The average cost of a 3-day trip for an
individual can be somewhere around $1300, according to Forbes. But if we break this
down, the biggest portion belongs to the flights and hotels: These are the
expenses that we cover long before the trip, via mobile or web applications,
like Booking, Kiwi, and so on. The rest of the expenses would be spent on food and
entertainment, and I am pretty sure that almost every tourist destination is
equipped with a POS terminal.
Moreover, we always keep control over our
finances via mobile apps, so it’s easy to send money while traveling, check the
budget, and so on. In other words, the age of digital communication and
interactions changes the game rules, and cash becomes a burden for tourists.
Let’s discover more about the advantages of using your card or digital wallet
while traveling.
Digital Payment Methods Are Safe
When you're traveling as a tourist, the
last thing you want is payment headaches or security risks. That's where modern
digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay provide an incredibly seamless
yet secure payment experience abroad. Although the concept of safe payment methods goes beyond digital
wallets, these applications are still significantly helpful for financial
security.
Take Apple Pay for example - that slick
technology basically turns your iPhone or Apple Watch into a mobile payment
terminal. Using advanced cryptography and tokenization, your actual card
numbers are never shared or transmitted during transactions. Instead, Apple's
secure element chip generates unique one-time codes to authenticate each
purchase.
On top of that core encryption, Apple Pay
also requires biometric authentication like Face ID or your passcode. So even
if your device is misplaced or stolen, fraudsters can't go on a shopping spree.
The payment data is effectively useless without your biological verification.
This multi-layered approach blows
outdated magnetic strip cards out of the water in terms of security for
tourists. No more stressing about RFID skimmers or other creative ways crooks
can clone your plastic overseas.
It's no wonder digital wallets like Apple
Pay are rapidly gaining steam. According to data, the number of mobile wallet
users is expected to reach 5.2 billion worldwide by 2026. As adoption
keeps climbing, paying digitally quickly becomes the default safest option
while traveling.
Go Digital and Don't Worry About
Theft
One of the biggest perks of going full
digital nomad on vacation? Kissing those cold sweats about getting mugged or
pickpocketed goodbye. Cash may be king, but it also paints a bullseye target on
tourists no matter where you roam.
Just look at the stats on theft from
tourists in bustling cities like London or Paris. Roughly 44% of visitors
reported incidents of theft, losing over €720 on average according to one
study. Crowded areas like the London Underground system and touristy locales
near the Eiffel Tower are prime hunting grounds for skilled pickpockets preying
on oblivious out-of-towners clutching wads of money.
But when you ditch physical cash
altogether in favor of cards or phone-based mobile wallets, that risk
evaporates. Skilled street crooks might be able to lift your wallet, but
without your biometrics or PIN codes, those cards and phones become worthless plastic
bricks. And if you promptly deactivate any compromised cards, you're protected
from fraud.
Crazy as it sounds, knowing the smartest ways to carry your money is the
ultimate theft deterrent for nomadic travelers exploring sketchy areas. Those
digital wallets turn into virtual safes protecting your vacation funds in a way
cash simply can't match. Who needs that anxiety putting a damper on
sightseeing?
Think About the Cashback
Many premium travel rewards cards pack
attractive cashback percentages on certain spending categories like hotels,
dining, or entertainment. In many cases, you'll rake in a smooth 3-4% cashback
on your accommodation and dining purchases both at home and abroad. The math
adds up quickly for savvy digital nomads bouncing around Airbnbs and sampling
every local culinary hot spot.
You can double-dip those rewards by using
cards that participate in partner loyalty programs too. Of course, cashback
percentages vary between specific cards and spending categories. But a little
research upfront ensures you're optimizing every overseas purchase by earning
cashback, miles, or points. Those effortless savings really start stacking up
across multiple trips or longer nomadic stints.
No matter how you slice it, embracing cashless, card-based spending as a digital nomad traveler pays off in spades. You'll enjoy superior fraud protection, and deter thieves, while simultaneously padding your potential travel rewards coffers with each swipe or mobile tap. In today's high-tech world, carrying a money clip quickly becomes the least convenient and lucrative travel option.
