Give the kids spending power safely
20 July 2008
One of the biggest concerns for families travelling abroad with teenagers is being able to give them the freedom to do their own thing, without putting them at risk, and controlling their spending. A new service from international foreign currency specialist, ICE (International Currency Exchange) tackles this problem. The new ICE Travellers Cashcard means there’s no need to worry about managing the holiday budget, while giving every member of the family the opportunity to pay for attractions abroad and shop for the ultimate souvenir.
“Every family knows that keeping up with who’s spending what can be a bit of a headache, making it tempting to just hand out cash to keep everyone quiet,” explains Andrew Hamilton, Head of Marketing for International Currency Exchange, “but this does present some risks. With the ICE Travellers Cashcard, a prepaid MasterCard, a family could have up to five cards to use so that everyone can have access to their holiday money. Because the prepaid card is PIN protected, it also means that you don’t have to risk your main credit or debit card abroad.”
Accepted at over 25 million ATMs, shops and restaurants in over 120 countries worldwide, the ICE cashcard carries the MasterCard brand and will be accepted wherever travellers see the logo displayed. The card can be preloaded with the currency of the traveller’s choice ( Sterling , Euro or US Dollar), so there’s no need to worry about credit card charges and exchange rates, and it can be topped up online if need be.
“We understand the hassle associated with making sure your money is safe while abroad” continued Andrew Hamilton. “Our prepaid card provides travellers with a system that’s secure and easy to use. The recent numbers on card fraud for 2007 will leave many people worried about using their credit cards abroad.
A 77% increase to over £200 million in overseas card fraud on UK cards’ stolen details*, would suggest a degree of caution is needed. The ICE Travellers cashcard provides the security that people need, because unlike a credit card it can only be used up to the funds on it and unlike a bank debit card it won’t cause a lot of problems with your current account if the details are stolen. These factors make prepaid cards in general a low target for the card fraudsters and provide peace of mind to our customers.”
Hamilton added “It’s really easy to apply for the ICE Travellers cashcard. All customers need to do is log on to www.iceplc.com with their passport or driver’s licence handy and it just takes a few minutes to run through the online application. There’s no need to send any forms through the post or get certified copies of their documents.”
Hamilton concludes, “It’s nice for parents to be able to give kids a little bit of freedom when they’re in an exciting foreign country - without breaking the budget. The ICE Travellers Cashcard allows family members an opportunity to learn about managing money. The prepaid card system takes the worry out of keeping money safe while abroad, offering all members of the family a tool that’s secure and easy to use.”