Bank of Valletta has recently launched a new campaign with a difference. Rather than marketing a specific banking product or service, this campaign seeks to alert card holders to a few practical tips when travelling with their cards.

"Increasingly more customers are choosing cards as their preferred method of payment," explained Michael Galea, Chief Electronic Banking Officer. "Cards remain the favourite payment option for people on their travels. Still, we feel that there are some customers who are still hesitant or feel uneasy about travelling with their cards."

Aimed at addressing these issues, the BOV pre-travel campaign homes in on four practical tips that would result in a better overall customer experience. For instance, one should always inform the Bank before going abroad. "In order to safeguard customers, the Bank regularly monitors transactions to flag irregular ones, and alert cardholders. Therefore, once the Bank is pre-advised that the card is going to be used in a given location, it would be better able to monitor the card transactions, without bothering the customer on his trip", said Mr Galea.

Other safety precautions include ensuring the PIN is valid and confirming the validity period of the card. A customer need only phone the Bank's Customer Service Centre on 2131 2020 in order to verify the necessary details, or visit any BOV branch.

Speaking about the campaign, Charles Azzopardi, Head PR & Marketing explained that knowing the customer remains at the core of Bank of Valletta's vision. "Our Bank has always distinguished itself for remaining close to the customer. Our people seek to build a long-term working relationship with a customer, because we believe that a customer-centric strategy is key to customer satisfaction. Through this campaign, we are highlighting small but nonetheless important concerns to iron out any unpleasant experiences. In this manner, we are investing in an enhanced customer experience."