Credit Cards

[JimP]

I may rethink on the amount of cash we take in August if this turns out to be a hassle.
What will be the options other than pre-wiring money if you’re going to a remote camp say in Mozambique or Zambia? The camps I’ve been to didn’t have internet at the time and could not process a CC even if they wanted to.

Just arrange with you outfitter to wire the balance once you return home.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I may rethink on the amount of cash we take in August if this turns out to be a hassle.
What will be the options other than pre-wiring money if you’re going to a remote camp say in Mozambique or Zambia? The camps I’ve been to didn’t have internet at the time and could not process a CC even if they wanted to.

Talk to your outfitter and see what they prefer. Some will want the cash, some might want the credit card, and others might prefer being wired cash.

Bigger Outfitters generally like #2 or #3, whereas the smaller owner/PH type outfitters typically like #1.

 

[coreydb]

I pay by bank transfer and take cash strictly for tips.

 

[thi9elsp]

@coreydb me too. And tips only for staff. I confirmed I can wire the outfitter the tip for the PH afterwards when I get home for my hunt this coming July.

 

[375Fox]

@coreydb me too. And tips only for staff. I confirmed I can wire the outfitter the tip for the PH afterwards when I get home for my hunt this coming July.

Unless he asks me or it’s to a US account, I don’t want my PH having to pay taxes on tip money and will give cash. I already paid tax on that money once.

 

[Sabre]

@coreydb me too. And tips only for staff. I confirmed I can wire the outfitter the tip for the PH afterwards when I get home for my hunt this coming July.

Unless he asks me or it’s to a US account, I don’t want my PH having to pay taxes on tip money and will give cash. I already paid tax on that money once.

Also, I would just feel bad walking away from the end of the hunt with the PH not having the tip in his pocket, and me not having handed it to him.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Different outfitters like being paid different ways. Generally, I wire a significant amount of the funds in advance, then I take cash and credit card for the balance. For my upcoming hunt in Zimbabwe the outfitter has asked me to bring 9900.00 cash, and a personal check for the balance. I've been to Africa a lot of times and I've never had an outfitter ask for a check to cover over runs. This is my 2nd hunt with this outfitter, maybe he trusts a check, I can't say I would!

I wouldn't have $9900 in cash on my PERSON here while ARMED (as usual), let alone travelling to Africa with it. I could write the outfitter a check, use a credit card or wire him the balance when I returned. I guess it's worked out for you, but my bank account and I aren't that adventurous.

 

[msdos2]

You must remember that in the USA our card issuers charge not just a processing fee through the card network, but an international transaction fee and a foreign currency fee. It's simply because there is greater risk for an American using a CC in Africa than for a South African using a card in his local region.

The other unfortunate thing about Americans is we sadly have a lot of unscrupulous scammers. A common scam is to use a credit card and then dispute the charges. It made international news this week when one such scum-bag American got arrested by Interpol for spending $160,000 on timeshares via their credit card, resold the weeks of timeshare condos to others, pocketed the cash, and disputed several years of legitimate charges. It happens all the time but rarely does it lead to prosecution for fraud. If I was an outfitter in Africa, I certainly wouldn't want to have a $40k charge on CC only to find out that the whiny client wasn't happy with their silver-medal trophies and wants to play the CC dispute game.
You raise a solid point - international CC fees and fraud risks are no joke. Same thing applies in the casino world, especially with high-roller online players. Some sites listed on CasinosAnalyzer like winz.io promo code have faced chargeback abuse after large payouts. Just like with outfitters in Africa, secure payment methods and mutual trust are crucial to avoid costly hunting trip disputes.
If you're talking about trivial incidentals being charged, I'm sure that's lesser risk and may be more common in some regions.

Maybe a good compromise is paying the deposit via card for a bit of security, then wiring the balance once things feel solid.

 

[Hunt anything]

I received some information the other day from SCI, they are working with a credit card company that will have no international fees and some other perks that seemed good for the traveling hunter.
I want to see the whole layout before making a final decision.

 

[rookhawk]

Maybe a good compromise is paying the deposit via card for a bit of security, then wiring the balance once things feel solid.

Or hunt with outfitters you have personal references. (not always practical) I handed piles of hard cash no receipt to outfitters because several friends endorsed the outfitter. In turn, I endorsed the same outfitters (operators) to others with similar results.

Reference checks are your peace of mind.

 

[Sabre]

I received some information the other day from SCI, they are working with a credit card company that will have no international fees and some other perks that seemed good for the traveling hunter.
I want to see the whole layout before making a final decision.

Do you recall which CC company it was?

 

[Hyde Hunter]

I use a Cabela's Capitol One card and have never seen any credit card fees for international travel

 

[BWB]

That’s the one I have and will use on my trip. Never had any fees!

 

[Hunt anything]

Do you recall which CC company it was?

I don’t recall but they said they would send out more information in May.
FWIW my Africa CC is a Capitol One card.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I use a Cabela's Capitol One card and have never seen any credit card fees for international travel

+1.

 

[MacJenkins]

I take cash for tips, checkbook in case. Half my outfitters didn’t even have the bill ready at the end of the hunt. They just email the final tab a week or two later and I wire them.

 

[358 Norma]

I use a Chase sapphire preferred card, It has no international fees and I can build points towards travel.!

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

I use American Express for flights, permits and hotel stays. Wire enough ahead of hunt to cover most of it, pay balance in cash or wire transfer when I get home.
I carry credit card for emergency only use while on safari.
My last safari I actully had over paid outfitter compared to what I shot. He refunded unused funds before I left camp.

 

[Sabre]

I don’t recall but they said they would send out more information in May.
FWIW my Africa CC is a Capitol One card.

+1.

I have used a Cabela's CC in Africa and Canada and I did not notice any additional charges for foreign transactions. However, it is possible I missed them. But the totals told to me when I charged them seemed to match the current transfer rate when I got back home without a noticeable extra percentage.

 

[Sabre]

I got curious and went to look at the user agreement for Cabela's CC/Capital one. Here is what I found and I feel like it's good info to know if you have one of these cards.