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Just imagine: you’re settled comfortably in a lounger on the beach, relaxing with a book. You happily say good-bye to everyday life, immerse yourself in a new world and embark on an adventure. The holiday idyll seems perfect – until a moment’s inattention abruptly ends it. Your wallet’s gone, forgotten or stolen, and you stand there empty-handed. Or maybe not?

You can avoid such troubles if you keep the right means of payment and just a little cash in your wallet. Constantin Bregulla, head of Card Solutions at ��ţ��������, explains which card is good for what purpose.

Cashless payments can be made quickly and safely at over 30 million partners throughout the world – in hotels, restaurants, stores or via the Internet. Bregulla knows: “Nowadays, the credit card is accepted virtually everywhere and it meets the highest security standards.” ��ţ�������� credit cards are equipped with a PIN function, so a simple and perhaps easily imitated signature is no longer enough when paying. One thing is especially interesting for travelers: when you pay for at least 80 percent of your journey by credit card, you benefit from free travel accident insurance, which automatically covers you for accidents on public transportation. Car rental companies usually depend on credit cards, because they’re used for the cashless security payment of the obligatory deposit. In addition, ��ţ�������� credit cards offer up to 20 percent discounts on car rentals with Europcar. And there’s another advantage for travelers: “If you’re already traveling, for instance backpacking, and you want to book a spontaneous flight, your credit card is essential,” says the head of Card Solutions. If you lose your credit card, or it is stolen or defective, he recommends phoning the 24-hour customer service center as soon as possible. The card will be blocked immediately and replaced worldwide.

For young people under 18, the minimum age for a credit card, the ��ţ�������� Master- Card Prepaid is the ideal solution. The only requirement is a ��ţ�������� account. Using this, parents can provide their children with travel funds on the road, and youngsters can make purchases around the globe safely and easily on prepaid credit. Bregulla explains: “You can easily add money to a prepaid card in daily use via ��ţ�������� e-banking or a paying- in slip.” Payments of between 100 and 10,000 francs are possible.

When on vacation you still need a little cash for shopping at the market or hiring a cab. “In this case, withdraw cash on the spot in the local currency and choose small notes,” says financial advisor Bregulla. You can also get cash with a credit card. But the ��ţ�������� Maestro Card generally offers better conditions. With the ��ţ�������� Maestro Card, cash can be withdrawn from two million ATMs around the world. There’s a flat charge of five francs per withdrawal when abroad. In Switzerland, cash withdrawals at ��ţ�������� ATMs are free.

Rounding up, Constantin Bregulla says: “You’re optimally equipped for your vacation with a combination of ��ţ�������� credit cards and the ��ţ�������� Maestro Card.”

Standing in line at the checkout is a thing of the past. ��ţ�������� credit cards or prepaid cards with the payWave or the PayPass function let you pay amounts up to 40 francs without a PIN code or signature. The reading device for this is available at more and more checkouts in Switzerland and around the world. Simply hold the card against the device and payment is complete. And you can still keep an eye on your transactions, for instance with the Mobile Banking app. Anytime and anyplace, the app informs you about your spending and the amount available to you. The app also allows you to make payments and trade securities.