The $

[DizOz]

I'm thinking I should do the same.

While I have a travel card, I'd also like to buy some cash. What are your thoughts on the best option for this? I'm not sure who usually supplies the best rate. I know Australia Post sells cash, but you need to give them notice, I think?

In my job I have transferred cash between Aust and USA for years and I am also looking for the best FEX.

I found AMEX is by far the best rates. I querried this with our own banks and were told they can not compete on rates with AMEX due to their sheer volume of trades wordlwide.

When exchanging privately there are a few issues to consider:

Exchange back guarantees where they will buy unused monies back or travellers cheques without cost.

Obviously the rate

Any fees they charge on top of their buy/sell differential.

Kepp in midn the rate is more likely to go up on the back of the latest reports:

Glen Stevens comment rates may be increased even during the election campaign and the low employment figures and other positive economic indicators.

Also the reports out of EU on the bank stress testing revealed their banks are in relatively strong conditions. The markets will be less risk adverse and less likely to run back to the US.

Where are you finding that rate information? The RBA site has it much lower so would prefer to look where you are looking

Ms Shuttergirl,

I use the following site as it gives constant up to date prices:

http://www.forexdirectory.net/aud.html

Particularly useful when the rates are so volatile.

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

Giddyup. Broke 90 this morning. Keep going you good thing!!!!!!!

 

[aussietravellers]

Just bought some travellers cheques from amex online, pick them up in a couple of days, (no commission )

Rate was .8745

 

[queenie82]

Just bought some travellers cheques from amex online, pick them up in a couple of days, (no commission )

Rate was .8745

It's always nice getting those green backs. Even Traveller Cheque green backs

Hope all the planning is still going good and you are doing well health wise in princess *oh I can't lift anything sweetie * mode

Keep it up Pacific Peso...you can do it...

 

[aliceinoz]

Hope it's ok to jump in on this one. I'm going to do some searching this weeked on the travel cards v's travellers cheques. I have not travelled internationally for years and have only ever used tchqs and credit card, with a small amount of cash to get me started.
Now I am thinking of a travel card instead. Any thoughts on the travel card? And are travellers cheques still easy to exchange.
TIA!!!

 

[BrizMarc]

Hope it's ok to jump in on this one. I'm going to do some searching this weeked on the travel cards v's travellers cheques. I have not travelled internationally for years and have only ever used tchqs and credit card, with a small amount of cash to get me started.
Now I am thinking of a travel card instead. Any thoughts on the travel card? And are travellers cheques still easy to exchange.
TIA!!!

You best bet in my opinion is to use a mix of both. The travel cards are great for use in hotels and restaurants and you can simply bpay more money onto your card from your Aussie bank account when ever you want while traveling. Keep some travels checks as well just because they are handy if you were to lose your card. Also places like Disney will cash your travelers checks. Just keep a small amount of cash on you as well. You have all bases covered .

 

[lovintheland]

We still use travellers cheques. Oh and the handy credit card and a supply of notes for tipping etc. Have been travelling to the US since 1989 and have never had a problem with the cheques so don't see a need to change. I'm sure the travel card works great too!

 

[1rocky]

I will be using a commonwealth travel card when visiting usa in Jan. Can it be used similar to your normal atm card.Or only at certain places thanks for any help

 

[aussiegirls]

1rocky, if it is the same as the ANZ travel card then you can use it anywhere that takes Visa (which is pretty much everywhere). We had no issue at all using our travel card anywhere we wanted to.

Maybe just compare the ANZ and the CBA cards. Last year I compared both and ANZ came up trumps because their exchange rate was a bit better and they had less fees and charges attached to the actual card.

Good luck

xxx

 

[1rocky]

thanks i will look at anz
i might even take an anz card with me as well.
I have the cba card as hubby took it with him to the usa this year and did not use it.
so when i go i will have lots to spend
considering we are going to Disneyland and have empty suitcase this will be needed

 

[DizOz]

Did some comparisons this morning on the rates being offered:

CBA0.8745ANZ0.8742Travelex0.8710Westpac0.8725NAB0.8782AMEX0.8794

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Did some comparisons this morning on the rates being offered:

CBA0.8745ANZ0.8742Travelex0.8710Westpac0.8725NAB0.8782AMEX0.8794

How does that compare to what Australia Post would be offering?

Do you think .87 is a good time to go and get the ANZ travel card?

