Travel is booming in the boomiest way possible (heck yes to all those reports of sales higher than 2019). This makes now the time to get your ancillary revenue sorted. You loved the news about Cash Passport’s scrapped fees so we tracked down their Director of Account Management, Steve Callaghan, to gift you some Cash Passport insider tips.
With 10 years in the travel industry money biz and nearly 15 years at Mastercard, Steve Callaghan knows a thing or two about travel dollars.
We knew he’d have some great stories, and he did not disappoint.
What has the agent feedback been like about Cash Passport?
“Cash Passport gives agents peace of mind by protecting their client’s travel dollars with a safe, secure, and supported solution. They know Aussies love to travel, and when they travel, they love to spend money! Nothing can ruin a holiday faster than not having access to your saved-up travel cash – whether it’s lost, stolen, a damaged card, or being caught in fraudulent activity.
The most common praise we receive is how agents love Mastercard’s zero liability fraud policy. They also enjoy that we can replace cards in destination, provide emergency backup funds to almost anywhere in the world, and that our team is a phone call away 24/7.
Since launching the new Cash Passport mobile app, we’re getting a ton of positive feedback on its biometric security features and for its user-friendly capabilities.”
What do the recent changes to Cash Passport’s fees mean for the Australian traveller?
“In a travel landscape filled with increased costs, it’s an ideal time to offer a product that represents greater value to the traveller. In fact, we have reduced Cash Passport’s exchange rates and completely removed the majority of our fees.
One fee removed was the cost to transfer any unspent balance on the Cash Passport back to the customer’s bank account free. Also, there’s no cost to transfer funds from one Cash Passport to another, nor to load a card.
We offer all this plus a commitment to ensure the funds are available to keep travelling. Alongside what we believe is the best consumer offering and support to any Australian traveller.”
You’ve been with Mastercard for close to 15 years, what’s been the highlight of your time?
“So many highlights! Mastercard is a great company to work for and is committed to connecting people and partners to Priceless possibilities.
I would say that working with the travel industry would win hands down as the highlight of my career. I have met so many great, smart, and interesting people, and shared amazing experiences through promoting and showcasing Cash Passport in incredible destinations. You truly get to know people and build lasting memories and friendships, when you travel together.
One recent highlight springs to mind. Mastercard has been a sponsor of The BRIT Awards at the O2 Arena in London. In February 2020, just before Covid shut down the world, we partnered with British Airways to take 10 Cash Passport travel agents to the BRITS and also participate in a Mastercard Priceless experience in London. It was a real once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
What’s your number one tip for agents selling Cash Passports?
“When I ask our top performing agents how they achieve such great results selling Cash Passport, they share this tip: offer it!
Almost all our top performers tell us they simply ask their customers if have a solution for their travel money.
Travel Money is an important aspect for your customer to get right when they are travelling. You would be amazed how many people show up at the airport and pay huge margins for foreign cash or take cards that don’t offer them the protection and value they need.
Not every customer will say yes, but you’ll be surprised at how many do. They simply haven’t considered this important aspect of their trip. Nor the possible consequences of travelling without a smart, safe, and secure currency solution.”
Are there facets of Cash Passport that you think are underutilised?
“Cash Passport is jam-packed with features to manage your holiday money. The app is fantastic for transferring cash between currency purses, and for its budgeting tools, low balance alerts, and safety features.
Cash Passport also gives you access to Mastercard Priceless offering money-can’t-buy experiences around the world.
The feature that I think is most underutilised, however, is the one I use most myself – card-to-card transfer. This is a great (free) feature when splitting a bill (in any currency) or if you have kids travelling and want to help them budget.
I’ll offer one more bonus tip: lock and load the exchange rate when the Aussie Dollar is performing well! This underutilised Cash Passport benefit helps travellers stay in control of the exchange rate for their spending money.”
Do you have any travellers’ tales about Cash Passport?
“So many stories, though there are a couple that stands out: one great, one not so great!
An agent shared a story of a client who was holidaying in Europe. This lady’s handbag was stolen while she was admiring the view of the Eiffel Tower. She was, of course, distraught.
Thanks to her savvy agent recommending Cash Passport, this frantic traveller was able, with one phone call to our 24/7 support, to block her card, arrange nearby emergency funds, and get a replacement card delivered less than 48 hours later. She was able to keep on dining, shopping, travelling, and making the most of her European holiday without missing a beat.
The other not-so-great story was from a friend of mine. I recommended he get a Cash Passport, but he didn’t take my advice and travelled with his existing cards. He was skiing in Italy and lost his wallet. His cards were gone, his cash was gone, and he didn’t know what to do next. His bank stopped his cards and ordered replacements – for his home address in Sydney, some 16,000+ kilometres away!
My mate then had to call his elderly parents and arrange to have funds wired over to him – a punishing exercise. He also spent hours cancelling direct debits and automatic payments to cover his bills at home while he was away. Awful!”
Keen to share these benefits with your clients (and reap some commission benefits, too)? Sign up by emailing agentsupport@mastercard.com or calling 1800 085 537.
This story was brought to you by:
Mastercard Prepaid Management Services Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 47 145 452 044, AFSL 386 837) arranges for the issue of the Cash Passport™ Platinum Mastercard® (“Cash Passport”) in conjunction with the issuer, EML Payment Solutions Limited (“EML”) (ABN 30 131 436 532, AFSL 404131).
#Cash Passport Platinum is unable to be used for purchases related to gambling or adult entertainment. Currently Cash Passport cannot be used in the following countries and geographical regions due to sanctions that are currently in place: Crimea, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Donetsk and Luhansk and as otherwise advised in the FAQs available at cashpassport.com.au. If you attempt to use your card at merchants in any of these countries and geographical regions, your request will be declined. All Mastercards will not work at Russian merchants or ATM’s. In addition, the ATMs and POS terminals are not owned or operated by the Issuer or Mastercard Prepaid Management Services Australia Pty Limited and the Issuer or Mastercard Prepaid Management Services Australia Pty Limited are not responsible for ensuring that merchants will accept the Card. For example, the Issuer and Mastercard Prepaid Management Services Australia Pty Limited cannot control when an ATM or POS terminal is due for maintenance or is faulty or if a merchant chooses not to accept the Card. In such cases, your Card may not function properly or be declined. For more information please see the Product Disclosure Statement at www.cashpassport.com.au.
^Before you make a decision to acquire the card, please check www.cashpassport.com.au for the latest currencies supported. Lock in your exchange rates means the exchange rate is locked in for the initial load only. The exchange rates for subsequent reloads will be set at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of the transaction. Pay no foreign transaction fees on purchases when travelling, when you load your Cash Passport with one of 10 international currencies supported by the product, and transact in that same currency.
* T&Cs apply. Customer must contact Customer service to report lost or stolen card. Emergency cash can be arranged up to the balance on your Cash Passport, subject to availability of funds at the approved agent location.
