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| Tuesday, 4 November 2003 |
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Thomas Cook Credit Card replaces Travellers Cheques by Shirajiv Sirimane For the first time Thomas Cook has introduced a plastic credit card replacing the traditional Travellers Cheques used by people travelling abroad.
According to CEO/General Manager, Thomas Cook India Ltd, Ananda Dhatabaya, this new card would be launched in Sri Lanka very soon. He said that people are reluctant to carry Travellers Cheques since a person has to waste time in a bank to encash the cheque and the service is not available 24 hours since the banks are open only for a few hours. He said that another reason behind introducing this card is that it can be simply put in the purse and needs only a Teller machine to withdraw the money. "People nowadays like to carry plastic money since it is safe," Dhatabaya said. He said that a person travelling abroad should first decide the amount he wants to spend abroad and then deposit it with Thomas Cook. "We will then issue the card to that value and the process is just like the old Travellers cheque system." He said that is simply a global ATM card.
Travellers around the world are reaching out for this innovative card, that lets you access your funds through VISA ATMs around the world. It's safer than cash, is as secure as Travellers cheques, along with the additional benefits only a PIN - protected ATM card can provide. You can also have multiple cards to access your funds. So money is always within easy and instant reach," he said. 'You can carry any amount from US $ 250 to US $ 15,000 on your card, depending on how much foreign exchange you are entitled to. Should you need additional funds, money can be reloaded on to your card. On your return, if you have any unspent money left on your Cash Passport card, you can encash it at the Thomas Cook office, he said. "If you are looking for a quick replacement/refund, the Cash Passport Customer Assistance Centre is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said. "When you need additional funds when you are abroad, your Cash Passport card can be reloaded or if you want to use your card again, you can choose to load more funds on to it for your next trip." Unlike with credit or debit cards, you know that you can't overspend and there will be no nasty surprise bills when you get home. And if you have money left on the card at the end of your travels, bring it back to the branch where you bought it and we can refund you the balance," he said. Thomas Cook is one of the world's leading international travel and financial services groups and serves over 20 million customers a year. The company also provides services to its customers at 4,500 locations in more than 100 countries and employs over 20,000 people. The Group encompasses 32 tour operators, about 3,600 travel agencies, a portfolio of 76,000 controlled hotel beds, a fleet of 87 aircraft and a workforce numbering some 28,000. In the 2001/2002 financial year the Group achieved sales of some eight billion euro and served more than 13 million customers. Forty- five percent of the turnover was generated in Germany, 33 percent in the UK and 20 percent in the sales markets of Western and Eastern Europe. The foundation for this i nternational leisure group was laid by the two shareholders, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (50%) and Karstadt Quelle AG (50%), by merging Condor Flugdienst Gmb H and NUR Touristic Gmb H (now known as TC Touristik Gmb H) at the beginning of 1998. |
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