AMA Insider Fall 2016 | Page 52

A F i e l d G u i d e to s n ow b i r d i n G M I G RATO RY PAT T E R N S The SouThern u.S. iS a Sunny beT, buT flock To a new SpoT for SomeThing beyond The uSual money matters long-stay vacation: You don’t have to commit to the same destination every year. Book an extended-stay holiday with aMa Travel to explore one city or country for 21 days or more. It’s a great way to live like a local, immersing yourself in regional food, fun and sights. what should i do Before what haPPens if My card Portugal: sip Vinho Verde i leave the country? is stolen or a transac- and munch on fresh fish in one of the idyllic seaside villages of the southern algarve coast. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to notify your credit card company when you’re leaving the country. No matter where in the world you use your card, fraud detection systems monitor your account at all times. tion is declined? Book with aMa: From $1,629 (plus tax), including air, 23 nights in Algarve and Lisbon australia: This spring, air Canada debuted its new direct flight from Vancouver to Brisbane—Canada’s first direct flight to the land down under. Book with aMa: From $3,149 (plus tax), including air, 21 nights on the Gold Coast Malta: Get to know one of europe’s smallest countries. This island is in the Mediterranean sea, just south of sicily. Book with aMa: From $1,599 (plus tax), including air, 21 nights at the Seashells Resort world cruise: 141 days, 35 countries, 66 cities—all aboard a luxury ship. Viking will launch a global cruise from december 2017 to May 2018. Book with aMa: From $70,799. Call a cruise specialist at 1-866-989-6594 52 Travelling with your CAA Rewards MasterCard? Pierre Dufour, vice president, cards and payment solutions at National Bank of Canada, shares his expert tips to keep your cards safe while you’re away. fall 2016 AMA InsIder really? i don’t need Call your bank immediately. You can reach National Bank at 1-888-9MY-CARD (1-888969-2273), 24/7. We accept collect calls too. Agents will either send a replacement or immediately “unfreeze” your account if a transaction is truly your own. to tell theM? Really. What you should do though is make sure your bank has your current cell phone number on file—if any fraudulent activity is detected, we’ll call you immediately to verify individual transactions. i tried Buying soMething But My card was declined. what’s uP? National Bank uses a variety of tools to analyze purchasing transactions, so that we can implement advanced fraud detection. Your account may have been temporarily frozen because we spotted a suspicious purchase. will My card Be accePted wherever i go? CAA Rewards MasterCard is accepted worldwide. If the chip-and-PIN feature— insert card, enter PIN—is not available, the magnetic strip will be. Canadian banks and credit card companies use chip-and-PIN technology, while the U.S. is currently migrating to it. Many American locations will process transactions using the swipeand-sign system. (Europe widely accepts chip-andPIN cards.) should i also carry cash? Bring some cash in the local currency for small purchases. It’s also a good idea to carry your debit card—banks will rush a replacement to you if your primary card is stolen. how can i Protect My card while i’M away? Many cards are stolen from parked vehicles, so never leave your cards in a glove compartment. Memorize your PIN and don’t write it down. If you carry both a credit and debit card, keep them in different places—if you lose your wallet, you’ll still have a card. does My card offer any travel Perks? CAA Rewards MasterCard offers baggage insurance—if luggage is lost or delayed, you can receive up to $100 per day (for up to three days). earn 1% back in reward dollars with Caa rewards MasterCard. To apply: aMarewards.ca/ Mastercard