Ykhjuy

I've been pickpocketed twice and had debit cards swallowed by ATMs twice over the past decade or so. I've also had cards expire during a long trip.

For my upcoming trip which I envision will last over one year, I just asked my bank what can be done.

They cannot give me two cards for the same account. So I can't keep a backup card safe.

In the past it took about six weeks to get my bank to replace my lost card, even though my bank (ANZ) had a branch in the country I was in (Laos).

Normally I've had a debit card and a credit card from the same bank so if I lose one I can use the other to access the account. But I can't get a credit card at the moment.

In the case of my card expiring during my trip, the best they can do is send a new card to a relative about two weeks before my card expires and I can get the new card sent out, though how easy that is depends on the country I'm in. The bank might also be able to send the new card internationally, also depending on the country.

Has anyone else here had to deal with similar circumstances before? What have you done to improve the situation?

This is a fairly simple approach, but I have a couple of different cards (including ATM/debit and credit) from different banks (which also helps with ATM compatibility issues). When I travel, I take care not to keep them all in the same place. This takes some effort to ensure they're being stored securely and don't get lost, since you're moving them around more than normal. Unless I'm the victim of a serious robbery in which everything is taken, I have an backup option if anything goes wrong.

For example, I might take a card out of my wallet and leave it in a safe at my accommodations. If pickpockets are a concern, besides taking the usual precautions (which could be anything from putting my usual wallet in my front pocket to a travel wallet on a chain to a body-worn hidden pouch), I sometimes move a card to a different part of my body or bag.

If you're doing this with ATM/debit cards, you don't necessarily need to keep a lot of money in the second account, just enough to last you for a few days until you can complete a transfer in an emergency. At least with US banks, a savings account with a lowish balance is one way to accomplish this; there usually aren't any monthly fees (though the interest is generally near-zero), and while there's a monthly transaction limit, it's sufficient for at least a few withdrawals a month.

Consider opening a second account at the same bank. Get an ATM/debit card for the second account. Carry both cards. The cost to you is whatever the bank charges to open or maintain the additional account, plus the lost interest on the money the second account. But it'll give you a second well from which to draw water.

If you are in New Zealand, Kiwibank's Loaded for Travel card might provide part of what you are looking for: it carries (some) overseas currencies natively (i.e. you load it in foreign currencies, using the exchange rate at time of load), and they give you two cards linked to the same account (you can disable one if you lose it by calling them or using the website).

From the website:

You get two Loaded™ for Travel cards – one for general use and another as a back-up.

Anecdotally, I found the web interface for loading cards to be a little difficult to use (luckily it integrates well with Kiwibank online banking so I didn't need to use the Loaded for Travel site too much, you really only need it to register your cards initially and to transfer money between different foreign currencies on the card).

You do have to live in New Zealand to register, though:

Loaded™ for Travel cards are only available for purchase by persons in New Zealand and are not offered to any person outside New Zealand (and by purchasing a Loaded™ for Travel card you represent to us that you are in New Zealand and not outside New Zealand).