Why Every Traveler Needs a VPN — And How I Saved Money on My Purchase

Packing for a 3-week European trip in 7 cities isn’t for the faint of heart. However, the thing I forgot wasn’t physical.

I’m a huge sports fan, specifically water polo. Missing the Olympics wasn’t an option while I was traveling, so I needed to find a VPN service so I could watch it on TV.

Here’s why a VPN is useful and how I scored one for a low price.

Why Using a VPN Is Important Everywhere

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a service that encrypts your internet connection, creating a secure tunnel between your device and the internet. It masks your IP address, making your online activities more secure by preventing third parties from tracking your browsing habits.

It also protects sensitive information you may use online, such as banking information and passwords. This is helpful no matter where you are, especially if you regularly uses public Wi-Fi networks in airports and coffee shops.

Additionally, a VPN allows you to access geographically restricted content by routing your connection through servers in different locations. This is how you can watch the content you want without restriction on where you are.

For example, I enjoy watching Peacock and Netflix when I’m abroad. Peacock isn’t available outside the U.S., while Netflix delivers content based on the country you’re in. Using a VPN, I can connect to a U.S.-based server and get the content I want to watch, including the Olympics.

How I Saved Money on a VPN

I have used NordVPN in the past, which is a widely popular service. but found an even better deal with Surfshark while traveling in Europe.

Rakuten was offering 95% cash-back on a Surfshark subscription, and I immediately jumped at it. I signed up for 27 months and paid $76.50. After taxes and fees, I earned $60.76 in cash-back through Rakuten.

I also earned 77 Chase Ultimate Rewards points by paying with my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card, which is worth $1.54 for travel according to our points and miles valuations.

In total, I figured my total outlay is $14.20 for over 2 years of secure internet browsing. This netted me an 82% savings from the retail price.

This isn’t the only deal available, either, as there are deals regularly on VPN subscriptions. For example, at the time of publication, NordVPN has 100% cash-back through Rakuten. This is why it pays to search for deals using a shopping portal, such as Cashbackmonitor.com, to see what deals are available to save on VPN purchases.

I searched for the best deal using a rewards credit card and a shopping portal. By combining both, I saved big on a 2-year subscription to Surfshark. Using a VPN gives me a much more secure internet experience, and the ability to stream content I wouldn’t normally be able to abroad.

Final Thoughts

Aside from watching the Olympics, I’m glad I invested in a VPN. It’s easy to nod away from the idea of a VPN for security. You never think you’ll be a victim of having your information or data misused, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

With a rewards credit card and shopping portal, you can save big on securing your internet browsing on your laptop and cell phone. And when you’re traveling, you can still watch all of the favorite shows you enjoy at home.