Prepaid travel currency cards

coffeeperson

Hi, I'm going to Italy on holiday in April and am considering getting a prepaid currency card like the fairfx, cantonfx or ice cards. Has anyone used these and are they useful when shopping and eating out etc? I've only ever taken cash or travellers cheques before. I know there are charges for withdrawing from ATMs, I was thinking of taking some cash and the rest on one of these cards.
Thanks.

Kernow666

i got one of the cards from sainsburys its a mastercard cash passport , its good as you can go into the store and get one there and then ( providing they have a money bureau ) have used it all over europe and no fees for withdrawing although was told some ATMS do but will tell you before you withdraw any money

Neil49

I've used a Caxton euro card for some years now and find it very useful. Some cards such as FairFX charge for atm withdrawals (Caxton doesn't) but then again they tend to give a slightly better £ to € rate when preloading. Roughly, I found the cut-off between the two was if you withdrew around €250 in one go. Caxton was better for smaller atm withdrawals.

The plus points for me are that you can load the card when the rate is good for you and build up a balance prior to your holiday. The downside is that the rate may improve by the time you get out there, you take the chance! We have just come back from Spain and used it for both atm withdrawals and paying for meals with out any problems. Some places may require photo id so your driving licence may be a useful addition.

I would never take travellers cheques. I don't want to spend my holiday queuing up in a bank and euro T/C's can be very difficult to cash, even in a bank!

Hope this helps.

zagfles

A good credit/debit card will always be cheaper than a pre-paid card, and more flexible (you don't have to predict how much you're going to need). Eg Halifax Clarity, Metrobank (for Europe) or N&P.

Pre-paid cards are generally only needed for those who don't have a good credit record.

Doshwaster

I used to use the Caxton card but I switched to Halifax Clarity last year as it is cheaper and you don't have to predict how much you will spend. With the Caxton I either had to top it up while away or came back with some unspent money on it.

However, whatever card you choose it is always wise to have a backup from another bank in case your main one is lost/stolen/blocked

Ah2k10

PLEASE HELP!?!

I'm going to America for 3 weeks and have already taken some dollars out. I'm now thinking it's a risk travelling with so much cash....?

Can I go to any Bureau and load up a pre paid cash card with some of my dollars???

Kernow666

all depends what card you have it is possible

NiftyDigits

The answer is no.