Frequently Asked Questions
How does Cash Passport work?Which currency card should I take?
Where can I use the card?
What if my card does not work at the ATM?
What if the ATM only accepts a six-digit PIN?
How do I activate my card?
How do I register my card online?
How can I check my balance, view my transaction history or change my PIN?
How secure is Cash Passport?
What if my Cash Passport is lost or stolen?
How does Cash Passport compare to traveler’s cheques or credit and debit cards?
How do I reload my Cash Passport?
Why is Cash Passport not Chip & PIN enabled?
Can I use my Cash Passport to purchase online?
What if my card hasn’t got all the money I need to buy something?
What if my card is declined?
What is pre-authorization?
What do I do if I find an incorrect transaction on my card?
How can I contact Cardholder Support?
What are the fees and limits of Cash Passport?
Can I get cashback with my Cash Passport?
When my card expires, what do I do?
How do I close my account?
How do I withdraw my remaining cash if it is too small for an ATM to issue?
Do I receive paper statements?
How does Cash Passport work?
Cash Passport is a prepaid currency card. You “load” your holiday spending money onto it in advance (at a participating retail outlet) in Euros, US Dollars or British Pounds, then use it at millions of Visa ATMs and retailers across the world to access your money quickly and safely.
Which currency card should I take?
The prepaid Euro card is the obvious choice for European countries, and likewise the US Dollar option will be best for the United States. In other countries or areas the British Pounds option may be best, but click here for more detailed advice.
No matter which currency you choose you can still use Cash Passport worldwide to withdraw local currency. The system will automatically convert your stored currency to the local one, for instance from British Pounds to Indian Rupees.
Where can I use the card?
Withdraw local currency at any Visa ATM in the world: there are more than a million to choose from. To check on their location visit Visa ATM locator.
What if my card does not work at the ATM?
The card should work in any machine carrying the Visa logo. If it doesn’t the card may be faulty and you can get 24/7 help from Travelex via the Global Emergency Assistance numbers.
What if the ATM demands a six digit PIN?
Cash Passport uses a standard four digit PIN, but in some European locations you may be asked for a six digit PIN when you use an ATM. Simply add two zeros to the end of your PIN.
Note that if you make three invalid PIN entry attempts the card will be blocked for 24 hours, though you can always get it released by calling the Travelex Global Emergency Assistance helpline.
How do I activate my card?
Your card is automatically activated within minutes of purchase.
How do I register my card online?
Go to My Account on the Travelex Cash Passport web site and click the ‘Sign up’ button. You’ll be prompted to enter the primary card number. If you have more than one Cash Passport card ignore the last digit on each one and pick out the card with the lowest number: that’s your primary card.
Once you’ve signed in you can view your transaction history, change your PIN and manage your account.
How can I check my balance, view my transaction history or change my PIN?
You can manage these everyday aspect of your account online as soon as you’ve registered online at My Account, or you can call one of the Card Services numbers (they’re on the back of your card). Please note that you cannot change your PIN at an ATM.
How secure is Cash Passport?
Cash Passport is PIN and signature protected. To reduce the threat of fraud it doesn’t reveal any personal information and it’s completely separate from your bank account.
For more information about the security features please click here.
What if my Cash Passport is lost or stolen?
The 24/7 Global Emergency Assistance will get you back in control of your money. Instructions are available here.
How does Cash Passport compare to travellers’ cheques or credit and debit cards?
Cash Passport offers all the peace of mind and security of traditional travellers’ cheques, with more convenience worldwide. It also makes it much easier to stay in control of your holiday budget than a standard debit or credit card: you can only spend the pre-loaded balance and with fixed ATM fees it’s easier to manage your overseas spending.
How do I reload my Cash Passport?
You can transfer funds to your card by calling Card Services on 0845 300 2449, online, at Travelex branches or at the participating retail outlets of the retail where you bought the card (for instance Thomas Cook or Sainsbury’s). You can do this at any time during the three year life of the card.
Why is Cash Passport not Chip & PIN enabled?
We want to keep things simple and convenient. Cash Passport is designed to be used abroad where the use of Chip varies widely. The PIN and signature requirements will give full protection to your card’s balance.
Can I use my Cash Passport to purchase online?
You can shop to your heart’s content (and the cash limit of your card) at any retailer who accepts Visa Electron cards. For your security you may be asked to provide the security code that’s printed on the signature strip on the back of the card.
What if my card hasn’t got all the money I need to buy something?
You can use your Cash Passport to make a partial payment, and cover the balance with some other payment method. Just make sure you tell the cashier before you start the transaction and confirm the amount you want deducted from your card. The cashier should process your Cash Passport payment first, and then accept the remainder of the balance in whichever way you want to pay.
What if my card is declined?
This should only happen when you don’t have enough money on the card to cover the purchase (though you can always use what money you do have on the card to make a partial payment – see above).
Be aware that some retailers such as restaurants and mail order companies may require the card to have an available balance greater than the purchase amount before they will authorise the payment.
What is pre-authorisation?
In some places (usually hotels or for car hire) you may be asked for your card as “pre-authorisation” of your final payment. We don’t recommend you agree to this, because some of these companies may estimate your final bill and deduct money against that estimate for up to seven days, leaving you without access to the money held for other things. You can of course use the card to settle the final bill when it becomes due.
What do I do if I find an incorrect transaction on my card?
You’ll need to download and complete our transaction query form. Click here for further details.
How can I contact Cardholder Support?
Full details of how to contact Card Services are available here.
What are the fees and limits of Cash Passport?
Please click here for full details of the fees and limits.
Can I get cashback with my Cash Passport?
No, cashback is not available on Cash Passport.
When my card expires, what do I do?
You can either transfer your account and any funds to a new card or cashout the balance and close your account.
How do I close my account?
If you would prefer not to keep your card for another trip, you can withdraw your remaining balance from a Visa ATM or you can cashout the balance to your bank account. An administrative fee applies. (See clause 5 of your Terms and Conditions)
How do I withdraw my remaining cash if it is too small for an ATM to issue?
For full details for cashouts or closing Cash Passport accounts click here.
Do I receive paper statements?
We don’t provide paper statements but you can always view your transactions and statements in your secure account areas online, and print those details at your convenience.
