Travelex card

lottieholder

I want to buy a Travelex card for my granddaughter for Christmas. She's off to Australia on NYE. She has her own bank card but I know from bitter experience that having another card, kept seperately, is a good idea. Despite asking the question online I'm only getting information about exchange rates, how to receive the card, how to top it up etc. I want to know how I buy a card for someone else.

eDicky

Such cards are the worst options and any card account needs to be opened by the user. Some offer a supplementary card for family etc, such as FairFX.

You are right that she should certainly not rely on only one card. Ask her to open a Starling Bank account on her phone, perfect for travel, so you can send her money directly by bank transfer, or give her cash or cheque. Also Monzo as further backup.

lottieholder

Monzo is the card she already has. I'd actually buy her Australian Dollars but we've no banks left and our Post Office is next to useless. I could, of course, arrange for money to be delivered to me but I rather thought a back up card would be better.

eDicky

There's no need to buy cash A$ at the terrible rates given by banks and Post Office. She can use Monzo for payment in A$ at the ideal MasterCard rate, also ATM withdrawals fee-free up to £200 worth per month. Starling the same, no limit on fee-free withdrawals. So give her pounds by bank transfer or cash. She can exchange cash in Australia and/or accept advice to have more that one card such as Starling Bank.

Neil49

Australia is a big user of cards for just about everything (much more than the UK) and cash is used a lot less than over here.

I used my Monzo card extensively over there and it worked fine. The moment we landed in Sydney we purchased our travel cards for use on the trains, buses and ferries at WH Smith at the airport using Monzo and hardly resorted to even using cash from then on for the next 3 weeks.

She definitely needs a backup card and I would suggest the Starling card as an easy option to obtain.

NoodleDoodleMan

I have a Caxton FX as backup and never had any issues - you can have an additional cardholder for a £5 charge.

https://www.caxtonfx.com/

They apply no fees at foreign ATMs or in stores etc., and it's easy for the principal cardholder to reload online or via the app.

I find customer services always very helpful - worth an enquiry to 0207 201 0526.

sazaccount

Personally I use Revoult and my MBNA credit card for transactions overseas, my CC gives me fee free cash withdrawals (just have to transfer the money as soon as as it charges interest from withdrawal) Revoult as my back up. Travelex tends to have hidden fees for everything, topping up, withdrawing cash, maintenance, just using the card etc

You can use card payments and paywave (contactless in Aus) pretty much everywhere. I would suggest either giving her maybe a 20 pound new note (I have one as emergency cash) and just transferring some funds into her account

EveryWhere

lottieholder wrote: »

I want to buy a Travelex card for my granddaughter for Christmas. She's off to Australia on NYE. She has her own bank card but I know from bitter experience that having another card, kept seperately, is a good idea. Despite asking the question online I'm only getting information about exchange rates, how to receive the card, how to top it up etc. I want to know how I buy a card for someone else.

She should definitely have a credit card as a back up. Tandem, Santander Zero, Halifax Clarity...all suitable options.

Moonwolf

I use a Travelex card for some uses. Keep an eye on the rates but they are usually better than I can get cash so they are hardly the worst option. My main account is First Direct, our joint is Nationwide, I have a Nationwide cashback credit card, an America Express cashback card and a Monzo card so it is not my main card.

Last time I checked, if you sign up online, add £500 of currency they will deliver it to your door for free and you can have a second card free if you need it. If your granddaughter has the pin she will be able to withdraw cash and spend in most shops, and if she does get stuck you can add funds online easily.

We find it useful as we travel in Europe regularly, I top up my Travelex regularly, this smooths out the ups and downs of currency movement, we then use it when we expect to need cash or if the exchange rate is particularly bad during that holiday. What we lose in exchange rates versus our bank cards, and in not getting savings interest is more than made up for with convenience and being able to ignore the very poor bank rates last summer.

eDicky

Moonwolf wrote: »

We find it useful as we travel in Europe regularly, I top up my Travelex regularly, this smooths out the ups and downs of currency movement, we then use it when we expect to need cash or if the exchange rate is particularly bad during that holiday. What we lose in exchange rates versus our bank cards, and in not getting savings interest is more than made up for with convenience and being able to ignore the very poor bank rates last summer.

What you are doing has been possible with Revolut for several years, more recently with TransferWise Borderless, and now with the Starling Bank or Monese euro accounts, without involving the various fees and adverse rates of the Travelex card which (for a card) is the worst option.