I'm going to Eastern Europe and considering using a travelex cash passport. Has anyone used this method?

Travelex allows you to prepay and top up their ATM card in the local currency so you don't attract conversion fees. I'm wondering if there are any pitfalls or would I be better off using travellers cheques. I'm dubious about using a credit card, I have heard tales of merchants using scanning devices to rip you off.

would you like to come to Moldova?

I used the cash passport for my Europe trip to Muninch, Budapest, Prague and Vienna. Absolutely no problems. I even had to use their help desk and they were very helpful. Took me a while to work out how to dial from Prague but a local helped me. I highly recommend it. You get 2 cards so if you lose one you just call them to put a stop on it and you still have the other card to access your money. You can check the transactions on the internet as often as you like if you are worried. You can even bpay money onto the cash passport while you are away. If you lose both cards they can generally get another card to you within 48 hours as longs as you are in a city. I still have my card as it will remain active until my next trip away so you don't have to go and apply again. Their rates to withdraw money are cheaper than on my own banks savings card so was definitely a better alternative. Credit cards are safe. The biggest problem is Asia, especially Malaysia. If you use your credit card in Malaysia you are better off just cancelling it when you get home as credit card fraud is huge. Everyone I speak to that doesn't cancel their card generally has something charged to it 3 months after getting home. Europe is okay though but always check your statement online regularly if you are worried. Have a great trip!