Holiday spending...Cash or Cards?

Well perhaps the answer is both.

There are more ways than ever to take your money abroad, with cash, travellers cheques and the increasingly popular FX cards, so what do you choose?

Ever useful, cash still has its place...

It may not be as safe as FX cards, but it’s still pretty handy to have a certain amount of cash with you when travelling. There’s always a chance that some shops or establishments won’t take cards – and in that case if you will be left high and dry without some cash to fall back on.

And buying foreign currency doesn’t have to mean a poor exchange rate, if planned in advance you can actually take advantage of some very competitive deals. Many of the specialist online travel money companies offer fairly decent rates (far better than the bureaux de change services you’ll find at the airport) and their services are designed so that there’s minimal fuss. You simply order online and they deliver the cash straight to your door.

FX cards, new flexibilty

Of course, cash can be easily lost or stolen, and it’s certainly not advisable to rely purely on this for all your holiday spending. That’s where FX cards come in.

A fairly new addition to the foreign exchange market, Travel FX Cards offer a secure way to spend in another currency without the additional charges you’d get by using your UK credit or debit card. You still have the flexibility though – most are linked with Mastercard or Visa which are accepted globally. Working like a ‘prepaid card’, you will benefit from the rate being fixed at the time you top up the card, so you know exactly what your spending and won’t be in for any nasty surprises when you get home.

By combining the two when travelling, you’ll get flexibility and reassurance so you can get on and focus on more important things...like enjoying your break!