It is not required but recommended that you set up a travel alert with U.S. Bank before international travel to avoid U.S. Bank locking your account as a precautionary measure for potential fraud.
You can easily set up a travel alert via the U.S. Bank website or mobile app:
Travel Alerts via U.S. Bank Website
You can add, edit or delete your travel notification by logging into online banking and following these steps:
- Select Customer Service, then Self Service.
- Look for the “Travel Information” section at the bottom of the page, then select Travel Notification.
- Select Add a trip or if there’s a previously entered notification you want to modify, select Edit trip or Delete trip.
- Enter your trip details, then select Save.
Travel Alerts via the Mobile App
You can also set up a travel notification via the U.S. Bank mobile app by:
- Open the main menu, then click Manage cards.
- Select the card you’ll be traveling with, then Travel notification.
- Select Add trip, or if there’s a previously entered notification you want to modify, select Update trip or Delete trip.
- Enter your trip details, then click Save.
What is a Travel Notification?
A travel alert is a notification that a credit card holder sends to their card issuer to inform them about their upcoming travel plans. This alert serves to inform the company that they might see transactions from different states or countries in the coming days or weeks.
Travel alerts can be beneficial for both the cardholder and the credit card issuer. For the cardholder, setting up a travel alert can prevent any unexpected blocks on their card due to unusual activity. When a credit card issuer detects unfamiliar transactions that deviate from the customer’s typical spending patterns, they may flag it as potential fraud and temporarily freeze the card.
By notifying the financial institution ahead of time, cardholders ensure that their credit card will remain active despite any unusual spending patterns they may exhibit during their travels. This can help minimize any potential inconvenience caused by a locked card and allow the cardholder to focus on their trip without monetary disruptions.
Some credit card issuers no longer require travel alerts on their cards, as their fraud detection algorithms have become more advanced and can differentiate between legitimate and suspicious transactions.
