As the travel season heats up, many vacationers - especially those travelling abroad - start to consider how they will manage transactions. Messing with cash exchange rates can get confusing, while credit cards can carry large international fees and debit cards are not accepted everywhere. Because of these uncertainties, most experts advise that travellers carry all three with them for convenience and safety's sake.

Famous travel writer Rick Steves, for example, recommends that tourists research their destination thoroughly and plan accordingly. Keeping in mind the problems that losing your credit card - or having it stolen - could cause, he suggests having a secondary one available.

"Bringing two different cards provides a backup if one is demagnetized or eaten by a machine," he suggests on his website.

Similarly, both Bank of America and USA Today recommend having both a credit and debit card on hand, in case one is not accepted.

As more tourists heed this advice, the necessity for businesses to have their merchant accounts in order and ensure their payment processing is functional and secure becomes even more important. As tourists flood into Canada's heavily-visited regions, they will likely brandish their plastic when it comes time to pay. Being able to accept credit cards as well as debit will likely improve their transaction rate and income.

With tourist season kicking off around Canada, this is a pressing problem for many merchants. Setting themselves up to be as prepared as possible will likely pay dividends in the coming months. With news that U.S. tourists took a million trips to Canada in April, according to the CBC, it seems like the busy season is already gearing up.That figure is up substantially from the same time last night and means that Canadian businesses might need to prepare for an especially heavy summer tourist season. Having their payment options up and running is as good a way as any.