New Travel Money Cards
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You can get hold of a Travel Money Card in three ways. Each is very simple.
- In our travel app: order and store up to three Travel Money Cards in the Post Office travel app.
- Online: follow our application process to order your card online.
Delivery of cards ordered in the app or online will take 2-3 days. Once your card arrives you can link it to our travel app to manage on the go. - In branch: simply find a nearby Post Office branch and pop in to get your Travel Money Card there. Please remember to take a valid passport, UK driving licence or a valid EEA card to obtain your card, and you can take it away the same day.
Please note, you must be a UK resident over the age of 18 to obtain a Travel Monday Card.
Whichever way you choose to order your card, don't forget to activate it once it arrives. Full details of how to activate your card will be provided in your welcome letter, to which your card will be attached if it’s been sent in the post.
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No. We’ll carry out an electronic address verification check based on the information you provide. This will be stored but will not affect any credit rating.
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If you apply for a Travel Money Card online and your application is declined, please visit a Post Office branch to apply. If we can't verify your details in branch, you'll be issued with a zero balance card and we'll need to manually verfiy your identity before you can load it. An email will be sent to you within 24 hours explaining the next steps.
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You have to be 18 or over to buy a Travel Money Card.
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If you order your card online it will be delivered to your home address in two to three working days. If you require a card in a shorter time please check with your local Post Office branch. Exchange rates vary between online and branch.
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If you need a card urgently please check with your local Post Office branch. Exchange rates vary between online and branch.
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Use of the card is prohibited for all UK gambling transactions, any online gambling, including sports betting, online casinos and lotteries, and international money transfers. The card should not be used in transactions which cannot be authorised immediately, such as on board cruise ships or aeroplanes.
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Before leaving the UK, make sure you have activated your Travel Money Card. Activation can be done through the free Post Office Travel app – download now from the Apple App Store or Google Play. The app allows you to top up, track spend, view balances and freeze spend.
Activation can also be done by calling our automated line on +44(0) 20 7937 0280. Full details can be found on the letter that comes attached to you your card.
Getting started
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To get your PIN, download the free Post Office Travel app from the App Store or Google Play, create an account and you can check your PIN wherever you are in the world.
Open the card you wish to receive the PIN for. Tap on manage and follow instructions within 'View your PIN'.
Alternatively, you can call our automated line on +44 (0)20 7937 0280 and select Option 1. Your change of PIN can only be done at UK ATM’s that accept Mastercard and offer the PIN change facility.
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When you log into your online account, you'll see a 'Register my card' option. Complete the required information and your card will be registered.
If you need any assistance please call us using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280.
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You'll need to contact us using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. Your personal details can't be changed via the mobile app or website.
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You can have up to three active cards. All three can be viewed in the app or your online account.
Currency questions
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You can load any of the following currencies on to your card. The card can hold up to 22 currencies at once, but they can only be loaded one at a time:
Euro, US dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, New Zealand dollars, Thai baht, UAE dirham, Turkish lira, South African rand, Swiss francs, Polish zloty, pounds Sterling, Chinese yuan, Czech koruna, Danish kroner, Hong Kong dollar, Hungarian forint, Japanese yen, Norwegian krone, Saudi riyal, Singapore dollar or Swedish krona.
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We recommend you load the currency of the country you’re travelling to. If we don’t offer that currency we recommend you load pounds sterling onto your card instead.
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Yes, you can. Our multi-currency card allows you to load any of the 22 currencies we offer. If you load your card with pounds sterling (GBP), a load commission fee of 1.5% will apply. The minimum fee is £3 and the maximum is £50.
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No, you don’t have to move money. If you have money in one currency and spend in a different currency we’ll automatically move this for you to authorise a transaction. Or, if you wish, you can move the funds using the "Swap" icon in the free Post Office travel app, available on the App Store and Google Play. You can do the same when managing your account online via the "wallet to wallet transfer" icon.
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We recommend that you always pay in the local currency and not Sterling. This will prevent high fees and very poor exchange rates being applied at an ATM or retailer. This is known as Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). We include information about DCC in every card pack.
Limits and fees
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There's a minimum amount of £10 and a maximum of £5,000 per top up. The maximum balance per card is £10,000 at any time. The maximum annual balance is £30,000.
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If you load your card with pounds sterling (GBP), a load commission fee of 1.5% will apply. The minimum fee is £3 and the maximum is £50. We recommend topping up in the currency you'll be using while abroad.
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Yes, the following limits apply for all currencies the Travel Money Card supports.
