What to do if you lose your credit card while travelling overseas

My second day in Boston had started perfectly. Faced with a free morning in the city, I took the opportunity to rent a public "Blue Bike" for $5 and explore. All it took was a swipe of my credit card, and I was away.

So, as I would realise hours later after doing the cliche pat-every-pocket-while-your-stomach-sinks, was my credit card.

On the spectrum of important items, a credit card seems relatively low. Unlike a sentimental necklace, fancy camera or passport, it's cheap to replace and easy to substitute.

However, if (like me), it's your only form of payment while overseas, things can get prickly very quickly. Not only to cover costs but security payments at hotels. Just the day prior, I'd handed over my credit card to a hotel (standard practice), and watched them place a $1400 hold on my card.

Thankfully, I was with a group who had my back for the next five days, but after that, I was on my own for two long-haul flights and a day layover in between.

Here are some things I did before travelling (and after losing my card) that saved the day.

1. Keep note of your credit card details.

Unless you have a photographic memory, a lost credit card typically means lost credit card details too, so keeping a record can be a saving grace.

As highly sensitive information, it's crucial this isn't written or typed anywhere someone could access, like a notebook or photo on your phone. Personally, I keep it on a password-protected note on my phone. This will come in handy in step number four.

2. Temporarily lock the card.

Considering how many times I've "lost" my credit card for a day, my bank's temporary lock feature is one I love. By simply hopping on the app, I could lock the card the second I realised it was lost, which means it cannot be used in-store or online. This was a huge relief as I wasn't constantly checking my account for random transactions from a stranger.

Luckily, if you have an Apple iPhone, you can use a locked card through Apple Pay. Banks typically recommend reporting and cancelling a lost card ASAP, however, I personally decided to wait a few days so I could use Apple Pay for small purchases before organising a Plan B.

3. Lean on your travel friends.

A problem shared is a problem halved as they say, and the same goes for money woes. Travel is full of trips and slips, so don't be embarrassed about a walkabout credit card.

Despite having just met my travel partners days earlier, the team rallied around and offered to lend me cash and even a debit card for the rest of the time.

4. Contact hotels ahead of time.

The biggest stressor aside from everyday purchases was how I would provide hotels with a card to charge a security deposit. This is standard practice for hotels, which "hold" a certain amount of money during your stay and then release it a few days later.

Little did I know, there was a simple solution; a hotel credit card authorisation form. You will need to contact the hotel beforehand to check if they accept this, but if they do the form allows guests who don't have a credit card but have details, to authorise a charge.

Think of it like paying the security deposit online.

5. Cancel the card.

Obviously, the final step is to contact your bank and cancel your card. Pending charges (like deposits held by hotels) will still be processed, but any automatic payments attached to the card must be updated.

As for what I'll do differently on another upcoming trip? You can bet I'll take a spare card to keep in my suitcase for emergencies and take out some cash upon arrival.