Cash, Fairfx or Thomas Cook passport card?

[meldud]

Which is the best way to take your money?

My DH wants to take cash and I am trying to persuade him not to take it all in cash!

I have read previous posts and still can't decide which is the safest way to carry money abroad.

Any help??

 

[2Tiggies]

Which is the best way to take your money?

My DH wants to take cash and I am trying to persuade him not to take it all in cash!

I have read previous posts and still can't decide which is the safest way to carry money abroad.

Any help??

It depends on you, where you stay, how and where you spend ......

I DO take cash. You need some on you when you arrive for tips, maybe a beverage or something when you arrive at the airport and other bits and pieces. Not everything can be charged to a card and you dont want to be running around looking for an ATM. I first see how much my travel insurance covers me for in cash and that is what I take in cash. I do like travellers cheques, although they are not as widely used now. Staying on site I have never had a problem using them. I also take a few credit cards with me. This year I am taking a FairFX card too, but as you will see on this thread there are plenty other similar cards available and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some people prefer to just use their UK bank cardsYou need to find one that suits you. I wouldn't want to land with no cash on me at all.

Just a point to note with your credit and debit cards: it is a good idea to phone your bank(s) before you leave and let them know that you are taking them abroad so that they don't block the cards if you try spending on them. I always give a note of where and when I am going and it has been mentioned to me more than once by the bank that had I not done so, the cards would almost certainly have been blocked. Just so you know. This may vary from bank to bank so you would need to check your own bank's policy.

 

[wilma-bride]

We normally take a pre-paid currency card with the majority of our money, then some cash for drinks, tips, tolls etc.

 

[wayneg]

Only way for me is a fee free credit card. Get full interbank rate.
You can read in Debs thread she had $1,500 stolen, I lost my wallet at East Midlands airport a couple of years back with over £500 in (Got it back thankfully a few days later) Now I take no more than $100 in cash, this August I am taking $67. Everything will be paid by credit card, thats how I have done it for past 2-3 years and by far prefer it to any other option.

 

[2Tiggies]

Only way for me is a fee free credit card. Get full interbank rate.
You can read in Debs thread she had $1,500 stolen, I lost my wallet at East Midlands airport a couple of years back with over £500 in (Got it back thankfully a few days later) Now I take no more than $100 in cash, this August I am taking $67. Everything will be paid by credit card, thats how I have done it for past 2-3 years and by far prefer it to any other option.

It is none of my business, but how did you get to an amount of $67? Is that just what you have in cash from your last trip?

 

[wayneg]

It is none of my business, but how did you get to an amount of $67? Is that just what you have in cash from your last trip?

If I need cash I can withdraw easy enough from DTD but apart from tolls we don't use cash. Even parking meters at Clearwater beach accept credit cards now, so easy.

 

[wilma-bride]

If I need cash I can withdraw easy enough from DTD but apart from tolls we don't use cash. Even parking meters at Clearwater beach accept credit cards now, so easy.

So if you buy a bottle of water for $3 (approx) you would pay with your credit card? Seems a bit faffy to me

 

[wayneg]

So if you buy a bottle of water for $3 (approx) you would pay with your credit card? Seems a bit faffy to me

Yes, use card for everything, you don't sign or use PIN in Disney for under $50. I find it far easier than messing with money. They just swipe and hand it back with reciept, nothing faffy at all about it.

 

[meldud]

If I need cash I can withdraw easy enough from DTD but apart from tolls we don't use cash. Even parking meters at Clearwater beach accept credit cards now, so easy.

What about for tipping, etc?

 

[wayneg]

What about for tipping, etc?

There is a space at bottom of every bill for tip, either on site or offsite.

 

[paul_toria96]

I'm taking all 3 - cash, Thomas Cook card and TC.

We got them all in 2007 when the exchange rate was $2 to the £1. Theonly probem with the Thomas Cook card is if you don't use it within 15 months you get charged $3.50 a month. We didn't know this and lost about $52, but managed to get it back as they hadn't told us when we got them (they were just out). You need to come home andcancel it as well even f there's nothin left on it as they wil still charge you

We need to use this card first and get rid of all the money on it so we don't get charged again, oh well spend, spend, spend

 

[VailaTigger]

I never take a lot of cash abroad, just the same as I'd never carry a lot of cash here. I feel it's just asking for trouble.

In the past I've used travellers cheques, and they were fine. However, I had heard that places accepting them were less common (although on site at WDW it doesn't appear to be a problem).

So this year we took a little cash, and a pre-loaded FairFx card, and it worked well. Used the cash for little purchases and off site, and used the card to withdraw cash and for bigger purchases. Our card will still be valid if we make it back to Orlando in 2 years time, so we can load it up and use it again. It doesn't have any fees for letting it "rest" for a while!

If you worry about losing your card, I believe you can order a second card for the same account, and there is a replacement service so that your card is replaced quickly wherever you are in the world. The whole world, not just WDW

Edit - point to note - if you use your pre-loaded card as the credit card to leave with the hotel for charging privileges, I believe this may "ring fence" some of the money you put on it, so you may not have the full amount available to spend. We left our normal UK credit card with the hotel.

 

[2Tiggies]

If you worry about losing your card, I believe you can order a second card for the same account, and there is a replacement service so that your card is replaced quickly wherever you are in the world. The whole world, not just WDW

 

[matt1902]

Quick question about the fairfx card.

Do you get charged any fees for using it for card transactions or withdrawing cash?

In other words, if I was to load it with $1000, would I get $1000?

Thanks

 

[2Tiggies]

In red:

Quick question about the fairfx card.

Do you get charged any fees for using it for card transactions No

or withdrawing cash? $2 per ATM transaction so if you HAVE to draw cash, it's not a lot, but try to make a few larger withdrawals rather than several little ones.

In other words, if I was to load it with $1000, would I get $1000? Yep

Thanks

 

[matt1902]

Yes, use card for everything, you don't sign or use PIN in Disney for under $50. I find it far easier than messing with money. They just swipe and hand it back with reciept, nothing faffy at all about it.

They don't even ask for a pin when the cost is under $50. That sounds a little dodgy to me... what protection do you have then if someone steals your card?

 

[wayneg]

They don't even ask for a pin when the cost is under $50. That sounds a little dodgy to me... what protection do you have then if someone steals your card?

Its coming here also, Visa sent me info about it for my business. http://www2.visaeurope.com/merchant/chipcardsandnewsolutions/contactlesspayments.jsp
I guess you have the same protection as you do now, if you did not authorise the transaction then you are not liable.