Travelex chip and pin card
 

I recently purchased one of these cards for use during a trip to Europe in September. After receiving it I called the company with a general question. I was asked to specify a particular service (e.g. reload card, report a lost or stolen card) but did not respond, thinking that after a number of repetitions I would be transferred to a customer service representative. This didn't happen, and I finally gave up and sent an email with my question. For curiosity, does anybody know how to reach a human Travelex representative on the phone?

I can't help with the orginal quesiton, but out of curiosity, why did you buy these cards? Concensus here is that they are not a good idea.

You haven't said where you live (there are different phone numbers for each country) but you could try this page of their web site.

http://www.cashpassport.com/1/en/uk/...gency-Numbers/

I am aware of Travelex's contact numbers, but thanks anyway to adrienne. To Michel_Paris, I bought the Travelex card because my wife and I will be traveling all over the Netherlands during our trip there in September, I was afraid that our American credit and debit cards might not be accepted in some of the small towns, and I dislike carrying large amounts of cash. I'm aware that the exchange rate Travelex uses is a ripoff, so I minimized my loss by loading the card with the least amount of currency allowed by Travelex and by using Capital One as the funding source to avoid foreign exchange fees. Before buying the card I tried getting a chip and pin card from a Canadian bank within driving distance of my home, but the bank said I had to be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada to get one. As far as American banks go, I think it's a hopeless cause. I have hopes, though, that Walmart will issue a chip and pin debit card in the next few years.

I am getting ready to purchase one of these cards after hearing stories on another board regarding driving in France. The problem was unattended tollbooths and gas stations. As I understand, at least at the gas station - you can't just use cash. I remember a few of these gas stations last time we were in France about 3 years ago but it seemed easy to find another place that was attended. My understanding is they are more prevalent now, especially in rural areas and the American non-chip & pin card will not work at the machines. We are not usually the sort to worry about this kind of thing because it has not presented a problem for us in the past, so I would be interested in hearing specifically from anyone who has driven in France very recently and if you had any difficulties.

sjj,
thanks for update, I can see the logic.

I've been all over Europe, and have not had issues accessing ATMs or using a CC. All cirucmstances they could use my non-chip CC since I was dealing with a person, not a machine.
I now have a chip card.

I guess the question to be asked is how common are unattended gas stations in France.

You can still use Amercian CCs (or cash), but just with a live person.

sjj,

Sorry to hear about your failed attempt to open a Canadian bank account.

Which bank was it? Canada Trust/Toronto Dominion have told me all they require for an American to open an account is a passport and one other piece of photo ID. You can even open an account in US dollars but you can't use an ATM. For that you need a Canadian dollar account so although you'll lose on the exchange at least you'll have a chip and pin card.

Things change but try phoning the closest branch of one of the above and ask. I find it hard to believe one needs to be a citizen or resident... I suspect the bank you contacted was misinformed.

Regarding the Travelex number... I find with most automated systems hitting the zero button usually results in a live operator.

ParisAmsterdam, thanks for your help, particularly about the Canada Trust/Toronto Dominion bank. The Royal Bank of Canada customer service representative may have been misinformed, but was most emphatic about refusing my request to get one of their credit cards. I'll try your suggestion about the Travelex number and see what happens.

Just for fun I called the US/Canada Travelex phone number and followed the prompts for a lost/stolen card. After that prompt there are other prompts for other services. I pushed #3 (for reloading my card) and got an agent. There may have been an interim prompt before I pressed #3 - can't remember. The entire call took 1.5 minutes to get to an agent. Anyway - persevere and you will get to a person who will help you.

Thanks, adrienne.

I use CIBC in Canada, they have chip-ed VISA cards.

<<I was afraid that our American credit and debit cards might not be accepted in some of the small towns, and I dislike carrying large amounts of cash.>>

Your fears were/are unwarranted. There's no need to carry large amounts of cash. ATM machines are everywhere in the Netherlands, and your American credit cards will be accepted everywhere, with the possible exception of Amex in the countryside. There was no need to fund Travelex's coffers. You would have been fine without that expensive card.

