You’re on vacation and suddenly realize that it’s Aunt Jane’s birthday and you forgot to send her a gift. Or maybe you’re away on business and realize that the haircut you’ve been putting off has caught up to you, but you don’t have time to source a decent stylist who can fit you in. What to do?

If you have credit card concierge services, help is just a phone call away

When we signed up for our Visa Infinite credit card it was to take advantage of the travel points it offered. I was unaware of the concierge services until years later. I had phoned Visa to advise of upcoming travel plans to avoid the card being flagged for suspicious spending (something they no longer ask you to do) when the rep wished me a happy trip. She then added that I should make sure to use my complementary concierge services that come with the card.

My what? Wait … really? I was amazed the card included such services. I was actually kind of skeptical. We could really call upon them as we would a hotel concierge for no additional fee?

We tested it out on a trip to Iceland. We had problems with our flight connection from Toronto to Reykjavik and ended up arriving a day later than planned. Tired, a bit cranky and more interested in napping than finding a place to eat at short notice, we engaged the concierge. “Would you be able to find a reservation for two at a nice restaurant in Reykjavik?” we inquired. Although we got the sense that the fellow on the line was a bit taken aback at the location, he was nonetheless undaunted. After asking us some relevant questions about tastes, price range and our exact location, he set off on his quest.

Within about half an hour, he called back with a suggestion and secured a reservation for later that evening. It turned out to be a restaurant called Sjávarkjallarinn (The Seafood Cellar) that we still rave about today (Sadly, a quick Google search seems to indicate it is no longer there).

Despite the success of our concierge services experience, I don’t think we’ve used it more than a few times. I keep forgetting about it.

Have you ever used your credit card concierge services? If so, was it a success? Have you used it for anything out of the ordinary?

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