How do traveler's checks work?

[FirstTimertoDiz]

I am thinking about getting travelers checks for our December trip, but I have never had any experience with them before- can someone please explain to me how they work exactly? Does everywhere in WDW accept them? Can you use them to eat and/or tip? Do you get cash back if you don't use the whole thing?

Also, where do you go to get them? Does AAA carry them? Is there a fee to get them?

Thanks so much everybody, and sorry for so many questions!

Lisa

 

[disneynutt1225]

I am thinking about getting travelers checks for our December trip, but I have never had any experience with them before- can someone please explain to me how they work exactly? Does everywhere in WDW accept them? Can you use them to eat and/or tip? Do you get cash back if you don't use the whole thing?

Also, where do you go to get them? Does AAA carry them? Is there a fee to get them?

Thanks so much everybody, and sorry for so many questions!

Lisa

If you have a AAA membership, they are free. They have the Visa traveler's checks, and we've used them on our last 4 trips without any problems. They are guaranteed by AAA if they are lost are stolen - I usually just keep the receipt with me and I write down the serial numbers from the checks and store them in a separate place just in case. Everywhere in WDW accepts them. When you get the traveler's checks, you sign them immediately on the top line (using Visa checks as an example). When you use them to make a purchase, you sign them again on the bottom. If the traveler's check exceeds the amount of the purchase, you get cash back from the merchant.

As I already stated, I recommend going to AAA if you have the membership, you'll save a lot of money in fees that way. If you choose to go through a bank to get American Express traveler's checks, you will be charged sometimes exhorbitant fees (depending on denomination, my bank charges up to $9.95 for a check).

 

[BCKatie02]

Another option that might work for you is the AAA Visa Travel Money Card. You can pick any amount of money to put on the card and it works just as a debit card. You use it in stores or restaurants as a credit card and can use it in an ATM with a PIN. The nice thing is that it's not linked to your bank account, just to the money that you placed on it. And like travelers checks, the money is insured and will be replaced w/in 24 hours if lost of stolen. We did this for our trip to Germany this past summer and it worked out perfectly! There is a small fee to get these...aroung $5 I think.

 

[ellyn2000]

Our bank offers American Express travelers checks at no charge because of the type of account we have. Check with your bank. I have an American Express card and they now have a debit type check card that works like the travelers checks with a set amount you've pre-paid and you can use it like a debit card with the added convenience that it can be replaced if lost or stolen. I've never had any trouble using travelers checks @WDW. You just keep your reciept in a safe place in case their lost so they can be replaced.

 

[ZoZo]

Just got back from a trip and used travelers checks. I love them! My recommendations:

1) Get them in large denominations (like $50s); you can use them as needed and use the change until you need a new one. I used to get them in $20 denominations, but it was a hassle. I had to cash them constantly, and because I had so many, they took up too much room in my wallet.

2) Your bank or credit union is likely to have them. There is a small fee (I think it's $1 per $100 in travelers checks for American Express).

3) You can't use them for tips and things like that, but once you use one, they give you your change, and you can use that for tips.

4) If they are lost or stolen, they can be replaced. Be sure to keep the "receipts" with the numbers on them in a separate place than the actual checks.

I'm old fashioned - I love them. I put them in my hotel room safe and just took out what I needed. I actually had about $300 left over after the trip (imagine that!) and cashed them at my credit union.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I agree, I love them too. I feel good about using them instead of cash for that little bit of extra protection if they are stolen or lost. The debit cards sound like a great idea, but I find that it's too easy to spend that money. Too often I think "geez, I thought I had more than that on the card" because I often forget about petty charnges ($20 here or there) that tend to add up faster than you expect. But with travellers checks, it's easy to SEE how much money is left and you're not fumbling around for receipts to try and figure it out like I would be doing with a debit card.

 

[LauraAnn630]

We used them for the first time last year! We loved them to! They accepted them everywhere but Wendys.

It was a great comfort to know if we lost them all we would have to do is go back to our room and get the reciepts out of the safe and make a call.

My husband ended up loosing his glasses instead!
So we used a travelers check to buy another pair!!

 

[Savin4Disney]

I just picked up $200.00 in travel checks. I got all $20's for some reason they could not get the 50's to work.

I am only taking 400.00 for 6 nights. We are on the dining plan!

 

[fabumouse]

One thought on travel checks - if the CM doesn't know what to do with them, you will be in line longer than you might like, waiting for someone who does. I'm sure it's part of the training, but I saw a number of employees staring at the the checks like they were Monopoly money.

 

[moniot]

We cash one for $100.00 every morning at the hotel. That was our money for the day. We were not on any dining plans so I had extra ones for our big meals like O'hanas and such. This worked good for us and helped budget our spending money. You could see what you had and when it was gone it was gone until tomorrow.