10 things you shouldn't do on holiday

Here's how to shop safely while travelling.

Scandinavians are travelling as never before, and we love lazy days on holiday and good times with family. Most people want to indulge themselves a little extra during the holiday and usually loosen up on tight everyday budgets.

With a credit card, you can take out money as needed during the holiday. Indeed, you should actually pay all holiday expenses with a credit card, as this is the most secure payment method abroad. It is, in fact, extra important to shop safely when you travel beyond the Norwegian border.

Here are some simple tips for safe card use:

1) Prepare yourself before departure
Check the expiry date for the credit card. Make a copy of the card and your passport, and keep the copies in a separate and secure location. Write down telephone numbers you will have to ring if you lose your credit card or have it stolen.

2) Don't have your wallet in your back pocket
Tourists attract itchy-fingered pickpockets. Keep your wallet in a safe place during the entire trip, preferably in a money belt. Then you will avoid losing all means of payment if someone runs off with your handbag while checking in at the airport or at the bus stop.

3) Don't bet everything on one card 
Don't go on holiday with your card and cash in the same place. If you lose the hand luggage or suitcase where the card is being kept, then you will have a big problem. Always keep a credit card in your hand luggage and a reserve card in your suitcase. Then you will avoid losing everything simultaneously.

4) Put the card back 
It's easy to be a little distracted once you arrive at your destination. If you take the card out of your wallet to pay for something and then toss the card back in your handbag or loosely in your pocket, it's easy for others to get hold of the card without you noticing it. Always remember to put the card back in your wallet after use!

5) Buy with a credit card 
The safest thing is to use a credit card when purchasing abroad, instead of a debit card. Then you avoid having your account emptied in a few minutes if someone steals the card or gets hold of the card information.

6) Accompany the server 
Never let the server take the card behind the counter and away from where you are located. Instead, go with the server over to the payment terminal if it is somewhere else on the premises. That way you can make sure the whole time that no one misuses the card or the card information.

7) Check the receipt 
You are responsible for the entire amount of the purchase, and therefore it is important to check that the receipt is right. Check that the total amount is filled out before you pay. Then you avoid unpleasant surprises afterwards.

8) Avoid having loose cards in the hotel room 
If you leave the card in your hotel room, you should avoid tossing it on the night stand or other unsafe locations. Use a safe deposit box or safe.

9) Save receipts 
Keep all receipts when you are shopping or out eating. Then you can check these against the account statement and bill when you come home.

10) Don't write down PIN codes 
If you are going to take out local currency from an automated teller machine on the trip, you should have learned the PIN code by heart. A slip with written codes can easily come into the wrong hands.

Be alert - en route and afterwards!
Take care that no one is watching you when you take out money. Don't wave the card and money around either, when you are done with a cash withdrawal. It can be tempting for pickpockets.

Remember that you can check all fees that are charged to the credit card after the holiday is over. Check that the amounts are correct on the bill before you pay it. If you find something that looks strange, or you have been charged too much, contact the card issuer.