Travellers Cheques questions

[aussietravellers]

American Express travellers cheques seem to be the main type available so I guess I will be getting some of those.

Has anybody used travellers cheques to pay for their meal at a WDW restaurant (at a resort or one of the parks?) or a shop at Downtown Disney or in a resort shop at WDW?

Anybody used them at restaurants in NY? What about buying tickets at tourist attractions like Empire State Building or Top of the Rock or a Museum? It is going to be food that we will mainly be using them in NY and WDW (yes and some shopping)

Do you always or sometimes have to show ID? Just wondering if I am going to have to carry my passport around (I usually leave this this in the safe).

I haven't used them in so long and then it was in London and Europe, with London in particular being a nightmare and usually having to pay commission to cash them. But I am really looking forward to having them again on this trip, it will just feel much safer walking around with those in my handbag rather than wads of cash or risking my credit card being skimmed (is that the right word )

Thanks

Just found out too that Australia Post sells AMEX travellers cheques with no commission! Don't know what their rate is though, they may offer a worse rate than the banks to cover it, but will look into it.

Does anybody know if AMEX charge commission when you get travellers cheques directly from them?

 

[PrincessInOz]

American Express travellers cheques seem to be the main type available so I guess I will be getting some of those.

Has anybody used travellers cheques to pay for their meal at a WDW restaurant (at a resort or one of the parks?)
Yes, at Kouzzina's; which is on the Epcot Boardwalk. I've also used them at the Cheesecake Factory at Anaheim.

or a shop at Downtown Disney or in a resort shop at WDW?
Yes, at both WDW and DLR Downtown Disney's and resort shops without any problem.

Anybody used them at restaurants in NY?
Yes, in 2007 - no problems with any of the 3 restaurants we ate at in Hell's Kitchen area.
What about buying tickets at tourist attractions like Empire State Building or Top of the Rock or a Museum?
Didn't do this.
It is going to be food that we will mainly be using them in NY and WDW (yes and some shopping)

Do you always or sometimes have to show ID?
You always have to show ID. I carry my Australian Driver's License with me instead of the passport. On this trip, I also had to show a photo ID when I used my credit card with a 100% request rate; so the DL works as well instead of having to carry the passport.
Just wondering if I am going to have to carry my passport around (I usually leave this this in the safe).
I left our passports in the safes for the entire trip.

I haven't used them in so long and then it was in London and Europe, with London in particular being a nightmare and usually having to pay commission to cash them.
I've never had to cash them or pay commission in the US. And I agree with your perception about Europe. I found them to be a pain in Europe and we constantly had to find AMEX shops to cash them in.
But I am really looking forward to having them again on this trip, it will just feel much safer walking around with those in my handbag rather than wads of cash or risking my credit card being skimmed (is that the right word )
That's why I carry them around. And I can leave them in the safe as well and only take out as many as I think I need.

Thanks

Responses in purple. And I would definitely do the price comparison for exchange rate plus charges for banks, post office and AMEX office. Last time I asked, the AMEX office did charge a commission; but that was years ago.

 

[Luisa]

Check bank websites too because often you can buy them online with lower commission rates eg. to buy them at a Westpac branch there is 1.1% commission and online it's a flat $4 fee. You might get a better rate via the banks rather than Aus post.

 

[aussiegirls]

Aussietravellers, I have not bought travellers cheques through Aus Post but I have bought USD from them and they did not charge anything to change that either. From memory the exchange rate I got through them was pretty good. I looked everywhere to make sure I got the best rate and Aus Post was up there with the banks, maybe a bit better actually.

Only thing was that I had to order USD in advance, took them 48 hrs to get it in as they don't keep it in store. Not a problem unless you are getting it last minute.

So even though I have not bought TC's from Aus Post their exchange rate for cash was good, so I guess TC's would prob be good too

xxx

 

[DVCAustralia]

NEVER pay commission on traveller cheques.
For purchasing something, at least in the US, it is just like credit cards or other payments where the store incurs a fee to accept that form of payment.
In relation to buying travellers cheques AMEX online is free, as stated Australia Post is free, but most importantly your bank should have a commission free option as part of credit card features, packages etc. so check this as well.

 

[arje]

We took both travellers cheques and Cash Passport Visa Debit card in USD as well last trip and it worked a treat. I would use TC for getting cash (usually at hotels) and some purchases, but used the Cash Passport for pretty well all other expenditures like food, purchasing, hotels, buying tickets etc. It was a great combination.

 

[aussietravellers]

NEVER pay commission on traveller cheques.
For purchasing something, at least in the US, it is just like credit cards or other payments where the store incurs a fee to accept that form of payment.
In relation to buying travellers cheques AMEX online is free, as stated Australia Post is free, but most importantly your bank should have a commission free option as part of credit card features, packages etc. so check this as well.

Unfortunately when cashing travellers in the UK and much of Europe there is no option when it comes to paying to cash them. You either pay to cash them or wander around with useless pieces of paper I was even charged a fee to cash them at Banks in the UK. Mind you this was many years ago and for this reason I stopped carrying them.

When I just mentioned to a friend about getting Travellers Cheques for the US she said, "Oh Don't I did a couple of years ago and it was terrible" She said many places she tried to use them would not change them (shops, restaurants) and some would only accept them if the change was going to be less than $10.

I'm still getting them though. I will be getting them from Australia Post, their rate is as good as the banks and no commission to buy them

 

[DVCAustralia]

I would agree, Europe is VERY different to USA.
However I have NEVER had a problem with travellers cheques in USA, even the Anaheim Ducks ice hockey store took them. Anyway with Disney as a back up even if you found somewhere that did not cash them you can just make an extra small purchase at Disney next time to get some cash (as hard as that may be ).

 

[mareeld86]

Have you thought of using a travellers cash card you can load up to six different currencies on it and its a mastercard so its accepted everywhere.
so in your case you could put say 500 gbp on it and 2000 usd and then use them when you are in each country as it automatically defalts to the currency of that country and whats better there is just a once of fee to get it and you get 2 cards.
Plus you dont get charged to use it in restraunts, shopping etc just a small transaction fee of about $2 when you take out cash.