Travel arrangements without a Credit Card.
To my horror I have discovered how difficult it is to make travel arrangements without a credit card. When you want to book accommodation, you need a credit card. When you want to book flights, you need a credit card. The list goes on and on.
This is my first time making International Travel Arrangements without a credit card. It is not by choice though! It is very difficult for business owners in Argentina to get a credit card.
When you have full-time employment it is easy but when you work for yourself – impossible. A businessman-friend of mine waited almost 10 years before his bank gave him a credit card. If I go by history then I guess it would take me another 6 years to get one!
What options do I have?
PayPal is becoming more and more popular worldwide. You can send and receive money securely. We mainly use PayPal to buy Skype credits but PayPal is widely accepted by many suppliers.
You need to look for the PayPal logo before making a payment. Sadly many businesses do not use PayPal and only accept Master-card, Visa or American Express.
PayPal charges a small commission when transferring money. Unfortunately for us the service stops there. You have to link your credit or debit card to enjoy all the benefits of extracting money. Without a credit card you can only use the basic services. It does come in handy when needed.
Ask a friend with a credit card and transfer the money back via Money-gram or Western Union. We only do this in an emergency and don`t want to abuse our friendships. Ask a friend with a credit card and transfer the money back via Money-gram or Western Union. We only do this in an emergency and don`t want to abuse our friendships.
Moneygram and Western Union are widely accepted and there are suppliers who use them. Again, this is not always the case and you need to have a look if they are included in the payment options of your supplier. Both service providers charge a small fee.
In Argentina we get by without a credit card. Many people don’t have one so we find that suppliers make it very easy for people to make payments. We use Rapipago,Pagofacil and the fairly common bank-transfer or deposit. Outside the borders of Argentina it is more complex and difficult.
Do you have a credit card? Does it make your life easier or more complex?
I am with you here.. I do not have a credit card…tried renting a car and could not do it using pay pal debit card.. they would only accept a major credit card like visa or master card.. and they would not accept CASH….how ridiculous.. I recently paid my cell phone bill and because I was paying in CASH they charged me a $5 service charge…. UUUGGGGHHHHHH…. loving you… As always…XOXOXOXO
Oh Bonnie, I didn`t even think about renting a car! It is so ridiculous…financial advisers say pay of your credit card and when you pay by cash you get penalized! What a crazy world we live in…some days I think we are only puppets in a great show.
For all of us who are trying to get loose from the devilish entrapment of credit cards, these types of things make it extremely difficult. My husband and I are following the Dave Ramsey plan and paying off debt. Once all is paid off, we will keep our cards but use them for things like this and items we will pay off monthly to keep our credit in good standing because having them without use on them is as bad as not having them in the credit scoring realm. Hang in there, I know it’s frustrating.
Hi Katie, yes it is so sad! So many times I have wished for a pre-paid credit card. No credit, just the card. But it seems to be impossible. In the mean time I will try to keep my cool and carry on struggling 🙂 Thank you for visiting.