Travelex launches inaugural insights report: 69% of travellers still choose cash
17 Mar 2026
Cash still beats cards for travellers, as over a quarter buy currency a month in advance, Travelex Travel Money Insights Report finds.
Leading foreign exchange company Travelex has today released its inaugural Travelex Travey Money Insights Report. While domestic cash usage may be decreasing, the report highlights that on average more than two-thirds of global travellers choose to take cash when they travel.
The report, which analysed Travelex revenue figures across 12 months along with bespoke global surveys in key markets, identifies consumer travel money acquisition and spending trends. The report found that:
- On average 69% of travellers still use cash when overseas, higher than card usage (whether debit, credit, or pre-paid) in almost every region surveyed.
- The majority of travellers also travel with card, and the combination of cash and card gives travellers peace of mind and safety.
- Travellers are also shifting decisively toward pre-trip planning, with most purchasing travel money weeks in advance.
“Domestic cash transactions may be falling, but in the travel money market, cash firmly remains king. Cash remains vital for small items like tipping and taxis, whilst many travellers have reservations over cards being accepted and potential fees,” said Philip Bowcock, Travelex’s Chief Executive Officer.
Travelex’s Travel Money Insights Report highlights the growing shift in how travellers acquire travel money, moving away from traditional in-trip purchases at the point-of-departure towards pre-trip planning and acquisition in the weeks and month prior to travel. An average of just 6% surveyed say they usually purchase their travel money on the day of travel.
“Travellers who traditionally relied on airport stores to acquire cash last minute are today far more inclined to do so in the weeks leading up to their trip - be that when they do their holiday shopping, or through alternative channels such as home delivery or pre-order click-and-collect,” added Bowcock. “Airport stores are still a key resource for many, but the market has shifted.”
The Report coincides with Travelex’s 50th anniversary, the company having grown to become one of the market’s leading and most trusted foreign exchange brands since 1976.
Travelex Travey Money Insights Report is accessible via this link.