Prepaid Travel Cards guide

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  • Thank you for helping me by giving me that information. I will just give them cash.
  • Hi,
    I have a FairFX USD card with over 500 dollars and a Thomas Cook Cash Passport with over 200 USD. I need USD currency to travel to Sierra Leone where I would exchange for Leones. Is there anywhere in the UK, specifically Manchester area, where I can use the cards to withdraw USD without incurring exchange charges. Happy to pay the fee for withdrawal..
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,547
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    edited 2 November 2016 at 11:01AM
    Hemingway wrote: »
    Hi,
    I have a FairFX USD card with over 500 dollars and a Thomas Cook Cash Passport with over 200 USD. I need USD currency to travel to Sierra Leone where I would exchange for Leones. Is there anywhere in the UK, specifically Manchester area, where I can use the cards to withdraw USD without incurring exchange charges. Happy to pay the fee for withdrawal..
    I'm pretty sure that there's no chance, I'm afraid. Any ATM, even a multi-currency one, will convert to pounds and back again with multiple fees and exchange rate losses.

    If there happens to be an ATM or bank in Sierra Leone that dispenses USD (I wouldn't know, seems unlikely), that would work.

    You could draw leones with a fairly reasonable 'out of currency fee' using your FairFX card, I think it's 1.5%. It would doubtless cost much more with the Thomas Cook card.

    Edit: I've just thought of a possible solution, to sign up for Revolut and load the dollars from your FairFX card, but it costs 3% to load with a USD card so not ideal, but at least you then get the interbank rate for leones (check that leones are supported). I have done this with a euro FairFX card (no fee). The TC card is more likely to be rejected by Revolut.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • yorkcov
    yorkcov Posts: 20
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    Hi
    I travel several times a year to Europe in my campervan and wish I had predicted brexit vote! However now want to hedge against further sterling declines.
    I currently use Travelex Supercard for spending and Halifax Clarity for ATM withdrawals but am considering putting several thousand pounds on a travel card to lock in the admittedly current dismal euro rate which I fear will decline further.
    I would hope to 'invest' enough to last several years. Are there any cards that work with tolls? Are there any cards that work at petrol stations?
    The Revolut seems to get a generally good press apart from the above. Does anyone have any recommendations for better cards or other ways of hedging against further exchange rate deterioration.

    Regards

    Alan
  • yorkcov
    yorkcov Posts: 20
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    Are there any prepaid cards that do work in tolls and petrol pumps?

    Alan
  • Hi,

    I am off to California in February 2017 and have never used pre paid cards before.
    My stay is for 90 days and do not wish to take a large amount of cash with me.
    Would I right in thinking I could get a WeSwap card so I could get cash at ATMs for day to day things and a FairFX card to pay for meals at restaurants and larger purchases.
    I will be staying with friends so no hotel expenses or car hire.

    All advice will be welcome:beer:
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,547
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    lambosx150 wrote: »
    Would I right in thinking I could get a WeSwap card so I could get cash at ATMs for day to day things and a FairFX card to pay for meals at restaurants and larger purchases.
    You could, but I would consider Revolut a better option than WeSwap with its cumbersome way of converting, and fees, and the need to exchange into the currency you are going to use then back again if you don't use it all, etc. Revolut is much more versatile and converts instantly whenever you choose or at the moment of transaction, at the interbank rate (slightly off on weekends) without fees. And according to some posts in the previous page or two of this thread the WeSwap customer service leaves a lot to be desired, compared to that of Revolut these days.

    Also I would try using Monzo prepaid MasterCard, which is still in beta and they advise carrying a backup - but it's simplicity itself with not a lot that can go wrong, and an attentive in-app chat CS in case it does. It's a debit card that you load in pounds and converts to any currency at the straight MasterCard rate for purchases and withdrawals with no fees whatsoever. There may be a waiting list after you install the app and sign up, then you have to load at least £100 to get the card when it's ready (they say within two days, mine arrived the very next day).

    https://monzo.com/
    https://monzo.com/terms/#charges
    Evolution, not revolution
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,547
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    yorkcov wrote: »
    considering putting several thousand pounds on a travel card to lock in the admittedly current dismal euro rate which I fear will decline further.
    I would hope to 'invest' enough to last several years.
    It would be unwise to put any substantial sum on a prepaid card, which is less protected than a bank. Also you would lose by buying euros now if the value of the pound rises...
    yorkcov wrote: »
    Are there any prepaid cards that do work in tolls and petrol pumps?
    I think not.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • looked at the monzo card I'm limited to how much in a month I could withdraw at atms so think its not that good
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,547
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    lambosx150 wrote: »
    looked at the monzo card I'm limited to how much in a month I could withdraw at atms so think its not that good
    You're right, I noticed those limits after writing. I guess they have to limit their costs, with the zero fees. However, in the US there are not many things that you cannot pay for by card.
    Evolution, not revolution
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