One of the concerns of so many Brits taking summer vacations in other countries is how best to carry their money safely. Some vacationers depend on cash and traveller’s cheques, while others rely on using credit cards and debit cards. However, there are risks associated with all of these, especially when it comes to using plastic abroad. Barclays has come up with a safer alternative for using money abroad that is safe along with being easy and convenient to use.

For customers looking for a safe and easy alternative to carrying cash when they travel abroad, there is a pre pay travel card available. This eliminates the risk of customer’s losing their credit or debit cards or having them stolen. It is also a good way to set a budget for travelling and avoid the risk of spending more money than intended while abroad. These travel cards operate in the same manner as pre pay phone cards in that you can load them with cash before you go on holidays. You can use them until the amount on the card has been depleted.

The travel cards available at Barclays are free to use and customers can load them with whatever amount of cash they desire. There is a drawback however in that withdrawing the money through an ATM will carry a fee of 2% of the amount of withdrawal. There is a minimum fee of £1.50. If the withdrawal requires a conversion of funds to a different currency, there will be an additional charge of a 2.75% conversion fee. According to a spokesperson for Barclays ‘Pre-pay cards are safer than cash and more flexible than travellers’ cheques. Furthermore it helps holidaymakers budget for the spending on their trip by not allowing them to spend more than the balance on their card.’

There are other providers from whom you can obtain travel cards, such as the Post Office and Travelex. The Post Office cards carry a fee of £10 for the card itself and loading it with cash, while the Travelex fees are 2% of the amount being loaded onto the card with a minimum fee of £10.

Popularity: 25% [?]