More and more travellers and tourists from all around the world are using "travellers cheques" for their trips abroad. There is all kind of cheques, not only in European currency units and American, Australian or Canadian dollars, but also yen.

Thanks to this system, travellers no matter his/her age, may carry personalized money in their hands and, in case of any incidentals, may be reimbursed instantly. Once you had returned from your vacation, you could either return the cheques at our offices trading them for national currency or dollar bills, or keep them for future trips, as they do not have expiration date.

Below, we provide the answers for the most common questions our clients make when consulting this service. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How we use them?

We use them as if they were plain money. For example, if you have a U$S 20 (twenty dollars) cheque and you wish to buy food for an amount of U$S 18, then you hand the cheque to the cashier and he will give you a U$S 2 bill change.

Is it necessary to sign it beforehand?

Travellers Cheques has space for two signatures. One of them must be filled when purchasing the travellers cheques and the other one, when paying the cashier.

Must I write the date?

This is a vital point so that the cheque could be commercialized at any moment because it would not have an expiration date. If not so, the cheques will a have a 6-month applicability.

What should I do in case of loss or robbery?

First, you must notify the local authorities and then contact the company that issued the cheques ( Thomas Cook, American Express, etc). The amount reported will be reimbursed in Travellers Cheques within a short period of time (from one to four days)

How do I get the reimbursement?

The numbers and instructions necessary for the reimbursement are in the cheques' Purchase Insurance Copy. Reimbursements are executed in most countries, 24 hs. a day.

Are they practical and safe enough for my children to carry?

As teenage trips are more frequent nowadays (end of courses, sweet sixteen or studies with destination to Europe or the United States), it is common for teenagers to travel separated from their parents. This is why providing them of elements that would allow them to handle situations in an easy and secure manner as well as granting peace of mind to their parents, is so important. Travellers Cheques provides all of those guarantees; it is secure, easy to handle and practical when it comes to commercialize it.

Which are the available Travellers Cheques marks?

There are two available marks: Citicorp, Visa Citicorp, American Express and Thomas Cook.
            These two marks issue cheques in different currency units.

What can I do in case I travel to a country where the available Travellers do not match with the local currency unit?

We always advice our clients to purchase cheques in dollars.In most countries, these are accepted at the stores. If not so, they could be traded at the agencies of the cheque issuer or at the local banks.

How much is the Commission or Insurance I must pay when purchasing Travellers Cheques?

The rate charged at the time of the purchase is of U$S 12 (twelve dollars) for each U$S 1000 (a thousand dollars) that you buy.

Precautions

Gales Exchange House, as sales agent of the main Travellers Cheques' issuers, advice their clients to take the following precautions:

Keep the Purchase Agreement or Insurance in a separate place from the one you keep your Travellers cheques.

Fill in the second signature line only in front of the cashier

Read Purchase Agreement or Insurance terms, conditions and instructions very carefully..

It would be convenient to leave a copy of the Agreement or Insurance at home under a relative or friend's care.

Take a strict control of your cheques in order to know exactly which were spent and which were not. In this way, you will be able to identify them, without any trouble, in case of loss or robbery.

Below, we provide of a list of those Travellers Cheques available currency units. 

English Pounds -England

French Francs -France

Swiss Francs - Switzerland

Pesetas - Spain

Deutsche Marks - German

ECU - American European Union

American Dollars - USA

Canadian Dollars - Canada

Yen - Japan

Australian Dollars - Australia
 

If among the above questions you do not find the answer to the one you have, please do not doubt in contacting us and we will give you the answer via E-Mail, Fax, Telephone.

American Express Company

Thomas Cook