Prepaid Travel Cards guide

eDicky

clareski wrote: »

When do I convert to euros? I have been trying to work out how to do it!! Do I wait to see if the rate is better in the week rather than a weekend?

You can convert at any time, but best not on weekends when they put a spread on the rates while forex trading is closed. Our you can just leave it as pounds, and it will be converted when you make a purchase or withdrawal at the rate of that moment. Your choice - you have the chance to 'lock in' a rate if and when you think it's favourable...

yessuz

i use revolut as well. awesome product!

i actually do not exchange currency - i just top up in pounds and use the exchange rate on the sport when I pay or withdraw cash

plusman

I successfully used the Revolut card to withdraw local currency (Chinese Yuan) from ATM's in China without any problem and also used it for an in-store purchase in Russia.

I don't have it as my main card (use Halifax Clarity credit card and also have a FairFX card as well) but so far it has worked well and the exchange rate was good. I also have a Travelex Supercard but haven't used that yet.

I really like that you can see quickly on the app that a transaction has taken place and the rate.

12colmore

I've just cancelled mine (it finishes in October anyway) and they have refunded the small amount of money I had on it to my bank.
For anyone who still has one, at the Eclat supermarket in Palafrugal on the Costa Brava it works fine. But at their own automated fuel station down the road it would not accept the card at all?
Strange ......

SFC_2

Hi, I have had a Travelex pre paid eur card for a number of years. Tried to use it in Spain this week but found it had expired.
I had thought I would receive a new card like a bank but it doesn't work that way.
You have to buy a new card and transfer your balance if you want to keep on using your card.
You will also lose access to the website.

You also lose a customer.

Anybody have anything similar happen?

GILL999

I'm not usually the type to go out of my way to post a scathing review, but given that I got a WeSwap card on the recommendation of the MSE article that was published this year, I felt I had to share my subsequent experience here somewhere.

I got my WeSwap card to go to New York and everything was going fine until I had my handbag snatched off me, including all my bank cards and my WeSwap card. All of my cards were used to make transactions (you can use contactless payment for up to $50 in NY). The banks were, as you can imagine, fantastic and immediately stopped the cards, sent me cash and refunded the fraudulent transactions.

WeSwap however, have been an utter nightmare from start to finish and as I sit here over two months later, I have still not received either my money back for the fraudulent transactions, nor the balance of money that was left on the account once the card was stolen - altogether circa £300.

If anyone is interested I'm happy to give the full story but essentially it comes down to:

1. Being given initial incorrect information by call centre staff on the process of the fraudulent transactions being refunded

2. You cannot actually speak to anyone in head office - the call centre is just a bunch of students without any real power to do anything when things go wrong. Everything needs to be routed through their 'head office' and you are physically prevented (despite me requesting twice) to speak to anyone there on the phone. All communication has to be through email, and they take at least 3 days (often more) to respond to every email.

3. After requesting the remaining balance on the card to be refunded back to me, they have so far made two 'errors' in the back office processing this refund and as it stands I have still yet to receive my money that was sitting on the account, a month after they were supposed to process it.

It's unbelievable to me that a company can be allowed to get away with this kind of behaviour when it comes to consumers' money. I can't comment on the original article that was posted on MSE, but I would strongly advise that they are removed from being a recommendation - if anything goes wrong with your cash while you're away, don't expect to get any of it back.

Orville

Use the FairFX ones. I used them in Eurodisney with no problems. Withdrawing money, resturant bills, shopping. Haven't need to contact customer service yet as i've had no problems.

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.fairfx.com

Salimali12

Hi My 17 yr old is off to USA on a History trip later this month. I want to get him a prepaid travel card but the majority recommended are for over 18yrs old. Any advice?

NiftyDigits

If he uses it for just ATM withdrawals, he can use your Revolut card

Salimali12

Thanks for the reply NiftyDigits - what if he wanted to use it to pay for something in a shop or for a meal though?