Harvey World Travel agents have experienced an increase in the purchase of travel cards, which are steadily replacing travellers’ cheques, credit cards, and cash as the most popular way to carry money whilst overseas. Australians are turning to the latest travel cards to withdraw cash from ATMs, and pay for goods, transport tickets, hotels and meals. 

James Brodie, Head of Marketing at Harvey World Travel says all you need is a prepaid Multi-currency Cash Passport travel card and a couple of hundred dollars cash.

“Travel cards offer anyone who is travelling overseas convenience and safety. These cards are not linked to your bank account, are readily accepted in ATMs and can be topped up from home. As a result, people don’t bother with things like travellers’ cheques anymore, they are so 1980s,” says Brodie.

The Multi-currency Cash Passport card works as a prepaid debit card that can be loaded with foreign currency before a traveller leaves home. The card can be used for single or multi-currency travel, using multiple currencies stored on one card. Harvey World Travel issues 2 cards to each customer so travellers can choose to have a second card stored separately in case of an emergency if one is stolen.

“The Cash Passport is the way to go, though travellers should always carry some local currency on them as well as a credit card for back up.  Foreign cash can be ordered at any of our agencies and picked up the next day and a credit card is best used for back-up spending, or to use for things like car hire, or hotel authorisations. However, it’s fair to say that travel cards can be used for just about all spending on holiday. If travellers over-spend, they can top up the cards online and spending can be tracked from their online account login” Says Brodie.