ive got to get from Australia to Turkey to view, photograph & experience *again* the most remarkable feeling..seeing..*other than childbirth* of the Total Solar Eclipse in Turkey, in 2006. I would like to travel the surrounding areas for 3 months, and many goals to achieve before i can go.. But i start by manifesting Dreams ~ into Reality, today. Visit ECLIPSE 2006 for full Eclipse/Turkey feature.


Click for Antalya, Turkey Forecast

Sunday, March 12, 2006

How to save on costs for cash on the move - PrePaid Cash Cards

PREPAID CASH CARDS

Prepaid cash cards, such as Travelex's Cash Passport and EMerchants' CashCow card are gaining in popularity. The key advantage: you can set a spending limit before you leave.

Travelex charges 1 per cent to load the card and $3.75 for ATM withdrawals, while EMerchants' CashCow card is 25 cents to load and $2 for ATMs.

Travelex Australasia director of business services Nigel Adams says you can put money in Australian dollars, British pounds, euros and American dollars on to your Cash Passport. You can also buy the card in advance when the exchange rate is favourable. His company sells six cards to every one travellers' cheque.

'You can buy a card which is euro-based, then simply find a Visa ATM to dispense your cash,' he says. 'You can also take multiple cards. If you are going to Asia first you could take an Australian-dollar-based card and another in pounds for Britain.'


You can reload the card via your bank, the internet or BPay, using the card number as your reference number. The minimum load is $250, the maximum $25,000. There is no signature panel on the card so if you lose it no one can access your cash unless they have your PIN.

'When we did our research, foremost in people's minds is that the product is convenient to use and secure,' Adams says. 'What people tend to do is use a credit card backed up by a Cash Passport or they put their holiday money onto the Cash Passport.

What are the downsides to prepaid cards?

You have to find the required ATM to withdraw cash. If you are travelling to destinations such as Cambodia, where ATMs are scarce, you may be better off using a combination of travellers' cheques, credit cards and US dollars cash.

Cash is king in many places in the Caribbean, Africa, South America and at Asian markets, Wright says.

How else can you trim costs?

You can make savings by restricting the number of ATM transactions as this form of withdrawal is usually the most expensive.

Posted by Spidey at 12:55 AM

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