Do Travelers Checks Expire? Cashing, Claims, and Lost Serials

Traveler’s checks do not expire. American Express and Visa issued them without an expiration date, and the face value remains valid no matter how long ago you bought them.¹ The catch is practical rather than legal: issuers have stopped selling new checks, most merchants no longer accept them, and if yours have gone unused for a long stretch, the money behind them may already have been turned over to a state treasury. Cashing an old check is still possible; you just need to know who is holding the funds.

Why There’s No Expiration Date

When you bought a traveler’s check, the issuer took your money and printed a standing promise on the paper to pay the face value whenever you presented it. That obligation stays on the issuer’s books as a liability until the check is cashed. American Express states plainly that its traveler’s cheques have no expiration date and remain fully backed by the company.²

American Express has stopped selling new traveler’s checks, and most of the partner banks that issued Visa traveler’s checks have done the same. That change affects new purchases only. Checks already in your possession are still valid and still redeemable.²

When the State Holds Your Money Instead

State unclaimed-property laws — most modeled on the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act — treat a traveler’s check as abandoned after a set dormancy period with no activity. The standard period for traveler’s checks is 15 years from the date of issuance, though it varies by state. Once that time passes, the issuer is required to send the funds to a state government treasury, a process called escheatment.

Federal law decides which state receives the money. Generally it goes to the state of your last known address in the issuer’s records, or, if no address is on file, to the state where the issuer is incorporated.³ The face value doesn’t vanish. It’s simply held by the state until you claim it, and the claim goes through the state’s unclaimed-property office rather than the issuer.

Cashing Checks the Issuer Still Holds

If the checks are recent enough that they haven’t been escheated, your options are your bank, a merchant willing to accept them, a foreign-exchange partner for non-dollar checks, or a direct refund from the issuer. In practice, most retailers have stopped accepting traveler’s checks, so calling ahead is worth the minute it takes.² Some banks will still deposit them for account holders; policies and fees vary.

When you go directly to the issuer, American Express accepts refund claims online, by mail, or by phone at 1-800-221-7282.² The company publishes a standardized refund claim form you can mail in with supporting documents.⁴ For Visa traveler’s checks, start with the bank that originally issued them; if you can’t track that bank down, Visa’s consumer support line can point you in the right direction.⁵

Have this ready before you call:

The serial numbers printed on each check
The face value of each check
The name of the issuer shown on the check
At least two forms of identification, such as a driver’s license and a passport⁴

Include your original purchase receipt if you still have it; it helps verify ownership and the issue date. Approved claims are paid by mailed check or direct deposit. Some claim types, such as those involving a deceased purchaser, require additional documents like an affidavit.

Claiming Funds the State Already Has

If the dormancy period has passed and the issuer no longer holds the money, you file with the state’s unclaimed-property office. Most states run a free searchable database, and MissingMoney.com aggregates records from participating states in one place. Search by the name on the checks, then follow the state’s claim instructions.

You’ll submit serial numbers, identification, and any other documents the state requests. States don’t charge a filing fee. Be wary of third-party “claim finder” services that reach out offering to recover the money for a percentage; you can file the same claim yourself for free. Some states pay interest on funds in their custody; policies differ. Processing generally takes several weeks to a few months.

If You’ve Lost the Serial Numbers

Serial numbers are the single most useful piece of information for a redemption. If the checks are in front of you, the numbers are printed on the face of each one. If the checks themselves are gone and you never recorded the numbers separately, you can still start a claim.

American Express accepts claims by phone at 1-800-221-7282 even when your documentation is incomplete, and a representative can try to locate your purchase record from other details: the location and approximate date of purchase, the denominations, and your ID.² Visa takes a similar approach, asking where and when the checks were purchased.⁵ If the funds have been escheated, state databases index records by owner name and last known address, so you may find them without any serial numbers at all.

Inherited Checks

Traveler’s checks found among a relative’s belongings are still valid. American Express handles inherited checks through the same 1-800-221-7282 line.² Expect to provide a valid photo ID and, depending on the claim, proof of your relationship to the original purchaser or estate documentation. Because older checks are the ones most likely to have crossed the dormancy line, search the state unclaimed-property database under the deceased person’s name before you call the issuer.

Checks From Defunct Issuers

If the company on the check no longer exists, the redemption path depends on what happened to it. When an issuer was acquired, the buyer usually took on the obligation to honor outstanding checks. Travelex, for instance, purchased Thomas Cook’s traveler’s check business before Thomas Cook collapsed in 2019, and Travelex handles redemption of those checks. If the issuer went through bankruptcy without a successor, the funds may have been escheated during liquidation, so a state database search is the sensible first step. When no successor exists and no state holds the money, recovery becomes considerably harder and may require legal help.

Foreign-Currency Checks

Some traveler’s checks were issued in euros, British pounds, Japanese yen, or other currencies. The face value stays in that currency, and the dollar amount you receive depends on the exchange rate on the day you redeem, not the day you bought the check. Commission charges commonly apply to conversion, and both rates and fees vary by provider and country.² Local rules can also cap exchange amounts. To redeem foreign-currency checks in the United States, contact American Express or the issuing bank directly to confirm the process and cost.

1
American Express. Do Checks Expire
2
American Express US. Travelers Cheques
3
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Title 12 Chapter 26 – Disposition of Abandoned Money Orders and Traveler’s Checks
4
American Express. Refund Claim Form for Lost or Stolen Travelers Cheques
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Visa. Visa Travellers Cheques