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Offline payments with travel money cards in the US
deadendwaterfall
Posts: 308 Forumite
Back in 2015, I travelled around Canada and the US. When in New York City I paid for a yellow cab ride with my Post Office travel card loaded with US dollars. The payment was taken with a very old fashioned imprinter machine.
Now, I was wondering, since with these travel cards you cannot go overdrawn and only spend what's been loaded on it, what would have happened in this scenario?
I only have $5 left to spend on that card, but the taxi driver says that'll be $15 please. I hand him the card forgetting I've not got enough on it. He puts the card in the imprinter and all seems well for now.
When it comes to the payment eventually getting processed, would it fail, leaving him out of money by that amount in the scenario or would it be processed anyway and the Post Office later chase me for the debt?
Now, I was wondering, since with these travel cards you cannot go overdrawn and only spend what's been loaded on it, what would have happened in this scenario?
I only have $5 left to spend on that card, but the taxi driver says that'll be $15 please. I hand him the card forgetting I've not got enough on it. He puts the card in the imprinter and all seems well for now.
When it comes to the payment eventually getting processed, would it fail, leaving him out of money by that amount in the scenario or would it be processed anyway and the Post Office later chase me for the debt?
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Comments
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I don't think that anybody can say for sure what happens in this situation. But given that it is now 2018 and the transaction happened in 2015, chances are that the payment would have been rejected and the taxi driver would have lost the money. Especially as the Post Office has not followed up with you (yet).0
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I said I did have the money available but the scenario I mentioned in not having sufficient funds available was totally hypothetical.I don't think that anybody can say for sure what happens in this situation. But given that it is now 2018 and the transaction happened in 2015, chances are that the payment would have been rejected and the taxi driver would have lost the money. Especially as the Post Office has not followed up with you (yet).
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The transaction would be forced through IMO and you would be overdrawn on the card. Simples.0
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Why the curiosity? Are you wondering how to get the last few dollars off your card without paying the fees to redeem them?
Forget about using the PO travel card, it is such bad value that it would probably cost you less to use your normal bank debit card abroad.
These days there cards that keep your money in pounds until used, giving ideal rates without fees, such as Starling Bank, Monzo, Loot.ioEvolution, not revolution0
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