One of the newest financial tools for travelers is a Visa prepaid card called TravelMoney. This is, in fact, a loaded debit card, but specifically designed for travelers using the generally accepted name Visa. This means replacing bulky traveler's checks, which are increasingly difficult to acquire in many places.
A prepaid visa card can be loaded anywhere from $ 250 to $ 10,000 and can be reloaded at any time from a bank account or credit card by phone or at a financial institution. This is a better choice for travelers than a regular prepaid debit card because it carries the name Visa, and also because the protection against loss or theft is higher. It is important to save the card number somewhere so that you can call to immediately release a new card and stop at a stolen or lost card. The card is not connected to your bank accounts, therefore there is a risk only on the card, and with such convenient communication you do not need to transfer a large amount to the card.
Prepaid visa card can be used to obtain local currency, simply using an ATM in the place where you are. Local funds may be withdrawn and the adjusted amount will be removed from the card. The card can be used for online purchases, as well as for car rentals, hotel reservations, movies, dinners and tickets.
For budget travelers, this card is a great option compared to a regular credit card. Due to the cumbersome way of recording transactions, especially when traveling, it is often difficult to determine how much was removed from the card. This is especially true in transactions with foreign currency. Often, after returning from a trip, an unpleasant shock can occur when credit card bills arrive.
With a prepaid visa card, you can only use the amount that is placed on the card, so at the end of the trip there are no surprises. If you need additional funds, you can always download them to the card. Tracking your balance is as simple as making a phone call or checking online.
A prepaid travel card can also be used for partial purchases, for example, if you have the cash you want to use, but you need more to cover the entire amount of the purchase. The merchant only has to charge the fee you want to use on the card, the rest you can pay in cash or by credit card.
A prepaid visa card costs only $ 9.95, no matter how much you download. Rebooting the card costs about $ 2.50, and there is an overload limit of 3 times before you need to buy a new card. In addition, there are regular cash withdrawals at ATMs, as well as a 3% transaction fee, $ 2.50 for inaction and $ 10 for overdraft. Therefore, initially the card is cheaper than the promise of travelers on paper, even if you use a card at an ATM a lot to withdraw cash, you can easily spend a lot more.
In general, a prepaid visa card is a convenient and secure way to carry cash when traveling. It is much easier to use than travelers checks, and more widely distributed. Sometimes paper travelers are promised stigma, even with trusted brands, and many traders still refuse to accept them. In addition, the transfer of cheaters-cheaters for money requires building in a bank or paying exorbitant commissions at a hotel or money exchanger. A prepaid travel card is a much better system.
