How to avoid all those pesky fees on vacation.
I have to admit that I’m not always the best at creating (or sticking to) a budget…especially when it comes to vacations. I tend to forget about smaller charges (snacks by the pool), little conveniences (sunscreen at the gift shop), and all of the various and sundry fees that are just a part of travel (parking, wifi, movies on a flight…).
All of these smaller charges can really add up, especially if you’re traveling with a family, you’re a frequent traveler, or – like me – you just don’t factor pesky fees into your trip. There are definitely times when I am shocked by my credit card statement after a vacation!
A possible solution
There is a way to get a nice discount on many of the fees you pay as part of a typical trip.
It’s called Feecation, and it works like an insurance policy: you pay $17/month for a membership, and during the time you are a member, you can submit claims totaling up to $1,250/year. They even start you off with a free 30-day trial.
Feecation can be a great travel tool. I was a “power user” when I first learned about it! You can read my adventures with Feecation here and here.
How does it work?
All you need to do is select the type of fee you paid from a drop-down menu and then email your receipt to Feecation. I simply snapped a photo of each receipt with my phone and attached the photos to the emails.
This takes all of about five minutes. Be warned that the first time you submit a claim, it does feel like you are just sending a random email into the void (or at least that is what it felt like for me). However, the site does reflect your recent rebate submissions and payments if that makes you feel any better.
That’s it! It’s really super easy.
This can be a fantastic deal…if you are good with follow-through. Ultimately, I couldn’t keep up with submitting claims, so I canceled the service. However, during the time I used it, I saved hundreds of dollars.
Have you ever used Feecation? Are you still using it? How much have you saved?
How can this possibly be viable over a period of time? They could end up paying out more than they take in.
I was wondering the same thing.
Patrick and Anne – I think they make their money from people who sign up but don’t use the service! So if you are diligent about sending in claims, you will come out ahead…but if you let things slide (as I did at the end), then the “house” will win. 😉
@Patrick. These are some of the mysteries of travel that defy logic.
Can anyone say adverse selection?
Can you cancel a membership and then reenroll months later before the next trip?
Heavenlyjane – Yes! 🙂
The thing that I never track but really adds up are tips. I recently read an article about tipping in the US and it basically said that everyone should be tipped. We live in that kind of economy and I’m all for it, but it can add a dimension of stress not knowing who and how much and how often is appropriate – especially if in a hotel and repeatedly interact with the same people. And when traveling for business, there’s no receipt for that kind of thing, so I usually just eat it. I’m sure I either insult or over-compensate – especially when traveling internationally. I’d love a better system for this. There must be an app for that! 🙂
pinkisnice – A million dollar idea for sure!
Have never used but am also curious if you can cancel membership then restart it when traveling
Rebecca – Yes, you can.