beat the brochure

Pre-paid currency cards are becoming a popular means of storing hard-earned cash for your holiday but which one is the best for your trip. Security wise they all offer the same deal. Your money is secure and safe whilst it is on the card. If you have cash and something happens to it it’s long gone. According to each pre-paid currency card they are the best card the world has seen so here is a simply guide to what they offer and how much it is going to cost you (cards are global travel cards rather than Euro/Dollar specific).

FairFX

Issue Fee – around £10.

ATM Transaction Fee – Yes and this is on top of a transaction fee the actual ATM sometimes charges.

Rates – Very competitive and usually the best but considering the ATM fees it may not always save you money.

Other – Should you have a query or dispute with FairFX you will be charged £10 for each dispute.

CaxtonFX

Issue Fee – No issue fee as such but there is a £10 deposit you have to pay initially but this is added to your balance once you load money for the first time.

ATM Transaction Fee – not from CaxtonFX but some ATM ‘s will charge a small fee.

Rates – Higher rates than the bank and your money is converted live so you can potentially benefit from the fluctuating exchange rates.

Other – You can only withdraw cash from an ATM twice in a 24 hour period.

Travelex

Issue Fee – It’s free at the moment but it could potentially cost you £30.

ATM Transaction Fee – Not from Travelex but some ATM’s will incur a small fee.

Rates – Higher rates than the bank and your money is converted live so you can potentially benefit from the fluctuating exchange rates.

Other – There is a flat rate charge of 1.49% for each usage of the card.

Have you had a pre-paid currency card and have any recommendations? Please let us know in the comments below!

(thanks to cashpassport.com, compareprepaid.co.uk, thriftyholidays.co.uk & foreignexchangeservice.co.uk for featured images)