Minimum top-up: £10
Maximum top-up: £5,000
Maximum balance: £10,000 at any time
Maximum annual balance: £30,000
Spending on your card
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If you experience any issues with your Travel Money Card please call us using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280.
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You'll need to clear your balance as soon as possible. You can contact us on +44 (0) 20 7937 0208 to make the payment over the telephone. Or you can make the payment online, top up using the mobile travel app, or at any Post Office branch.
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If you spot suspicious transactions on your card that you haven't made, please contact us immediately. Call the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. We can then inform you of the refunding process for any unauthorised transactions.
Using your card abroad
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Your card can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted.
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We have to authorise your card immediately, which means a small number of locations may not be able to accept it. This includes some road toll booths and on board cruise ships or aeroplanes. Please check the Travel Money Card terms and conditions for further information.
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We recommend not using your card to pay deposits on car hire or to check into hotels that need a deposit. Both could lead to funds being held by the retailer, which would prevent you from using them.
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Yes you can. You can use any ATM that accepts Mastercard. Fees will apply for every cash withdrawal and these fees are detailed online and in your welcome letter.
Please be aware some ATMs may charge you and this should always be displayed on the ATM screen. These charges will be in addition to the fees we charge.
We always recommend you withdraw cash in the local currency and don’t choose to pay in sterling or accept an ATMs currency conversion.
Topping up and managing your card
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The easiest way is via our mobile app, which is available to download from the App Store or on Google Play.
For security, your Travel Money Card isn't linked to your bank account when using in the app. Instead, you can top-up with a credit or debit card. Please be aware that some credit card providers charge for foreign currency purchases.
You can also top up via our website if you’ve created an account. And, if you find yourself stuck abroad and your funds are low, you can ask friends or family to top up on your behalf in any UK Post Office branch. All they need is your card number.
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The easiest way is to use our mobile app. This shows clearly what your remaining balance is in each currency. We do not recommend the use of ATMs to check your balance as they will provide a GBP figure using a different exchange rate. Remember, your balance is held in each currency so is not affected by exchange rates unless you change it to other currencies.
Download the Post Office Travel app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
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Yes, you can view your transactions via your online account or via your travel app account.
You’ll see a summary of your last 20 transactions displayed on the 'Cards' page in the travel app. To see more than the 20 shown by default, press the ‘View all’ button at the bottom of the screen to show all previous transactions.
Card and account assistance
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Your card will be renewed automatically if you've used it in the last 18 months. If your Travel Money Card is due to expire in 55 days or more, you can enable an automatic renewal by:
- Shopping using your remaining balance
- Topping up any currency on your card with a minimum of £10
If you're already within 55 days of your card expiry, call us on 0207 937 0280 to tell us you'd like to order a new card.
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If you'd like to delete your Post Office travel account, please call our customer support team on +44 (0)20 7937 0280. They're available 24/7.
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Please get in touch with our app support team using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. The team's available to help 24/7.
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If you experience any issues with your Travel Money Card please call us using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. Our team's available 24/7.
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There’s no charge when spending an available balance of a local currency supported by the card.
This means a €20 purchase from a retailer or online in Spain will cost you €20. This will be deducted from your euro balance.
To avoid unnecessary charges to your card, wherever asked, always choose to pay for goods or withdraw cash in the currencies of your card. This will avoid two exchange rate conversions, which would increase the total cost of your transaction. For example, if you’re using the card in Spain, always choose to pay in euros if offered a choice.
Cross border fee
Cross border fees are charges applied by financial institutions when you pay by card or withdraw cash in a foreign country. They cover the cost of converting your money into the local currency and any admin expenses.Our Travel Money Card is designed for use in countries whose currencies it supports. But if you use it in a country with a different currency, such as Brazil, you’ll be charged a cross border fee. This is because the card doesn’t support the Brazilian real.
The cross-border fee is set at 3% of the transaction amount.
For more information on cross border fees please visit our cross border payment page.
Maintenance fee
We’ll charge a maintenance fee of £2 per month on any remaining balance 12 months after the card has expired. To avoid this charge, please either renew your card or withdraw your remaining balance. The fee won’t be charged if your balance is zero.All Travel Money Cards are valid for up to 3 years. You’ll find the expiry date for yours on the back of the card.
Other fees
If you load your card with pounds sterling (GBP), a load commission fee of 1.5% will apply. The minimum fee is £3 and the maximum is £50.A cash withdrawal fee will be charged when withdrawing cash from a UK Post Office branch or from any ATM globally that accepts Mastercard. Some ATM owners will charge their own fees for withdrawing cash. These are in addition to the fees we charge.
