New cards offer convenience, including ATM usage, for travelers

New cards offer convenience, including ATM usage, for travelers
Tags: Debit / Credit
December 5, 2004

Boston Globe: Traveler's checks, like gift certificates, are moving from paper to plastic.

Both American Express and Visa now sell travel money cards, which are intended to combine the safety of travelers checks with the convenience of a card you can carry in your wallet.

The cards are prepaid, reloadable and available in dollars, pounds or euros. They can be used virtually anywhere the card brand name is accepted, including ATMs, and typically include other services such as passport and credit card replacement.

Stephanie Stegich, a spokeswoman for American Express, said sales of the TravelFunds Card have been strong since its debut in October. She declined to say how sales of the card compare with those of travelers checks, which totaled $19.2 billion last year.