Are Traveler’s Checks Still Used or Accepted?

Yes, traveler’s checks are still accepted, but the places that will take them have narrowed considerably. American Express no longer issues new checks, and most everyday merchants have stopped handling them, yet existing checks remain valid with no expiration date. You can still cash them through American Express, deposit them at many banks, or exchange them for local currency at thousands of foreign exchange partners worldwide.¹

Where You Can Still Cash Them

If you have traveler’s checks sitting in a drawer or left over from an old trip, you have four practical options for converting them into usable money.

Redeem them directly through American Express online or by calling 1-800-221-7282.
Deposit them into your account at your bank. Many banks accept them from account holders, though fees may apply, so ask first.
Exchange them for local currency at a participating foreign exchange partner. American Express maintains an online locator for exchange locations worldwide.
Spend them at a merchant that still accepts them. Call ahead before assuming a business will take one.

Commission charges vary by country and by the partner handling the exchange, and some locations cap how much you can exchange at once under local anti-money-laundering rules.² Non-account holders cashing checks at a bank branch can generally expect a modest service fee, though small amounts are sometimes waived.

Which Merchants Still Take Them

Very few. International hotel chains and some upscale retailers are the most likely, because they still have the systems and trained staff to verify the security features on a paper instrument. Smaller businesses almost always decline. Electronic payments clear instantly; verifying a traveler’s check takes time and training that most registers no longer support.¹

Where a merchant does accept one, the check works like cash: you hand it over, and the merchant gives change in local currency if the face value exceeds the purchase price. Some merchants apply a processing fee or use a less favorable exchange rate than a bank or dedicated currency exchange, so a bank is often the better redemption choice if you have a real option.²

What You’ll Need at the Counter

Every traveler’s check uses a dual-signature system. You signed the check when you first received it. When you cash or spend it, you sign a second line in front of the teller or merchant, who compares the two signatures.³ Under the Uniform Commercial Code, that countersignature is a legal condition of payment; without it, the check is not properly payable.⁴

You also need a valid government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license, and the name on the ID must match the name on the check. If the signatures don’t match or the ID doesn’t line up, the transaction will be refused.

Old, Inherited, and Visa-Branded Checks

Traveler’s checks do not expire. A check issued decades ago still holds its full face value, and American Express continues to back all outstanding checks regardless of age.¹ The UCC treats traveler’s checks as negotiable instruments payable on demand, so the issuer’s obligation doesn’t lapse over time as long as the check is properly presented with a matching countersignature.⁴

If you inherited checks from someone who passed away or became incapacitated, call American Express at 1-800-221-7282 to open a claim. You’ll generally need a valid photo ID, copies of the voided checks, and a completed refund claim form; additional documents may be required depending on the claim. Having the serial numbers and original purchase receipt, if you can find them, speeds things up.¹

For Visa-branded traveler’s checks, contact the issuing bank listed on your purchase agreement. If you no longer have that paperwork, Visa runs a global contact line at 1-303-967-1052 or by email at vtc@visa.com to route your redemption request.⁵ For checks from other brands that no longer exist, look up the successor institution’s redemption process. Some successors charge a redemption fee.

If Your Checks Are Lost or Stolen

The refund guarantee is what made traveler’s checks worth carrying in the first place, and American Express still honors it for existing checks. If yours go missing:

Call American Express customer service right away at 1-800-221-7282. International numbers are on their website.
Have your serial numbers ready. They are essential for the claim, and American Express recommends recording them and keeping the list separate from the checks.
Be ready to provide a valid photo ID, a copy of the voided checks if you have one, a completed refund claim form, and, ideally, your original purchase receipt.

Refunds are subject to American Express terms and conditions, and additional documentation may be required depending on the situation.¹

Watch for Overpayment Scams

Counterfeit traveler’s checks show up in overpayment scams aimed at people selling things through online classifieds or auction sites. A buyer sends a check for more than the sale price and asks you to wire back the difference. You deposit the check, the funds appear, and you send the overpayment. Days later the check bounces, your bank reverses the deposit, and the wired money is gone.⁶

Two rules protect you: never accept a check for more than your asking price, and never wire money back to a buyer. If someone insists on paying with a traveler’s check, ask for one drawn on a bank with a local branch so you can verify it in person before handing anything over.

Carrying Traveler’s Checks Across the Border

Federal law treats traveler’s checks as monetary instruments. If you carry more than $10,000 into or out of the United States, whether in traveler’s checks alone or combined with cash and other instruments, you must report it to U.S. Customs and Border Protection by filing FinCEN Form 105.⁷ The threshold applies to the total you’re carrying at one time, not to each check.⁸

You can file Form 105 electronically on the FinCEN website or on paper with a CBP officer before you leave. Failure to report is serious: the government can seize the unreported instruments, and a willful violation carries criminal penalties of up to $250,000 in fines and five years in prison. If the violation is part of a broader pattern of illegal activity involving more than $100,000 within a 12-month period, penalties rise to $500,000 and ten years.⁹

Don’t Let Very Old Checks Escheat

Traveler’s checks that sit unredeemed long enough can eventually be turned over to a state’s unclaimed property program. Each state sets its own dormancy period, typically ranging from 3 to 15 years. Once escheated, the issuer transfers the face value to the state treasurer and the check itself can no longer be redeemed through the issuer.

The money isn’t lost. You can search your state treasurer’s unclaimed property database or national databases and file a claim with identification and proof of ownership. But recovering it is slower than redeeming the check directly, so if you have old checks you don’t plan to use soon, cash them now.

1
American Express. Travelers Cheques – Travel – American Express US
2
American Express. Redemption of American Express Travelers Cheques
3
Bank of China. Travelers Cheque
4
Legal Information Institute. UCC 3-104 – Negotiable Instrument
5
Visa. Travellers Cheques Contact Us
6
Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns Consumers About Check Overpayment Scams
7
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Money and Other Monetary Instruments
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 31 USC 5316 – Reports on Exporting and Importing Monetary Instruments
9
GovInfo. 31 USC 5322 – Criminal Penalties