Misplacing your wallet, or worse having it stolen on a road trip, is a sure way to destroy your getaway. But, there are steps to take in order to turn the bad situation around. Here are a few things to do if you find you’re wallet is gone, and you are far from home.
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Freeze your accounts ASAP
You should access your accounts via apps or call your financial institution’s customer service line to alert them your wallet is gone and you need to freeze your accounts. In your moment of panic, you might think canceling your accounts would be the best option. Instead, opt for locking or freezing. If you find your wallet after you’ve frozen your accounts, you can easily re-activate them. If you cancel and then you find your wallet, it will be a long process to obtain replacement cards. If your attempts to locate your wallet fail, then canceling the applicable accounts should be your next move. Start the freezing or locking process with your debit card then move onto the credit cards that have the highest spending limits, advises The Points Guy writer Chris Dong.
Be a strategic packer
Putting all your eggs in one basket, or all of your credit cards, debit cards, and business credit cards in one wallet, isn’t smart when you’re traveling. You can carry a physical card or two, but you might want to focus on your digital wallet.
“Carrying cards in your digital wallet instead of your physical one minimizes risk. It’s also more sanitary since digital wallets enable contactless payment, so you don’t have to touch anybody or anything. Though if you lose your phone, that’s another story!” Dong warns.
You also may want to stash a backup card somewhere safe. That way, if your wallet goes missing, you at least have access to one working card.
Track your wallet
A Bluetooth tracker in your wallet can help you locate a missing wallet. Unfortunately, if it’s in the hands of a thief, you’re probably out of luck of ever seeing it again.
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Hopefully, these steps will help you navigate an awful situation and help you get back to your vacation quickly.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.
