travel tips

Security

Security

• Check the latest travel advice for your destination. A useful site is smartraveller.gov.au
• Register your travel and contact details online or at the local Australian embassy, high commission or consulate once you arrive, so you can be contacted in an emergency.
• Obey the laws of the countries you travel to. Consular assistance cannot override local laws, even where local laws appear harsh or unjust by Australian standards.
• Check to see if you require visas for the country or countries you are visiting or transiting. Be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry.
• Make copies of your passport details, insurance policy, travellers cheques, visas and credit card numbers. Carry one copy in a separate place to the originals and leave a copy with someone at home.
• Check with health professionals for information on recommended vaccinations or other precautions and find out about overseas laws on travelling with medicines.
• Ensure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. Some countries will refuse entry on arrival and some airlines will not allow passengers to board flights if their passport does not meet this requirement.
• Leave a copy of your travel itinerary with someone at home and keep in regular contact with friends and relatives while overseas.
• Let your financial institution or credit/debit card provider know if you're going overseas for any length of time, otherwise if you use your card overseas it may be flagged as suspicious and potentially suspended - you wouldn't normally be transacting in another country.

Keep your cards safe

Keep your cards safe

You should make sure your cards are kept safe whilst you’re on holidays, just as you would when you’re at home.

• Keep your card, PIN and online banking secure code safe and secure at all times, remember your pin and do not write it down
• Register for eStatements so future statements don’t come in envelopes which means your account details can’t being intercepted at the letterbox. With eStatements, you can retrieve your current and previous statements online via Internet Banking, at a time that suits you.
• Never hand over your card where it is taken out of your sight (e.g. at restaurants)
• Carefully check ATMs for suspicious devices and select another ATM if you’re unsure
• Pay attention when making purchases - normally your card should only be swiped once, and if a transaction is cancelled or unsuccessful, ask for a copy of the cancellation
• Use Internet Banking to keep track of the transactions you’ve made, so you can quickly spot and notify us of anything out of the ordinary. If you’re not already registered, Click and we'll call you and we can register you for this facility straight away.
• also, it’s a good idea to have your mail redirected or collected whilst you’re away

Let us know

Let us know if you’re travelling overseas

If you’re lucky enough to be travelling overseas, just let us know so we can look out for unusual transactions. Let us know how long you're away for and the countries you're visiting, otherwise your card may be flagged as having suspicious transactions and be suspended until we can contact you. Remember, you can always contact us by emailing info@summerland.com.au or using the secure mail system within internet banking.

• Take contact details with you for Summerland
• Have travel insurance organised prior to going and take the details of how to contact the insurer in case you need to report an incident/make a claim. Summerland’s Travel insurance is very competitive and worth getting a comparison if you already have a quote from the travel company
• Make sure your cards won’t expire while away and contact us beforehand if they will
• Look at taking a ‘mixed wallet’ overseas – a combination of a number of ways to get foreign cash/pay for purchases. For example, it may be worthwhile taking a small amount of Australian notes and the currency of the country you’re going to, plus a Visa Debit and Summerland credit card, as well as a Cash Passport. The Cash Passport is one of the most popular ways to take your money overseas. Summerland can help you with all of these.

Pickpockets

Don’t make it easy for pickpockets

• With a bit of planning you can ensure that pickpockets and travel scams which are common overseas don’t happen to you.
• Keep card and travel document copies in Australia with a trusted relative
• Whilst Australians usually keep their wallets in their back pockets, they’re easy to pick, so use an inside pocket or hard to reach place instead
• Even consider limiting the amount of cash you require to carry on you at any one time
• With a Cash Passport, you can use it to get cash from ATMs or use to make purchases as the money is already in the currency you’re travelling to, you reduce or eliminate fees
• Only take or carry the items you really need rather than all your cards and ID
• Keep handbags and backpacks in front of you, locked if possible and never let them out of your sight.
• Keep your cards and cash in different places so you have a back-up if your pocket is picked or bags are lost or stolen
• Keep the Cash Passport backup card in a separate bag in case one is lost or stolen