Pre Loaded Cards

[Dee Sa]

I am going to Las Vegas in November and as I am an old biddy I want to know would I be better off taking a pre loaded card with my dollars on it, if so how do I go about this ? or good old fashioned travellers cheques which I have always done before ?
what would happen if I got there and the ATM refused my pre loaded card ? could this happen or are they safe ?

[kvalidir]

To be honest whenever I go abroad I just take come local currency in cash and use my own bank cards, informing the bank first that I'll be going obviously, because at least that way if there is a problem they usually have safeguards in place. I know people who use preloaded cards and swear by them but like you I'm a littler concerned what would happen if things went wrong with them.

[boxtops]

I can't help with best practice in the US as we've never been, but in Europe we just take our normal bank cards (making sure that there's not a lot of money in the account before we go!), and just use the ATMs when we get there.

[sherrardk]

We used a pre-loaded card and dollars when we went. I think you do the card over the internet and we had no problems.

[Maydup]

I took cash and the withdrew some more halfway through the week from an ATM with my regular debit card.

[Maydup]

PS. Not from an ATM in a casino though, ridiculous fees. Use the regular ones at Bank America etc, plenty around.

[Peter Pedant]

Years ago. I took a lot of cash and found they wanted a credit card instead.

Remember to tip in cash and remember they want 15% as a right

[gingejbee]

As usual, Which? has the best advice on these...including the best ones to get....

http://www.which.co.uk/home-and-garden/leisure/guides/travel-money/using-prepaid-cards-for-spending-abroad-/