Cash Passport card

I decided to try the Cash Passport card for my upcoming trip to the US instead of carrying large wads of notes or travelers cheques. It's a Visa Electron card which is used exactly like a debit card. I just hope everyone accepts it. Has anyone ever used one before?

I used a similar thing from AAA my first visit to the UK.  Anyone that accepts Visa should accept it.

One thing to check is the fees can be very high for these cards.  Both in per use fees (at ATMS) and a margin on top of the interbank rate when doing the currency conversion.

Not what you asked but why not just use your normal ATM and credit cards?

Thanks J!

One thing to check is the fees can be very high for these cards.  Both in per use fees (at ATMS) and a margin on top of the interbank rate when doing the currency conversion.

Not what you asked but why not just use your normal ATM and credit cards?

The card charges $4.50 for ATM withdrawls and no charge for purchases. I didn't want to get slapped with charges everytime I used my Lloyds card abroad as that could add up so I thought I would give this a try.  My US account/debit card rarely has much more than $100 in it.
I've used Travelers Cheques in the past but found it to be quite a hassle when using them at many places.

We didn't bother looking into this sort of thing for the trip in December because we knew Nationwide wouldn't charge us for using abroad.  That sucks that Lloyd's does.

We didn't bother looking into this sort of thing for the trip in December because we knew Nationwide wouldn't charge us for using abroad.  That sucks that Lloyd's does.

Last time I was in the US I tried using my Lloyds card and the transaction was denied. I was surprised because we've never been overdrawn and we always have money in our account. So I called my husband and he called Lloyds customer service and they told him I need to call their fraud dept and let them know I'll be using the card abroad. They wouldn't let him do it they said I would have to call! Not a big fan of Lloyds!

The card charges $4.50 for ATM withdrawls and no charge for purchases. I didn't want to get slapped with charges everytime I used my Lloyds card abroad as that could add up so I thought I would give this a try.

I'd look very carefully at the exchange rate, these cards are notorious for charging up to 10-12% above the interbank rate.  Bank cards and 'real' credit cards usually only add 1-3%.

I'd look very carefully at the exchange rate, these cards are notorious for charging up to 10-12% above the interbank rate.  Bank cards and 'real' credit cards usually only add 1-3%.

Well it's done already. I got it through Travelex. The exchage rate was £1.89 which wasn't too bad.

That's actually not a terrible deal, it cost about 4 and a bit percent (depending when you got it.)

Just as a FYI for anyone else reading though it is almost always cheaper to just use you normal card(s).

Yeah, except you have to notify everyone and their mother that you're going to use the flippin' card abroad and even if you do, it still doesn't always get input in their computer. I can't tell you how many times I've had this problem. Lloyds is particularly bad.

Add that to my long list of bank pet peeves. Along with all the numerous passwords I have to remember for phone banking, online banking, ATM banking, yadda yadda yadda!!

That's odd!  I've never notified my bank or cc company before travelling and never had any trouble.

Maybe the advice should be to just use you ATM/CC unless you bank with LLoyds?

Yeah, except you have to notify everyone and their mother that you're going to use the flippin' card abroad and even if you do, it still doesn't always get input in their computer. I can't tell you how many times I've had this problem.

Same here!  Barclays and Egg have both frozen our cards when abroad multiple times - despite advanced warning and the fact that we're nearly almost always in the SAME PLACE - Athens, Georgia - information which is in the freaking computer at Barclays as it's my previous address!!

That reminds me, must call banks before next week's trip.  Even if it probably won't make any difference.

I had problems using my Mint and Virgin credit cards while abroad. But it was easy enough to phone up and get it sorted. With Lloyds it's a proper hassle. "What's the 4th and 7th letters of your password, what branch do you use, what's your last deposit.." etc. And if you get any of these security questions wrong it locks you out and then your're really stuck. I had no idea what Lloyds branch we used. We always do everything online.  H-A-S-S-L-E!!  

I decided to try the Cash Passport card for my upcoming trip to the US instead of carrying large wads of notes or travelers cheques. It's a Visa Electron card which is used exactly like a debit card. I just hope everyone accepts it. Has anyone ever used one before?

When the visa electron came out it was not to popular here in the UK and hardley anyone accepted it, think it has changed now though, but when Sonya came over to the US she used her bank cash point card to withdraw money and she used her visa card everywhere she never bought more than a few hundred in travelers cheques incase she lost them, but my mom got a good card off american express and you can put on to it the amount you want and give it as a gift, unfortunately she can't recall where she got it from.

Indy

I used the AAA one and thought it was great.  It is also useful if you are worried about fraud, since all it accesses is that card and not your bank account.


I called my bank about my trip to Hong Kong and what a surprize the card was suspended.  I had to use my U.S. card which worked just fine.

When I called to report it, from HK on my husband's cell phone, they kept asking if I was a merchant.  Grrrrr. No, I am your very annoyed customer.