best way to take spending money? ?

[ujpest doza]

I've never been refused one Steph, is this a recent development?

I was refused a travellers cheque in October in the Food Court at the Mall at Millenia for the 1st time ever.
Was never refused anywhere else but the food places in the mall at millennia are mostly franchised small businesses and the man in there said I was the first person in 2013 to try and spend one. He said he'd had too much hassle with fraudulent travellers cheques so even though I had my drivers licence etc with me he wouldn't accept it and I had to pay using my debit card as I only had about $5 with me at the time and needed to cash the cheque to get some money.

[CassarJ]

You still get better rates on a fee free credit card than a travellers check - but YMMV!

[Tonish]

I was refused a travellers cheque in October in the Food Court at the Mall at Millenia for the 1st time ever.
Was never refused anywhere else but the food places in the mall at millennia are mostly franchised small businesses and the man in there said I was the first person in 2013 to try and spend one. He said he'd had too much hassle with fraudulent travellers cheques so even though I had my drivers licence etc with me he wouldn't accept it and I had to pay using my debit card as I only had about $5 with me at the time and needed to cash the cheque to get some money.

Travellers cheques are analogue in a digital world. I genuinely cannot remember the last time we used them in the US. It's got to be something like 15 years ago at the minimum, probably more like 20 years. Replying to a similar point a year or two ago I asked Mrs T if she could remember, and she thought they had gone out of existence many years past. She couldn't quite believe they were still in use, even though she struggles with the most basic of technologies. We have never missed them. They will surely disappear soon.

[Andrena]

It is many years since we used travellers anywhere in the world. Guests at our home a couple of years ago had one refused in both Wal-mart and Publix, they had to go to a bank to get them changed.

Andrena

[Macka]

Well spank my butt and call me a chipmunk. I've used TC's pretty much every year for the past 30 years and have never been refused anywhere. Even accepted everywhere in Kansas City some years ago. Funnily enoughI tried to get some Pounds changed to Dollars in a few banks in Kansas and couldn't do it. Had to wait until we flew to Puerto Rico, Weird....

[CassarJ]

Well spank my butt and call me a chipmunk. I've used TC's pretty much every year for the past 30 years and have never been refused anywhere. Even accepted everywhere in Kansas City some years ago. Funnily enoughI tried to get some Pounds changed to Dollars in a few banks in Kansas and couldn't do it. Had to wait until we flew to Puerto Rico, Weird....

Not every bank does foreign FX and I guess small banks are worried that they wont know if a currency is fake etc .

I also dont like how banks will take your prints (for TC or check transactions)

Cash is a bad idea anyway (in anything but small amounts)

The trouble with TC is that not everywhere will take them, especially for small purchases (the denominations are often too large for small purchases) you need a passport to cash them in, (Never a good idea to carry that - I know having had one stolen!) as not all places accept a foreign licence as ID.

Credit cards are universally excepted so these days with FX fee free cards I cant see why you would want TC (or a lot of cash)

But thats the great thing about choice we dont all have to do the same thing and TC's obviously work for you!

[Macka]

Not everyone is allowed a credit card. []

[florida4sun]

There are pre pay cards that a lot of folks are using now. Pretty much the same set up as TC i.e. you pay up front. In the USA though I do like to have access to easy cash as most vendors will barter for cash. Had some great deals on electronics that you simply will not get with other forms of payment. As you say it is totally down to the individual, there is no right or wrong way (except some ways are cheaper than others).

Not everyone is allowed a credit card. []

[CassarJ]

Hmm I'm sure all the good folk on here have AAA+ credit ratings!

[Lyn]

We always used TCs with no trouble until we bought our own place and opened a US bank account. Think these days if I didn't have a US account I would go for a prepaid debit card.