How to keep your money and valuables safe while travelling overseas

Whether you're planning to hit the suitcase for leisure or business, it could pay to have your wits about you as venture abroad. Knowing how to store your money and personal belongings in safe, secure, and oftentimes clever places could help you avoid the common travel risks of petty theft, robbery, or ATM tampering.

Travel preparation

1. Think about opening a savings account with incentives

If you're looking to build your savings before you travel overseas, you may want to consider opening a Qantas Points Saver. This account could be ideal if you're looking to accumulate points while you save, giving you the opportunity to exchange points for accommodation or flights on your next trip.

2. Consider taking a card

Having a credit or debit card handy may help add convenience to your trip, as it could eliminate the need for carrying large amounts of hard cash. Not only could this make your finances easier to organise, but it could also help reduce the risk of making you a target among potential pickpockets or petty thieves. You can use our mobile app to customise the controls for your Qudos debit or credit card to allow or restrict different types of transactions in Australia or overseas, or to immediately block your card if it is lost or stolen.

Our Visa Debit card has plenty of useful features that may come in handy while you travel overseas, including additional security features with Visa Secure and access to major ATM networks.

If would prefer to use a credit card instead, we have a range of credit cards that offer low fees, interest free days, rewards points and complimentary international travel insurance^{^}.

Please note that when using any of our cards overseas, you'll be charged with foreign currency transaction fees. You can learn more by reading this FAQ on our website.

3. Inform your bank of your travel plans

Before departing, it's often worth notifying your bank of your plans to travel abroad. Inform them of the dates you'll be overseas, along with the specific dates you'll be in each country, if you're planning to travel to multiple locations.

With most banks having fraud protection programs in place, your cards could then be well-monitored for any dubious or fraudulent transactions. At the same time, notifying your bank could also help you ensure that your cards aren't accidentally frozen due to “suspicious activity” overseas, allowing for smoother, more seamless transactions during your trip.

You can easily notify us of your travel plans through the app – where you're able to input your travel dates, locations, and preferred contact details while you're away.

Watch our video below on how you can set up travel notifications via the mobile app:

4. Consider getting travel insurance

In the case of emergencies, travel insurance while overseas could be well worth the investment.   The policy provides that much-needed relief for travellers in cases of significant financial loss, helping reimburse incidents from lost or delayed luggage to critical medical emergencies.

Protecting your valuables

1. Stash your money in diverse places

Rather than storing all your holiday cash in one specific location (i.e. a single wallet or safe), you may want to consider “multi-stashing” them in diverse places. These could include savvy accessories such as anti-theft travel bag, money belts, or waterproof pouches for swimming – along with more clever areas such as socks, empty sunblock bottles, and money-hiding shoes.

With your cash spread out across various hiding places, your funds are less likely to take a significant hit in the case of petty theft or a lost bag or wallet. It could also help to be generally discreet with your money in public to avoid becoming a target for potential thieves.

2. Keep your belongings close

When on the go, take care in keeping your possessions as close to you as possible. Travel gear such as belt bags or money socks are among the many accessories that help in always keeping your money and valuables on you – particularly useful amidst heavily crowded areas. When possible, you may also wish to wear any bags or pouches under your clothes for extra discretion.

Of course, be sure to never leave your bags or valuables unattended and consider keeping your wallet or physical cash in your front pockets wherever possible.

3. Use secure ATMs

“ATM skimming” is an increasingly common form of financial fraud in which ATM machines are rigged with “skimmer” devices to steal users' credit or debit card information. 

To ensure safe financial transactions while overseas, it's therefore crucial to avoid any isolated ATM machines and opt for those securely placed within trusted, highly-visible locations. These include banks, shopping centres, and hotels – places often installed with high levels of security and thus have machines less likely to have been tampered with.  

Stay safe during your travels

Knowing how and where to secure your travel belongings could help ensure smoother international trips. 

Consider getting in touch with one of your experts today to discuss the best options for your overseas travel plans.