For travel and convenience this season, why not try something new!? Your credit is precious. One way to keep it Luxurious is to give your credit cards a rest and rely on pre-paid currency instead. For some, swiping the plastic payment is not a challenge because you know that your balance will be paid in full shortly. Conversely, for others you know that once you swipe there will be months of debt waiting for you that you have little or not way to repay. Avoid this headache and cumbersome responsibility with a much safer option. Free yourself this season with the convenience of pre-paid currency!
Who wants to be stuck in one place when the “season to be jolly” arrives? According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation, “visiting friends and family is the single biggest reason Americans travel during the holidays.” Prepaid cash cards are convenient because they have the look and feel of a traditional credit card with none of the risk! These types of cards tend to be issued by money companies specializing in currency exchange. These travel currency cards allow the consumer to preload money from your bank account onto the card.
Who’s Who?
Travelex and Caxton FX are just two of the companies that offer such cards. They tend to be issued by specialist money changing companies. Prepaid cards allow you to pre-load money from your bank account on to the card, fixed at that day’s exchange rate. For those fortunate enough to enjoy international travel, you know the daily exchange rate can impact the value of your dollars. With a prepaid card, you get the rate on the day you convert your cash.
If traveling to Europe seems to be out of your range, what about a cruise? Many cruises originating on U.S. territory end up in other countries. In order to make purchases without hurting your credit. Getting hold of a card is easy for anyone with a bank account. Typically applications are submitted online. As part of the application you would choose the currency in which you would like your card denominated then load it with funds from your current account and wait for it to arrive in the mail . The fact that you can top up and check your balance online, by phone or, in some cases makes this a much more friendly option.
Protect Your LuxuriousCREDIT With Prepaid
There is no overdraft function so you can’t run up a debt on a prepaid card. This allows you to budget exactly for the amount of money you want to spend while you’re away.
Prepaid cards are normally linked to the Mastercard or Visa network and are protected, like bank cards, by a chip and pin system. But, unlike bank cards, they are not connected to your bank account or credit card account. So, if lost or stolen, fraudsters cannot get access to your money beyond what you have loaded on the card.
The obvious advantage over carrying large amounts of cash is that if your card is lost or stolen and you report it immediately, you have access to a replacement card with any unused funds transferred. Some card issuers will provide this service for free and some for a small fee, due diligence is recommended.
You should definitely treat a currency card like cash in your wallet. It’s up to you to guard your card and keep your pin secure. In the event that your card is stolen, it is unlikely that you will have funds refunded if, for example, you wrote down your pin for a thief to find with your card. .
Remaining Balance
If you are sure you will pay the balance off at the end of the month and do not wish to incur interest charges prepaid currency cards will be a great fit for you! Conversely, if you are not so disciplined a prepaid card can be a good way to budget, but only if you use up the entire balance on your vacation. Be sure not to leave any cash on the card, otherwise the card company ends up making money off of you.
