Prepaid debit card for travel abroad

[tomthirtysix]

My mom is going to England next month, and is looking for some sort of prepaid card she can bring with her. She found one - Travelex Cash Passport - but everything I've read about it online says it's horrible. Constant website crashes, customer service never answering the phone so you can reload it, terrible exchange rates, a lot of places not accepting the cards.

I'm hoping someone here has used something like this in the past and could provide a little insight (not Phil). Thanks.

 

[Bsneed51]

I don't know about internationally, but we just went on vacation and had a $500 MasterCard preloaded gift card. We had no issues using it anywhere, and it was much better than carrying cash.

 

[redraider]

I have never used the pre-loaded cards, but I travel quite a bit internationally and my experience with American Express has been phenomenal. I know they sell "gift cards" as well.

 

[Aussie Shaun]

Here in OZ we can get a Visa Debit from our bank ( it's a credit card that uses your money ) dont know if US banks have it but it is worth looking into.

 

[Jamie76]

Generally when I travel abroad, I take 2 credit cards. I call the credit card companies prior to leaving to inform them of my travels so the accounts don't get flagged for suspicious activity.

I prefer using credit cards as they are generally safer and it is a lot easier to dispute fraudulent charges. Prepaid debit cards are ok, however, if you end up with the account getting drained, getting the money back can be an ordeal. I would imagine prepaid debit cards (like credit cards) will also get hit with foreign transaction fees.

 

[stlboarder]

I would also recommend a credit card rather than a prepaid debit.