STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card Review
Get easy access to your cash no matter where you are in the world with the STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card
The STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card is a prepaid card that you load using Australian dollars. You can then use this card to pay for purchases in the local currency anywhere Visa is accepted. Unlike most prepaid travel cards, you don’t have to exchange your Aussie dollars into the supported currencies before travelling. Instead, your Australian dollars will automatically be transferred into the local currency using the exchange rate that applies at the time of the transaction. Plus, you can look forward to saving on overseas transaction fees and some international ATM fees, which means you can put more of your money towards other travel expenses.
1% of the load amount
Initial Load Fee
1%
Reload fee
AUD
Available Currencies
Details
| Available Currencies | AUD |
|---|---|
| Multiple Currencies on One Card? | No |
| Number of Cards Issued | 2 |
| Minimum Load Amount | $100 |
| Maximum Load Amount | $15,000 |
| Maximum Load Amount (Annual) | $50,000 |
| 24 Hour ATM Cash Withdrawal Limit | $1,000 |
| 24 Hour Purchase (POS) Transaction Limit | $1,000 |
Reloading funds and currencies
The STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card is one of the only prepaid travel cards that doesn't require you to transfer your funds across to different currencies once you've loaded your card with Australian dollars. Instead, when you're travelling outside of Australia, your funds will automatically convert to the local currency using the exchange rate that applies at the time of the transaction. So if you're travelling in the UK and withdraw money from an ATM, you would receive British pounds. Your card would use the exchange rate applicable on the day and debit the corresponding amount from your prepaid balance of Australian dollars. Unlike most travel cards, you won't be charged a foreign currency conversion fee when making purchases overseas.
You have a few choices when it comes to loading and reloading your card. You can walk into any STA Travel Store in Australia and load money on your card using cash or a debit card. In-store loads will appear in your account straightaway. You can also log into the CashFLEX card online platform and load funds with your debit or credit card via an online transfer. You can also transfer funds onto your card via BPAY. Note that you'll be charged 1% each time you top up your card.
Where can you use this travel card?
You can use this prepaid travel money card wherever Visa is accepted, in over 200 countries and territories. This includes ATMs as well as Point of Sale (POS) terminals at hotels, restaurants and other kinds of businesses.
Unlike many other travel money cards, this card does not rely on Visa Worldwide PTE Incorporated exchange rates when you use your card outside Australia. Instead, it sets a day rate at the start of each day, so you know exactly what rate you'll get in advance. You can confirm the current STA Travel day rate online or over the phone.
Back to topFees and charges
You will incur fees from time to time when you use the STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card. Here's what you might have to pay in different situations:
| Fees and charges | Amount |
|---|---|
| Card purchase fee | $0 |
| Overseas transaction fee | $0 |
| Overseas ATM fees for withdrawals over $250 | $0. Note that there is a maximum daily withdrawal limit of $1,000. |
| Overseas ATM fees for withdrawals under $250 | $1.50 |
| In-store, online and BPAY loading fee | $1 load amount |
| Paper statement fee | $15 |
| Additional card fee | $0 |
| Replacement card fee | $5 |
| Dormancy fee | $4 per month (charged after inactivity on card for 12 successive months) |
| Cancellation or redemption fee | $0 |
| You can choose to link SMS services to this card. Some of them are fee-free, and some will cost you: | |
| Activate card | $0 |
| PIN reminder | $0 |
| Check balance by text | 0 |
| Load alerts | $0 |
| Card to card transfers | $0.40 |
| Lock or unlock your card | $0.40 |
Card limits
| Card limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Maximum card balance | $15,000 |
| Maximum in-store load (via debit/credit card) | $15,000 |
| Maximum in-store load (cash) | $5,000 |
| Maximum BPAY load | $20,000 |
| Maximum annual load | $50,000 |
| Maximum online credit card load (at any time) | $2,000 |
| Maximum online debit card load (at any time) | $2,000 |
| Maximum daily ATM withdrawal | $1,000 |
| Maximum annual ATM withdrawal | $50,000 |
| Maximum retail purchase (at any time) | $20,000 |
| Maximum retail purchase (annually) | $50,000 |
Manage your account
STA Travel lets you manage your account online, via SMS and over the phone.
- Online. Use the online platform to check your balance, review transaction history, load your card, move money between cards, and report your card as lost or stolen.
- SMS. You can manage your account from anywhere in the world using your mobile phone. All you need is the last four digits of your card along with the relevant text codes. Using these codes, you can activate your card, report it as lost or stolen, block it, get load alerts, check the balance, move money and get transaction details.
- Phone. You can speak to an STA Travel representative over the phone, 24/7, to get account-related information from within Australia or elsewhere in the world.
Security and emergency contact details
The ePayments Code governs your liability surrounding losses arising due to unauthorised transactions. The card provider does not hold you liable for such transactions if it is clear that you have not contributed to them in any way. In such a scenario, you'll get a refund for the unauthorised or incorrectly executed transaction almost immediately.
When you find out that your card is lost or stolen, contact the stolen and lost card hotline immediately on +44 207 101 6599.
Getting your card
- Ordering. You can order the card online or you can get it by visiting any STA Travel store.
- Loading. You have three options when topping up your card, although a reload fee of 1% applies for all:
- In-store. Pop into any STA Travel store in Australia and load money on your card instantly.
- Online. Log into your CashFLEX online account and click the 'Top Up' tab. Here, you can register your other bank cards to top up directly from your debit or credit card.
- BPAY. To reload funds with BPAY, you'll need to log into your online, mobile or phone bank and enter the BPAY biller code 223529 and your unique customer reference number. You can find your reference number in the 'Top Up via BPAY' section of your online account.
- Activating. You can activate your card by sending the word 'ACT' and the last four digits of your card number to 19911234 (if you've registered your mobile number with the card). Otherwise, you can call the Customer Care team on 1300 360 715.
- Closing. If you decided to close your card after you return from your trip, you'll need to contact the Customer Service team on 1300 360 715 to deactivate the card.
Benefits and drawbacks
Pros
- Global usage. You can use this card in most countries without worrying about whether or not you're carrying the local currency.
- Save on transaction fees. You can use this card to shop and pay bills without incurring any overseas transaction fees.
- Free additional card. You can get an additional card linked to the primary card for free. Getting one is easy; you can apply online or over the phone.
Considerations in choosing the STA Travel CashFLEX Visa Card
- Cannot load multiple currencies. This travel money cards lets you load only Australia dollars. This means you cannot benefit from fixed exchange rates before your travel. Instead, you have to depend on rates that fluctuate on a day-to-day basis.
- Reload fee. Not all cards charge a fee for loading and reloading the card, so this could cut into your travel budget.
- Hotel reservations. STA Travel advises against using the card for things like hotel reservations. The merchant may pre-authorise a set amount that is higher than the final bill. While the difference is refunded, it can take up to 14 days to credit your card, so you may prefer to use your credit or debit card for these types of transactions.
