Dear Client,

Are you travelling abroad on holiday or on a business trip? We have several tips and pieces of advice for you on how to safely use your payment card.

Correct use of your cards abroad will save you money on fees.

We are offering you tips and advice on how to safely withdraw money from an ATM, pay at a merchant and reserve a car without any problems.

1. Travel insurance with your card and Personal Belongings Insurance SAFE:

• Our bank offers the option of short-term and long-term travel insurance with your payment card. Take advantage of these offers, which relate not only to you, but also to your family members (spouse, children).
• You can find all essential information about travel insurance on the website HERE.
• For your greater peace of mind, we also offer SAFE payment card and personal belongings insurance, which includes coverage for cash, mobile phone, keys, and documents, as well as protection for online purchases. More information can be found HERE.

2. Withdrawals from ATMs:

• If the ATM offers settlement of a withdrawal in the currency of your card, always choose settlement in the local currency, i.e. when withdrawing cash abroad, always choose the option of withdrawal without conversion.
• If the operator of the ATM network abroad charges a fee for cash withdrawals, it should inform you of such fee and its amount before confirming the transaction.
• When abroad, it is preferable to withdraw cash from UniCredit Bank ATMs, where no operator fee is charged; however, DCC may be offered and can be declined, or use ATMs with a foreign bank’s logo. ATMs without a bank logo usually have a less favorable exchange rate.
• If a problem occurs when withdrawing cash from a foreign ATM and the card and its limits are in order, this may involve a restriction set by the operator of the foreign ATM. In this case, you should look for an ATM of another bank.

TIP: If the chosen ATM does not accept your card, look for an ATM in a different banking network.

3. Payments at merchants:

• If the merchant’s terminal offers settlement of the transaction in the currency of your card or in the local currency, always choose settlement in the local currency in order to avoid an unfavourable conversion rate.
• When paying, always hold on to your card and execute payments by placing the card near the reader or inserting it into the terminal.

When making card payments in a foreign currency, a different exchange rate may be applied depending on the type of card:

• For credit cards, transactions are converted using the exchange rate of the card scheme (e.g. Visa or Mastercard), applicable at the time the transaction is settled.
• For debit cards, the conversion follows the conditions set by our bank – detailed information about the applied exchange rate can be found in our terms and conditions or on our website.

This information is particularly important when paying abroad or on foreign-currency e-shops, where the final amount in CZK may vary depending on the exchange rate used.

If you would like to verify a specific exchange rate or need more information, we recommend checking the terms and conditions or contacting our Infoline – we will be happy to assist you.

TIP: Before you go on holiday, check your card limits (contactless payment limit, limit for payments at merchants and ATM withdrawal limit). You can change your limits in your Smart Banking (free of charge), on the Infoline at +420 221 210 031 or at one of our branches (for a fee).

4. Frequent travel abroad / long-term stay abroad:

• Before travelling abroad, we recommend that you open a foreign currency account in the currency of the country you are travelling to and request that your debit card (which you normally use for CZK) be linked to the new foreign currency account. Payments will then be debited automatically from the foreign currency account and therefore without the need for conversion. Don’t forget to fund this foreign currency account with a sufficiently large amount.

5. Add Your Card to Google Pay / Apple Pay

• Want to keep your card with you at all times? Save its virtual version to your Google Pay or Apple Pay wallet and enjoy convenient payments with your smartphone or smartwatch. More detailed information about the virtual card can be found HERE.
• Before you travel, make sure that these services are supported in your destination country.
• Find everything about Google Pay payments HERE.
• Find everything about Apple Pay payments HERE.

6. Card & PIN code blocking:

• For short-term blocking, you can use the service in Smart Banking, which will enable you to temporarily block your payment card without a fee.
• If your card is lost/stolen, we recommend that you permanently block it as soon as possible via the Infoline at +420 221 210 031..
• If your PIN code is entered incorrectly three consecutive times, it will be blocked.
• In such a case, contact the Infoline as soon as possible. An operator will advise you on how to correctly unblock your PIN.

7. Changing your PIN code via an ATM abroad:

• We do not recommend changing your PIN code via an ATM abroad.
• Most ATMs abroad do not support this service.
• Most domestic ATMs do not support changing the PIN code of a customer of a different bank.

TIP: If you have forgotten your PIN or you want to verify it, we recommend using the PIN display service in Smart Banking, which is free of charge.

8. Card Limit change:

• Do you not use your card online every day? Then we recommend disabling online payments or significantly lowering limits in the Smart Banking app. You can re-enable payments anytime.
• Think carefully about your withdrawal and payment limits. Do not set them unnecessarily high—adjust them to your usual daily needs. You can easily increase them if needed.
• Another security measure is enabling notifications for outgoing payments. You can choose the threshold amount (e.g., from CZK 1,000).

9. Card seizure at an ATM abroad:

• Contact the UniCredit Bank Infoline and request blocking and reissuance of the card.

TIP: When travelling abroad, we recommend that you have at least two cards with you.

10. Using your card to reserve a car:

• Before travelling abroad, verify the possibility of reserving a car and the acceptance of individual types of cards at the particular car-rental agency.
• The merchant has the right to refuse acceptance of the types of card’s that are not supported by the merchant’s terminal.
• If the terms and conditions for reserving a car are not fulfilled, the bank shall not be responsible for the non-acceptance of a card.

Before you travel, we also recommend that you read the Ten Financial Tips for Travellers.