This is according to Fiona Wilkinson, senior vice-president at Visa Europe, who says that in excess of 70% of spend on Visa cards is on debit cards in the UK.

She continues: “This could be due to the fact more people are using their cards – both debit and credit – rather than cash.”

When using these cards overseas, people need to be particularly careful, Ms Wilkinson reveals, with people needing to keep hold of their receipts so they can be checked against statements.

It is crucial that people never write down their PIN number, she adds, with different cards needing to be kept in different places so they do not all go missing.

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Visa Europe recently revealed that the amount of Visa debit and credit card transactions processed at UK restaurants in the first three months of this year increased by 19 per cent compared with the same period in 2008.

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