 

[DizOz]

How does that compare to what Australia Post would be offering?

Do you think .87 is a good time to go and get the ANZ travel card?

Ms Shuttergirl,

Australia Post is only an agent for Amex so I would suggest you would get the AMEX rate less any commission (If any) charged by AP.

As for .87 I suggest depending on the timing of your trip now is a good time to lock in some monies at that rate. For me (We go in 6 weeks) that is what I am doing. If price goes up I will buy some more at a higher rate on a separate ANZ card and cash the lower rate card in when rates head back down.

I was surprised the $ did not dip more when the CPI figures come out. Ever the supporter of conspiracy theories, I suggest there maybe some adjustment to that number somewhere down the track. I see this morning the $ got back over 91 cents before settling in at high 90's.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Thanks Dizoz. I might go and get my travel card tomorrow and pop a lump sum on there.

I leave in 7 weeks so like you need to start doing something about this soon.

 

[Oz-kateer]

I'm still old school about this and buy however many $$ travellers cheques and cash when the $$ is good, rather than the travel cards. Australia Post do good commission free rates on both cash and cheques. The travel cards are supposedly "safer" but there are so many fees involved - the top ups, the draw downs, the payment to get your money back if you come home with credit still on your card - plus the forms to fill out to get it, waiting for them to process etc etc. And they expire - if you put it in a drawer and forget it you've done your money! Cash and travellers cheques never die.

I bought some when the $$ was up around the 94c earlier in the year and then again a few months ago - we are also going in 7 weeks and am going to buy a few more $$ shortly.

The $$ exchange rate today at my local post office is sitting on about 88 cents.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Reserve bank meets tomorrow; which is why the dollar is holding a little. There is speculation that the rates may go up.

I'd recommend that you buy some either today or early tomorrow morning before the RBA releases their view on interest rates. It's likely to drop after....or possibly tonight...depending on what the US markets speculative view is on the RBA outcome.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Did some comparisons this morning on the rates being offered:

CBA0.8745ANZ0.8742Travelex0.8710Westpac0.8725NAB0.8782AMEX0.8794

Did you find all of this information on 1 particular site or did you gather it from many different sites?

I only ask because there is no way I can get to open a travel card today, but would most likely be able to do so tomorrow afternoon and would like to be able to check this for tomorrow.

 

[aussietravellers]

How does that compare to what Australia Post would be offering?

Do you think .87 is a good time to go and get the ANZ travel card?

Ms.Shuttergirl, Aust Post use Travlex, so I look at the travelex rate when I want to know what the Aust Post rate is. I thought they used Amex as on the Amex site when you order them online through Amex they say Aust Post is a possible place for pickup but when I bought some travellers cheques online through Amex, they didn't give me the option to pick my local Aust Post office even though they stated above that I could pick them up there.

Anyway I do know when I was at the post office last week, there was a sign outside and it was a travelex sign And you can purchase the travelex travel card through Aust Post.

 

[aussietravellers]

Did you find all of this information on 1 particular site or did you gather it from many different sites?

I only ask because there is no way I can get to open a travel card today, but would most likely be able to do so tomorrow afternoon and would like to be able to check this for tomorrow.

Travelex travel card you can order online (although that is not very helpful to you if you are wanting an ANZ or COMM travel card )

 

[DizOz]

Did you find all of this information on 1 particular site or did you gather it from many different sites?

I only ask because there is no way I can get to open a travel card today, but would most likely be able to do so tomorrow afternoon and would like to be able to check this for tomorrow.

Shuttergirl,

CBA http://www.commbank.com.au/personal/international/travellers-cheques/default.aspx?cid=dsm

NAB http://www.nab.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/nab/nab/home/personal_finance/1/4/4/2

Westpac
https://forms.westpac.com.au/forms/...93/rl-pbsr-001-foreign-currency?view=Standard

Amex https://www.fx4you.com/australia/americanexpress/converter/convert.cfm?page=CM

Travelex
http://www.travelex.com.au/for-you/travellers-cheques

Hope this helps

Just to clarify according to the Australia Post website offers the following:
Travelex Cash Passport simialr to ANZ travel card
AMEX travellers cheques.
Foreign currency cash exchange

Shuttergirl you may want to consider the cash passport instead of the travel card? Has anyone used them and how is the ATM availability like around DL and WDW to use them?