Are you planning to travel to the states? If so, then you're probably aware that you have to plan a whole lot of things from what hotel to stay in, what places to visit, and what kind of activities to do. One of the most disregarded aspects of traveling is currency exchange. Travel money USA dollars can be exchanged for almost anywhere, but the challenge is in getting a good rate.
What Options Are Available?
The most well-known way of exchanging currencies is getting it done in the airport. While exchanging currencies in the airport is convenient, you should only resort to it if it's an emergency. The rates at the airport are very high and can take anywhere from 10-20% of the money you're exchanging.
Another way to get your currency exchanged is going to the High Streets. Although, this can be a lot cheaper than the airport, the rates always fluctuate so you will have to get your money exchanged at the right time. If you can plan beforehand this is something to look into.
The last method is to simply carry cash with you. While carrying cash is convenient, many people feel uneasy carrying their whole traveling budget along with them. While rare, you may lose your wallet or have your baggage stolen in the worst case scenario.
Are There Any Better Alternatives?
The answer is an absolute yes. A great alternative is to buy currency cards. With these cards, you can buy travel money USA dollars at much better rates rates. This is a relatively new way to pay for your travels and many travelers are not familiar with how prepaid currency cards work.
All you have to do is load up your currency card with the amount of money you want to spend for your trip to the US. The currency card is used as a regular credit card but this card is not linked to your bank account in any way. So if you lose it, you won't have to worry about identity theft or unauthorized withdrawal from your accounts.
Prepaid currency cards are also very safe to use. If you lose the card, you can simply call the company and request your balance to be transferred to a new card. This way, nobody will be able to use the remaining balance on your old card.
Prepaid Currency Cards Help You Stick to a Budget
Many people find themselves overspending on their trip. By loading up your currency card with a set amount of money, it will be easier to stick to your budget. But what if you need money for an emergency? No problem, you can simply call the company and transfer money into the account. The company will update your balance within a couple of hours.
In conclusion, prepaid currency cards are the way to go if you're looking for travel money USA dollars. These cards are convenient, easy to use, and safe. Next time you plan your trip, look to use prepaid cards to pay for all your expenses.
Monday 07 June 2010, 10:25am
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So, well, here you are again with your jam packed hold all/back packer, just getting off the plane. And you know that you missed a really good opportunity to get a good foreign exchange rate in your city, before you boarded your flight, because you are in a hurry. So you have no option but to go to the airport and exchange your hard-earned cash for whatever exchange rate in foreign currency you can get there.
If you do not want to change your money at the airport, you can also go to the foreign exchange agents in the host city's High Street. Of course, you are going to be very disappointed at the exchange rate you get for your Pounds while you are changing them into dollars, yen, euros, and other foreign currency. But why operate at a loss when you have really good options for buying foreign currency, before you take the long-awaited trip abroad?
Travellers cheques
Some peripatetic travellers are surprised that Travellers cheques are still being used by other travellers. Did they not go out just about the time credit cards and ATMs came in? Well, Travellers cheques are still very popular cash substitutes, even though ATMs are going to give you a better conversion rate than an exchange counter or a bank is going to do.
ATMs
Now, is that so? You will be surprised to know that ATMs have a conversion fees and a transaction fees, which are going to add up when you are trying to get easy access to your cash abroad. Your money is being converted into the currency of the country, in which you are travelling. So, they are going to take the conversion fees.
Pre-paid Currency Cards Are Your Best Option
So this is where a traveller cheque is going to come in handy. But then here is another problem. You need to go to a branch of that particular bank which issued your travellers cheque and get it encashed. This is the only way to get easy excess to your travel money dollars right away. But what if it happens to be a lazy, hazy Sunday and the bank shutters are down? So, that means you need to fall back on the limited amount of ready travel money dollars in the form of cash at hand.
So how best can you settle this foreign exchange problem, in a really hassle free manner? Easy, you buy travel money dollars by converting your pounds into a prepaid currency card. It means that you are going to be paying pounds into your bank to get your cards made. Then go off, high, wide and free on your holiday and spend up to the limit of your prepaid currency cards.
Prepaid currency cards are the best option for a person, who does not want to pay huge amounts of fees, for buying foreign exchange. Buying cash at the airport or at the high Street is not a profitable proposition. So, save on a number of charges and fees, (much lesser than that of a number of credit cards) while getting a much better exchange rate. Buy the foreign currency of your choice, with prepaid currency cards right away!
Monday 19 April 2010, 04:10pm
