Credit card I used to book holiday expires the same month I'm there - is this a problem?

March 22, 2009 2:31 PM

I have booked flights and hotels with a credit card that expires the same month as my holiday. Is this a problem?

The credit card is a Visa which expires in June, the same month I'll be away. Will this be an issue with the hotels or airlines I have booked with? Should I just take this card with me for ID and my new card to book stuff with? If it's a problem, what can I do?

posted by anonymous to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

Probably not. The card won't expire until the last day of the month, and you should be getting your new card in the mail any day now. All you need to bring is your new card, as the people running it will care less about whether it matches their records than if it matches the credit card company's.

Worst thing that happens is that you get a call saying your expiration date is wrong and you give them the new one. You can probably do this pre-emptively once you get your card by calling your various travel providers, but I wouldn't bother.

While we're on the subject, it'd probably be worth calling your card provider and telling them you're going to be taking a vacation. Many companies automatically block transactions which depart from your normal routine after the first few. It's actually decently effective at preventing identity theft. I've had one of my cards shut down within minutes while buying parts for a computer, as the card company saw six-odd transactions from all over the country all at the same time and assumed something fishy was going on. All you need to do to avoid this is to let them know ahead of time where you'll be going so you don't get your card shut off when you get flagged.
posted by valkyryn at 2:38 PM on March 22

This has happened to me. It wasn't a problem.
1. The flight is already paid for before you take off, so don't worry about that. But take the old card with you for ID purposes when you check in.
2. Your old card will reserve the hotel space, but you can easily pay with your new card when you arrive.
3. Make sure to register your new Visa before you leave.
posted by meerkatty at 2:38 PM on March 22

It should be fine. Bring the new card, and explain to them that the expiration date has changed. The number on your new card will be the same.

The airline has already charged the flight, right? So all they care about at this point is making sure that you're the person who was booked to be on the flights. And for hotels, they usually don't actually charge the card until check-in/check out.

AND, if your card says "exp: 6/09", it's the end of June.

I've even booked hotels with one card, and when I checked in, said "oh, I'd like to charge it to this card instead" and it's been a non-issue.
posted by AlisonM at 2:39 PM on March 22

I am assuming the charges have already gone through for the plane tickets (though it's not clear from your wording, and since this is anonymous, you'll have to contact a moderator to clarify if that's not the case); if so, that shouldn't be a problem.

As for the hotels: well, as long as you complete your stay within the same month your CC expires, you should be fine as well -- i.e., if your CC expires in June 2009, it doesn't expire on June 1; you can actually use it all the way through to June 30. Additionally, you can change which card you'd like the final charges put on once you check in. When you arrive, all you have to do is give them the new card.
posted by scody at 2:43 PM on March 22

You can also call the credit card company and request a new card to be sent earlier. They seem to do it a month or two in advance if requested.
posted by barnone at 2:49 PM on March 22

What Valkyryn said. Credit card issuers and banks very often block transactions that don't match your pattern. That includes the location of the transaction and the dollar amount.

E.g., you go overseas and check into the hotel where you plan to spend the week. They run your card and attempt to block out $2000. Your bank thinks you are back home, that someone has stolen your card and gone on a trip with it. So, they block the transaction.

Contact each card issuer -- including that of your ATM cards -- and tell them where you are going and when. That's especially true if you are going out of the country, where blocked cards can leave you stranded with no cash and no way to get any.

Card issuers typically have toll-free numbers to call if a problem arises: Blocked transaction, locked card, etc. Those numbers are often on the back of the card, so write them down -- along with your account numbers -- rpt -- along with the account numbers and carry them away from your cards, i.e., not in your wallet. You'll probably have to contact the card issuer for their international toll free number.

Also, if you're going overseas, ask the card issuers if they are able to wire emergency funds to a bank that's accessible by you. It might be a cash advance or a transfer from one account to another, but the ability to call a toll-free number and have funds wired to a bank in the same city can be very useful if a pickpocket or a thief leaves your cardless and cashless.
posted by justcorbly at 3:40 PM on March 22

1. The flight is already paid for before you take off, so don't worry about that. But take the old card with you for ID purposes when you check in.

I'm pretty sure the electronic kiosks only read your name off of your card. That's why you can use any credit card, your driver's license or your passport for this.

Activate the new one when you get it, toss the old one, and you'll be fine.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 5:01 PM on March 22