FairFX card - taking the hassle out of holiday spending

When travelling abroad I have always relied on a combination of cash, credit cards and travellers' cheques but in recent years I have found it increasingly difficult to find places that will change the cheques, whilst additional credit card charges soon add up if you use your card regularly whilst out of the country. With a lengthy holiday in France planned, I was therefore keen to try a pre-loaded currency card that can be used in shops and restaurants as a debit card (wherever Mastercard is accepted) as well as to withdraw cash at ATMs.
 
I received a euro card (you would need a separate card for dollars) and found the card really simple to load up via the FairFX website which is accessed by entering your email address and password. You can also register to top-up via SMS free of charge which I didn't do but will definitely do before my next trip: you can then top up your card whilst away for the price of a text message without the need to log on to your account.
 
I had no problems with any outlets refusing to accept my card when using it as a debit card and was also able to easily withdraw cash from ATMs. Getting cash in this way was so convenient, particularly whilst spending a few days in rural France where I would have wasted precious time and had real difficulties in finding anywhere to cash travellers' cheques.
 
If you are using your FairFX card to both withdraw currency and as a debit card it is obviously important to stay on top of your current balance. This is very straightforward as you can view your statement online (although it can take a little while to finalise transactions so until they appear on your statement, it looks like your balance is higher than it actually is!) or you can obtain your balance by text (50p charge + SMS cost each time you use it).
 
I found the card an absolute godsend as it saved me so much time and hassle, and also money. On that point, FairFX offer really competitive exchange rates for both their card and for currency. On the day that I loaded up my card I found that FairFX rates were the best available and so also ordered my currency online too, and it was delivered to my home the next day.

FairFX cards (www.fairfx.com)  are chip/pin protected for security and if lost or stolen can be cancelled immediately