This expansion positions the company as a leader in offering one of the most extensive currency portfolios on a prepaid forex card in India. As travelers increasingly favor digital, cash-light payment methods, this move addresses their need for quicker, more transparent ways to manage expenditures abroad.
The newly added currencies consist of the Chinese Yuan, Swedish Krona, Vietnamese Dong, Malaysian Ringgit, Indonesian Rupiah, Danish Krone, Hong Kong Dollar, Qatari Riyal, Norwegian Krone, Omani Riyal, Kuwaiti Dinar, Bahraini Dinar, Bangladeshi Taka, South African Rand, South Korean Won, and Philippine Peso.
These new currencies enhance the 12 existing options already supported by the card, which include the US Dollar, Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen, Singapore Dollar, Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc, UAE Dirham, Thai Baht, Saudi Riyal, and New Zealand Dollar.
Thomas Cook India noted that this expansion aims to minimize the necessity for multiple currency conversions, a common issue when travelers transition from rupees to US dollars and then to local currencies at their destinations. The direct loading of local currencies onto prepaid cards is designed to reduce conversion steps and streamline transaction convenience.
The prepaid forex cards are available on both Visa and Mastercard networks, accessible through the company’s retail outlets, digital platforms, and partnerships like Blinkit, which facilitates quick card issuance and loading. The company also offers 24×7 forex services via WhatsApp-based support.
The cards enable contactless payments at international merchant locations and can be utilized with digital wallets such as Google Pay at compatible terminals.
Deepesh Varma, Chief Business Officer – Foreign Exchange at Thomas Cook (India) Limited, mentioned that the expansion is indicative of evolving travel trends and a growing preference for digital-first payment options.
He highlighted that there is an increase in travel to short-haul and emerging destinations across Asia, Africa, and beyond, which propels the demand for broader currency access.
“Indian travelers are gravitating towards secure, prepaid, and digital payment solutions when traveling abroad. Expanding to 28 currencies enables customers to transact directly in local currencies and mitigates reliance on multiple conversions,” Varma stated.
Ravi Datla, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions, South Asia at Mastercard, emphasized that broader currency access facilitates smoother cross-border payments and diminishes friction in international transactions.
Sridhar Keppurengan, Head of Cross-Border Payments, India and South Asia at Visa, remarked that the expansion enhances the availability of secure and widely accepted payment options for Indian travelers undertaking overseas transactions.
Founded in 1881, Thomas Cook India operates in foreign exchange, travel services, and hospitality through a variety of brands and subsidiaries.
