travellers cheque credit card (updated)

[tezz7628]

as anybody tried this new travellers cheque credit card?

is it available now?

http://www10.americanexpress.com/sif...1,18622,00.asp

[blott]

According to the info on the website, it can only be shipped to a USA address and, as all the charges are in US$s and the phone numbers are all in the USA, it sound to me that UK residents won't be able to purchase it. The UK site version doesn't mention it at all so best check with an American Express Travel Service office I would think.

[tezz7628]

can i through the pages of the forum declare an interest in this topic

ever since first going to america in the 80's i've thought there has to be something better than travellers cheques

a couple of years ago i got round to thinking of the credit card facilities used in the states

last sept i commented to the cashier on picking up my travellers cheques £1500 worth of mostly $20 why cant we have credit cards for this type of thing

then hearing it was going to happen in november i found very interesting

i cant in any way promote particular companies on the site and wouldn't want to

but would be very interested in members comments both for and against the concept
obviously you know my views

i have emailed american express in manchester asking them if this is available in uk, or will it ever be

i will let you know the outcome

[steph_goodrum]

There was a similar thing available in the UK when we first started going to Orlando (it was about 97 I saw them) but at the time the only place you could top them up was at our local building society (Kent Reliance) which was fine but then they stopped the scheme and it would have meant finding some obsure bank which didnt have a branch anywhere near us. Of course with internet banking etc and being able to top up over the phone etc it would be a much more viable propostion I would think.
To be honest for a lot of us the limit of $2750 might be a bit low but it would be good not to have to carry travellers checks around.

[blott]

If this was your idea then well done with it but there's a set up fee of $14 and you won't get the best exchange rates with this. Also, as Steph has said, the $2750 would be of not much use to anyone who owns a home in Florida.

If I'm being honest, you can do much the same thing with a Nationwide credit card for which there's no fee, a good exchange rate, no foreign exchange fee and the one I have even pays me 1% cash back on everything I spend.

You can get AmEx travellers' cheques for free these days from other sources (even down to the Post Office) so why would anyone want to pay for them? Don't get me wrong, we used to get AmEx travellers' cheques for two and thought they were great but that was some time ago and things have moved on since then.

[tezz7628]

blott

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please don't think the idea is down to me
i am just saying i thought of it quite a while ago being fed up of having to sign all those checks

[blott]

It might have been if you mentioned it to a member of their staff... The member of staff probably got a reward for it in the company suggestion scheme! You might be surprised what happens to customer suggestions in companies and guest suggestions in homes!

[tezz7628]

blott

just to be clear to everyone

thats $14 for three years

i took £1500 for six weeks last sept which was around the $2200? mark
that $2750 is an allowance per person

this nationwide card you have to be a current account customer don't you to get the facilities you talk about

i've certainly made a mental note of it, but my credit card at the moment only charges 1% but i use the points i get to obtain a discount on the house insurance i get through the same company

i know what you are going to say

swings and roundabouts and each to his own

[blott]

No I'm not a Nationwide current account customer, I just applied for their credit card (as recommended by Chrisj - thanks Chris! ) and used it for the first time when I went to Florida in May. However, unlike a current account customer, it charges 1% for cash advances via an ATM. So you need some cash for the few small places that don't accept credit cards or get some AmEx travellers' cheques where they don't charge you anything.

I used to use my Barclaycard but they make a 2.75% charge for foreign purchases so, with the 1% back I got with the Nationwide credit card, I actually 'saved' 3.75% on everything I purchased with it.

No reason why you can't use your existing credit card for UK purchases and a Nationwide one for US purchases.

[tezz7628]

i to have had a lloyds tsb which used to charge 2.75%

i suppose the one disadvantage with credit cards over travel check/cards is you have to accept the transaction at the rate of that day

but travellers check/card you can pick and choose your exchange rate rather more