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 charges 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 debit card. You “load” your holiday spending money onto it in advance (at a participating retail outlet) and for the first time a foreign currency MasterCard is available in Euros or British Pounds. Then you can use it at millions of ATMs and retailers to access your money quickly and safely across the world.
Which currency card should I take?
The prepaid Euro card is the obvious choice for European countries, and likewise the British Pounds option will be best for the UK. In other countries or areas the US Dollar option may be best.
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?
With a new foreign currency MasterCard Cash Passport you can withdraw local currency at any MasterCard® ATM in the world or use it at MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus accepting retailers. Click here to view the MasterCard ATM locator if you have a MasterCard Cash Passport.
The US Dollar Visa Cash Passport can be used at over 1 million Visa ATMs and millions of retailers who accept Visa around the world.
What if my card does not work at the ATM?
The MasterCard Cash Passport should work in any machine carrying the MasterCard, Maestro, or Cirrus Acceptance Marks while the Visa card works at over 1 million Visa ATMs. If it doesn’t the card may be faulty and you can get 24/7 help from Travelex via the Global Assistance Emergency 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?
In most situations, your card is automatically activated within minutes of purchase at the selling agent or landing after a flight if you purchased your Cash Passport at an airport location. After your purchase, simply call the number on the back of the card to obtain your PIN number. If you wait until you reach your destination simply call the toll free phone number for that country (you must dial the number exactly as shown, you do not need any country codes). If you do not obtain your PIN right away, you are still able to use the card to make purchases.
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 Cardholder 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 travelers’ cheques or credit and debit cards?
Cash Passport offers all the peace of mind and security of traditional travelers’ cheques, but convenient around the world. 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?
The MasterCard Cash Passport in Euros or British Pounds can be reloaded at any Travelex Retail location that sells the cards within the US and through Cardholder Services. The US Dollar Cash Passport can be reloaded online.
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 your card e.g. MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus if you have a MasterCard Cash Passport. 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 authorize the payment.
What is pre-authorization?
In some places (usually hotels or for car hire) you may be asked for your card as “pre-authorization” 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 Cardholder Support are available here.
What are the charges and limits of Cash Passport?
Please click here for full details of the charges and limits.
Can I get cashback with my Cash Passport?
Yes you can in certain situations. For example, if your purchase was for $150 but you want $200 in cash the order would be processed for $350. These types of transactions are typically in retailer stores. You may also visit a local bank and ask for cashback from your card rather than from an ATM.
When my card expires, what do I do?
You have two otions: one is visit your selling agent and transfer the balance of your account to a new Cash Passport card; the other is to cahsout the balance of your existing card from your selling agent or withdraw from an ATM to 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 an ATM, eg Visa ATMs for Visa cards. Alternatively, you can take your card back to the place you bought it and have your balance refunded, less any applicable fees.
How do I withdraw my remaining cash if it is too small for an ATM to issue?
At any time before your Cash Passport has expired, you may be able to close your card through a selling agent. An administrative fee will be charged for this service. Payment is available in the currency of the card, but if you wish to obtain payment in a different currency, foreign exchange rates of the selling agent will apply.
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.
