Are you gearing up for some summer travel with the family? Do you plan to use credit cards either to book your trip or to cover purchases while you’re away? Before you finalise your travel plans we have a few credit card travel tips to help you get the most out of your cards and stay safer when you’re away from home.

Here are five credit card travel tips you can consider for your summer holiday or other travel plans.

1. Book your travel and accommodation using a credit card that offers travel perks.

If you use a rewards credit card like the American Express Platinum Edge credit card, you might be eligible for free international or domestic travel insurance. That could save you a lot of money if something out of control were to go wrong and cause your trip to be cancelled.

2. Have backup funding available at all times.

If you only take a single credit card or you keep multiple credit cards together in your purse or wallet, you’re out of luck if it’s lost or stolen. You could also have a problem if your credit card is denied or simply isn’t accepted where you want to shop. So always keep backup funding with you. That includes two types of funding on-hand and keeping at least one funding source secure and separate — such as in a hotel safe.

3. Redeem frequent flyer points if you have them.

Even if you don’t have enough points to get a free flight, you might be able to put them towards other travel rewards that could save you money on your trip. Make your frequent flyer credit cards work in your favour.

4. Let your credit card company know to expect unusual charges.

If your trip-related costs will be highly unusual for your typical credit card usage habits, you might want to let your credit card company know ahead of time. Otherwise you risk having the credit card company put a hold on your account if they notice suspicious activity. You could also give them a phone number where you can be contacted on your trip if you need to be contacted about suspicious charges while you’re away.

5. Take note of contact information for your credit card companies before leaving.

Just in case your credit cards do end up lost or stolen, it’s a good idea to have a copy of your credit card companies’ contact information on-hand. Write down contact details for all credit cards you have with you and keep it in your hotel safe or another secure location with your emergency funding source.

By taking these credit card travel tips to heart, you can spend more time relaxing and enjoying your trip and less time worrying about money and credit cards.