Full details of our charges and fees, including currencies’ associated withdrawal limits and charges can be found in our Travel Money Card terms and conditions.
Available currencies, withdrawal limits and charges
EUR – euro
Max daily cash withdrawal: 450 EUR
Withdrawal charge: 2 EURUSD – US dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 USD
Withdrawal charge: 2.5 USDAED – UAE dirham
Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,700 AED
Withdrawal charge: 8.5 AEDAUD – Australian dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 700 AUD
Withdrawal charge: 3 AUDCAD – Canadian dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 600 CAD
Withdrawal charge: 3 CADCHF – Swiss franc
Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 CHF
Withdrawal charge: 2.5 CHFCNY – Chinese yuan
Max daily cash withdrawal: 2,500 CNY
Withdrawal charge: 15 CNYCZK – Czech koruna
Max daily cash withdrawal: 9,000 CZK
Withdrawal charge: 50 CZKDKK – Danish krone
Max daily cash withdrawal: 2,500 DKK
Withdrawal charge: 12.50 DKKGBP – Great British pound
Max daily cash withdrawal: 300 GBP
Withdrawal charge: 1.5 GBPHKD – Hong Kong dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,000 HKD
Withdrawal charge: 15 HKDHUF – Hungarian forint
Max daily cash withdrawal: 110,000 HUF
Withdrawal charge: 600 HUFJPY – Japanese yen
Max daily cash withdrawal: 40,000 JPY
Withdrawal charge: 200 JPYNOK – Norwegian krone
Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,250 NOK
Withdrawal charge: 20 NOKNZD – New Zealand dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 750 NZD
Withdrawal charge: 3.5 NZDPLN – Polish zloty
Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,700 PLN
Withdrawal charge: 8.5 PLNSAR – Saudi riyal
Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,500 SAR
Withdrawal charge: 7.50 SARSEK – Swedish Krona
Max daily cash withdrawal: 3,500 SEK
Withdrawal charge: 20 SEKSGD – Singapore dollar
Max daily cash withdrawal: 500 SGD
Withdrawal charge: 3 SGDTHB – Thai baht
Max daily cash withdrawal: 17,000 THB
Withdrawal charge: 80 THBTRY – Turkish lira
Max daily cash withdrawal: 1,500 TRY
Withdrawal charge: 7 TRYZAR – South African rand
Max daily cash withdrawal: 6,500 ZAR
Withdrawal charge: 30 ZAR -
If you experienced any issues with activating your Travel Money Card please call us using the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0208. Our team will be happy to help you activate your card.
Lost cards and leftover funds
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You need to call us immediately on +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. We’re here 24 hours a day.
We’ll cancel your card and work out the best way to replace it. A fee may be charged if we need to courier a replacement card overseas.
If you think you have misplaced your card and want peace of mind, you can freeze spend on your card using the Post Office Travel app, available on the App Store and Google Play. You can unfreeze just as easily if you find your card again.
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You have 4 options available to you:
- Leave the money on your card for your next holiday
- Visit any Post Office branch and withdraw the balance over the counter in Sterling. There is a daily withdrawal limit of £300 per day
- Spend your money in the UK as normal. We will move the money to Sterling every time you pay for something. Anything you don’t spend stays in the currency you have on the card. No fees apply, we just use the day’s exchange rate
- Call us to ask for a refund. Please note that you will get a better exchange rate by spending on your card or withdrawing cash from a Post Office branch
Getting a refund
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If you need to request a refund for the funds loaded on your Travel Money Card, follow these steps:
- Call the number on the back of your card, +44 (0) 20 7937 0280. We’ll guide you through the process
- You’ll need to provide your bank account number, sort code and confirmation that your trip has been cancelled, such as an email
- We’ll process your refund. Payments usually take 3 to 5 working days to appear in your account
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When speaking to our team about a refund you'll need evidence of any holiday cancellation. Please also have your bank account number and sort code to hand. Payments can take between 3 and 5 working days.
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Refund requests must be made within 28 days of buying your Travel Money Card. If you’ve missed that window but still want to change currency back to sterling, we offer commission-free currency buybacks on leftover notes if you bring your original Post Office receipt.
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Refunds are usually processed within 3-5 working days. This may take longer during widespread disruptions.
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Refunds are available on all purchases of foreign currency from Post Office Ltd (“Post Office”), whether online or in branch. Visit our refund guarantee page for more information.