How a Forex Card Came to My Rescue in Canada
How can a man know what a day may bring? That is to say that, just as a child learns to walk by “walking”, certain things in life are better learnt through practical application. One such thing for me has been the importance of a Forex Card.
“My dear friend Chirag swore by it as being the ‘Overseas Travel Saviour’”
Having made a couple of international trips in the past, I was familiar with Travellers’ Cheque and Credit Cards but it was only in the autumn of last year that I came to know of a Forex Card (go ahead and call me antediluvian) when my dear friend Chirag swore by it as being the ‘Overseas Travel Saviour’”.
At a time when my wife and I were in a fix about the budget of our trips to Hawaii, Georgia and Canada, Chirag’s claim came as a salve to our wounded finances. He walked us through the entire concept of a Forex Card: what it is, its benefits and how I could get one.
“I could leave behind my worries and the hassle of dynamic conversion fees and foreign transaction fees”
What stood out to me and won me over at the time (probably because I was in need of a monetary quick fix) were the benefits of locked-in exchange rates – I could leave behind my worries and the hassle of dynamic conversion fees and foreign transaction fees, I could save around 3% of the total amount in every transaction I made abroad, and make easy withdrawals from any Visa or MasterCard powered ATM.
Convinced with what I was told, I went right ahead and applied for an IndusInd Forex Card. As I was travelling to two different countries, I opted for the multi-currency Forex Card which comes with the facility of uploading 14 of the world’s most widely used currencies. The entire procedure was online via IndusForex which meant less paperwork and nuisance, and took only 48 hours to complete. What’s more, they sent me the card through courier which, in the middle of a chaotic schedule, was of immense help.
“Since the Forex Card is accepted by around 28 million merchants worldwide, I could make all sorts of payments”
From the very beginning of our journey, we could see the Forex Card for what it was: a blessing. First of all, I was as merry as a lark for not having to fret over huge volumes of cash in my wallet. And then, the card’s security features (Forex Cards are similar to Debit and Credit Cards in that they use a PIN to gain access) and not having to pay any transaction fees totally put me at ease. Since the Forex Card is accepted by around 28 million merchants worldwide, I could make all sorts of payments, from hotel bills to shopping. What else could a man ask for!
We had our fill of fun and frolic in Georgia and Hawaii but it was in Canada that things “apparently” went downhill. Though we took heed of Chirag’s words and set out with 20% of Forex in the form of cash and the remaining 80% in our card, overindulgence in shopping (my wife of course!) and laxity in keeping track of our balance online led to both empty pockets and empty card wallets. This, we realized at around 11:30 at night just before we were to vacate the hotel. All had gone well until then but the final lap of our journey had taken an unpleasant turn, or so I thought.
“I was frantically looking up for someone back in India to refill my Forex Card not realizing that my “doom” was an illusion”
And as they say, “Often in the wake of impending doom, even your intellect gives up on you”, I was frantically looking up for someone back in India to refill my Forex Card not realizing that my “doom” was an illusion. After a while of panic-stricken grappling, my wife reminded me of the easy reload option online where I simply had to log in to my Forex Card account and specify the amount I wished to reload. Also, being an online facility, this feature was accessible 24*7.
“It did end up being my ‘Overseas Travel Saviour’”
Having done the same, we finally packed our luggage and had a peaceful sleep. By the time we were ready to check out of the hotel in the morning, my Forex Card had been successfully refilled. We safely made our way back to India where I was able to encash the balance amount. Had it not been for the Forex Card, I fear to think what the scenario would have been like. It did end up being my ‘Overseas Travel Saviour’!
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