Oct-2013
Traveltip: get yourself a cash passport
Organizing a journey is a lot of fun. I have organized almost everything for my upcoming trip to Latin America in January, but there is still something important left to do: arrange the money I want to spend abroad.
Show me the money
Because I travel allot I already have a credit card, but I would like to minimize the risk of not being able to access my money. Imagine your credit card not working anymore, or even worse, getting skimmed! Preferably I do not want to bring any travelers cheques along either, because then I would have to carry papers with me. I prefer the idea of splitting the risk with another type of card that is safe like a Travelers Cheque, but easier to use.
Cash passport
Some acquaintances of mine told me about the GWK/Travelex cash passport, a prepaid MasterCard where you can deposit money to and use it for worldwide payments and money withdrawal from ATM’s with the MasterCard logo. I think it is the ideal solution for those traveling abroad.
You can create a budget if you like and upload for example 500 euros to the card when you order it online, but if you decide that you need a bigger budget you can still transfer money from your original bank account to your new cash passport.
What is fantastic is that this card can protect my money from skimming because it is not connected to my original bank account, but it does let me withdrawal money anywhere in the world at ATM’s without paying commission.
organize it online
Thinking about getting yourself a cash passport? All you have to do is order it online and pick the card up at any of the Travelex locations – in the Netherlands the offices can be found at the bigger NS train stations or at the following airports: Schiphol, Eindhoven, and Rotterdam.
Normally the price for a cash passport is €14,95. If you order the card online I noticed that you will receive a 5 euro discount! As Dutch as I am, I think we all appreciate a little discount and no annual fees!
How do you organize your travel money? Do you take care of it before a journey or just head for the first ATM at the airport?
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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Goed artikel! Ik ben zeker een voorstander van de GWK/travelex cash passport. Aangezien ik geen vaste baan heb, kwam ik niet in aanmerking voor een ‘normale” credit card. Deze prepaid card was dus een uitkomst!
Enig nadeel ondervond ik in 2011 dat ik tijdens mijn wereldreis zonder bruikbaar credit card kwam te zitten omdat deze alleen te herladen was in de vestiging waar ik deze gekocht had (In mijn geval in Eindhoven). Meerdere mailwisselingen met de vraag of het thuisfront geld bij kon storten werd ook afgewezen. Alleen ik scheen, op vertoon van een geldig ID, geld op mijn credit card te kunnen zetten. Zo heb ik een maand langer in Indonesië moeten blijven alvorens ik een ticket kon boeken naar de volgende bestemming met het laatste restantje wat er op mijn credit card stond.
Ik sta er van te kijken dat het nu wel mogelijk is om via internet geld over te maken op je prepaid credit card. Is dit bij ieder type credit card van GWK/Travelex mogelijk? Dat zou in ieder geval een hele verbetering zijn!
Hey Niki! Een maand langer in Indonesië zitten is niet zo erg, maar zonder geld zitten wel!
Ik heb even de link opgezocht op de website, waar ik het heb zien staan van het online over maken. Dit is de link: http://www.cashpassport.com/1/en/nl/Reloading-Your-Card/ en kijk dan even bij Reload Online.
Knuff!