SDFCU : Services: Planning a Trip Overseas?

We serve members overseas better than anyone else! We've got everything you need to ensure the financial side of your trip goes off without a hitch.

Click on one of the links below for more information:

Foreign Currency Exchange

Foreign Transaction (FT) Fee

Checking Your Account and Paying Your Bills While Overseas

Need Cash? Using Your Visa Check Card Overseas

Create or Update Your Power of Attorney

Put Your Valuables in a Safe Deposit Box

Travellers Cheques

Wire Transfers

Credit Card and Check Card Restrictions

Tips Before You Go

Foreign Currency Exchange

State Department Federal Credit Union takes pride in offering you the most convenient, safest and secure method of purchasing foreign currency for 100+ countries and American Express Travelers Cheques in 17 countries without paying exorbitant fees found in airports, hotels and currency exchange outlets found throughout the world.

Click here to buy foreign currency today!

Here's What You Get:

Go prepared!
Unsure how much foreign currency you'll need...with Currency Price Protection you can now purchase up to $2,500 USD of most foreign currencies and return any amount at the same exchange rate as originally purchased.
Don't miss the train while you are waiting in long lines after a long overnight flight.
Avoid unnecessary fees and inflated exchange rates in airports, hotels and banks.
Email Reminder - not ready to buy today? Just complete the template and we will send you a reminder timed 30 days prior to your departure.

Visa Foreign Transaction (FT) Fee
Currently, a line entitled, "ATM FEE" or "FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE" appears when foreign currency transactions are made.

In simple terms, an FT fee is a foreign transaction fee that is passed through to you. This fee is NOT a new fee, but changes with card company regulations now require it to be disclosed separately on your statement. For many years this fee was included in the exchange rate by Visa as part of the total transaction amount. Since all transactions on U.S. issued credit and check cards are posted in U.S. dollars, Visa convert any foreign purchase amount into U.S. dollars and charge a foreign transaction fee for doing so.

In our case, Visa charge a 1% fee for foreign transactions made with your SDFCU Credit and Check cards for currency conversion, while other card issuers charge as much as 3%.

Using your SDFCU Credit and Check Card for overseas transactions offers you the best value for your money!

How SDFCU compares against the competition.*

	SDFCU Visa Platinum	Chase Visa Credit Card	Citibank PremierPass
FT Fee Charged?	Yes	Yes	Yes
% of Transaction	1%	3%	3%

*Comparison information collected from www.chase.com and www.citibank.com, as of 05/21/08.

Click here for a list of frequently asked questions about the FT Fee.

Checking Your Account and Paying Your Bills While Overseas
Wherever you are, you have access to your accounts and a range of services using any PC or with a simple toll call.

SDFCU Online Banking gives you the convenience of banking from anywhere, 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year. As long as you have access to a PC with Internet access and a browser that supports 128-bit encryption you can complete a range of banking transactions anytime, day or night. The first step is to register online before you leave.

With Account24, our 24-Hour telephone account access service, you just need to call us at 703-706-5000 from any touchtone phone and meet the cost of the international call. If you are calling for the first time, you will need to know your account number and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.

Need Cash? Using Your VISA Check Card Overseas

ATM withdrawals are $800 per 24 hour period EST
Signature debit cards are up to the limit in your accounts
PIN debit cards are up to $2500 per 24 hour period EST

All three of the above count and you can do a total of 20 in any given 24 hour period.

You may normally access your account 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, including holidays.To find an ATM anywhere in the world, click here.

Create or Update Your Power of Attorney - An Important Document
A power of attorney is a document that authorizes an individual to act on your behalf on matters of legal or personal importance. It is recommended when going overseas so someone you trust can take care of your business and/or personal matters while you are gone. It is often used by those assigned on unaccompanied overseas tours so spouses/family members can carry on financially in your absence.

A power of attorney can be specific or broad with regard to the authority you want to grant. For financial and medical authority you want to be very specific. For example you should include the type of financial transactions you authorize such as borrowing, investing or opening your safe deposit box.

Since a power of attorney can cover a wide spectrum of responsibilities, the person you choose - called an attorney in fact - needs to be responsible and reliable.

For your convenience, we offer three Limited Power of Attorney templates that you can use:

For a General Limited Power of Attorney form, click here.
For a Provisional Limited Power of Attorney form, click here.
For a Limited Power of Attorney Form for Vehicles, click here.

Leave Your Valuables in a Safe Deposit Box
Safe deposit boxes provide you with a safe way to store valuables and important documents. We offer safe deposit boxes at our State Department and Alexandria Branches.

There are three sizes to choose from, so you can choose the box that suits your needs. Boxes are available in 3x5, 5x5, and 10x5 sizes. All of the safe deposit boxes are located in a secured vault so your valuables and important documents are protected.

Important papers to consider putting into your box: originals of your insurance policies; family records such as birth, marriage and death certificates; original deeds, titles, mortgages, leases and other contracts; stocks, bonds and certificates of deposit. Other valuables worthy of a spot in your safe deposit box include special jewels, medals, rare stamps and other collectibles, negatives for irreplaceable photos, and videos or pictures of your home's contents for Insurance purposes (in case of theft or damage).

Travellers Cheques
Travellers Cheques are a safe, easy way to protect your travel money. Whether you're journeying around the world or across the country, Travellers Cheques provide convenience and peace of mind when you're on the road. They are still one of the most universally recognized forms of international currency. You may carry enough to cover minor expenses like taxis/transport, tips, snacks, etc. We offer Travellers Cheques in all of our branches.

Wire Transfers
Need to get money out fast? SDFCU can move money across the country or around the world quickly, reliably, and securely through wire transfers. We offer wire transfers in foreign currency to help our members traveling or living overseas.

You can complete a wire transfer by phone, fax, or email. Our fax number is 703-706-5121. The fee for wire transfers is $20. For more information on wire transfers, please click here.

Credit Card and Check Card Restrictions
Did you know when you travel outside the United States there could be restrictions when using your VISA Check Card or SDFCU Credit Card? Restrictions vary based on transactions outside your normal purchasing pattern. Accounts are monitored 24 hours-a-day for your protection.

Instructions To Alleviate Card Restrictions When Traveling Abroad:

Please call 800-296-8882 or 703-706-5000 ext. 6 to speak to a Credit Union Representative.

OR

Notify us of your travel plans by email to sdfcu@sdfcu.org

Send a faxed request to SDFCU including your destination, time frames, along with your signature. Faxed requests should be sent at least 24 hours before your departure to SDFCU Card Services at 703-706-5117.

OR
Send a written request to SDFCU including your destination, time frames, along with your signature. Written requests need to be received by SDFCU at least 24 hours before your departure date at the following address:

State Department Federal Credit Union
Attention: Card Services
1630 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tips Before You Leave

If you're taking a credit card, make sure you'll have enough credit to cover your needs while you're traveling. If necessary, apply for a higher limit.
Make sure to make copies of all of your insurance information. You never know what unexpected events may occur, and you need to be prepared.
Set up automatic payments or direct debits for regular payments such as your credit card minimum balance, insurance, car loan, etc. Make arrangements to ensure there'll be enough in your account to cover these payments.
Getting set up for SDFCU Online Banking or Account24 phone banking is a good idea. Then you can check the balance of your accounts, make bill payments or transfer funds between accounts (e.g. to your credit card account) simply by calling 800-296-8882 or using an Internet PC anywhere in the world.

For additional information, please contact us at sdfcu@sdfcu.org. For phone service, call us at 703-706-5000 or 800-296-8882.

Budget Counseling
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CU Insurance Services
CU Realty
Foreign Currency Exchange
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Wire Transfers

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