: #6

(08-06-2013 01:59 AM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  Why go through whole the photocopy thing?

Just scan the cards/passport and email the pictures to yourself. Or just take pictures with your smartphone and mail them to yourself. Don't even need a scanner anymore nowadays.

I agree with Neil about photoing and e-mailing important docs to yourself; however, i would suggest putting those special docs in special folders within your e-mail (or some other location) b/c frequently, I find that it is very difficult to keep this logistically sorted out and hard to find e-mails with many different important docs that I may have sent to myself several weeks or even months previously...