StCirq - can you address my concerns about driving without a chip and pin card? I was going to load a Travelex card with the minimum just to be sure we could go to an unmanned gas station if necessary and/or pay at tollbooths. I was under the impression that the unmanned/cashless machines for those two items were more prevalent now.

And just to clarify above - this is in reference specifically to driving in France. We had no problems a year ago in Spain but understood that France, especially in rural areas, may be different.

I've never had a problem finding an attended gas station in France, but I guess it depends what is meant by rural areas. I wasn't in the middle of nowhere many miles from a town. But I was in smaller towns in Provence and never had a problem, in Provence you are never that far from civilization if you are around Cavaillon, the Luberon, etc. I always rent small cars (automatics) that get good mileage so I don't have to fill up that often as I don't do long distance driving all day or something like that. I don't wait until I am almost out of gas before filling up.

I've never rented anywhere but Provence. I don't remember going through a toll both on my last trip, I wasn't on the super highways. I was on the A7 or A51 out of Marseille, but don't actually remember any toll booths, but I could be wrong

Hi AT,

>The problem was unattended ... gas stations.

We solve that problem by filling up on Saturday, when nearly all gas stations are staffed, even if we don't need it.

A couple of years ago we discovered Italian fuel stations where the machines accepted cash. Ditto in CH.

((I))

We drove in France for two weeks in June using toll roads and buying gasoline without a chip and pin card. Toll booths accept cash so we made sure we had sufficient cash while traveling. Attended stations will accept an American credit card (MC and Visa). We found attended gasoline stations in towns of any size at all and made sure we had a full tank before exploring rural areas. We found that the large department/discount stores (think WalMart-type) usually have attended stations attached although they tend to close around 8 p.m. and on holidays. You'll be fine without a chip and pin card if you do a little planning ahead.

All it takes is a bare minimum of planning to avoid finding yourself at an unmanned gas station in France. If you're smart enough to plan a trip to France, surely you can handle filling your car up on a day other than Sunday or at a gas station that is staffed. I have never once, in more than 100 trips to France, had an issue with getting gas, and I've never had a chip-and-pin card. It's just not an issue.

I seem to have offended StCirq by my wimpishness in getting a Travelex card. If so, I apologize.

No, I'm not offended in the least. It's not my money that paid for it. Just trying to enlighten you as to the fact that those cards are not a good deal and, if getting gas is your concern, to the fact that that's not a logical reason to purchase one.

Thank you for your replies about unmanned gas stations and tollbooths.

Christina - we will be driving in Provence and that was exactly where I was wondering what the situation was as we've never been there before. And I'm glad to hear from another poster that they found the tollbooths to be manned and/or accepting cash. I'm not sure which roads we're driving from Dijon but I didn't want to be surprised. Thanks again.

Frankly, I am often on the road on Sundays and holidays and I would be quite worried if I could not use the automatic pumps. It's true also that I am a cheapskate and do not like paying 0.20€ more per liter of fuel. However, this is probably just a very minor blip in the travel budget of most people.

Never ever on a Sunday, a Sunday...and rarely at lunch.

In the three weeks we were driving in "rural France" last June, we only had a problem with finding an attended station once. It was in Fumel during the lunch hour on a Saturday. Per local advice, it was the closest town that even had attended stations near Chateau Bonaguil and we didn't want to chance finding anything en route to the Dordogne. There were several supermarches with pumps, but we had to drive around a bit before we could find one with an attendant before 2 p.m. I guess it's just something for which traveling Americans need to have a contingency plan while on the road until our CC companies get with the program.

kerouac, I always make sure I have enough gas so I don't have to worry about filling up on Sunday. As I said, when I'm on vacation, I'm never doing that kind of long distance driving that I could use up a tank in one day, anyway. If I did have to, no, 20 centimes per liter wouldn't bother me as I only rent cars with small tanks to begin with. Also, I think what bothers you is different on a vacation than in regular life. IN regular life, yes, I plan and know where the cheapest gas stations are for filling up all the time, on vacation, that isn't a priority to worry about that.