Has anybody used Kaiku - PrePaid debit card for travel to Europe?

[dundee]

Dear Mustachians:

My daughter is planning to travel to Europe next month. I want to give her a fix amount ($1000) of money to spend while she is there. I was researching PrePaid debit card that I can load the money into that she can use to spend there. Among others, I came across this Kaiku card that was rated fairly high. My questions:

1. Has anybody on this site used this card before? What was your experience?
2. If you used it overseas, do you get the currency exchange rate that is close (within 2%) of the official rate? - like you get when using credit card.
3. Are their foreign transaction fees charged?

Please let me know your experiences. If there are other ways that you have given fixed amount of money to somebody, please let me know that also.

Thanks.

[Ursus Major]

Does your daughter have a bank account with a debit card? If so in my experience (Germany, France, Britain, Spain) it was the best to just just the local ATM to withdraw money from my U.S. bank account. If that would work, you'll have her deposit the money into her bank account and use her debit card to get cash.

[cerat0n1a]

Most American travelers to Europe will have experienced the look of disbelief from the cashier when trying to pay with 1950's style US cards with the magnetic strip and a signature. Not everyone realises that it's even possible to accept payment by card without a chip & PIN and there can be a delay while they look for the guy that knows how to do it. So another vote for simply using a debit card to get cash out of ATMs.

[trollwithamustache]

Most American travelers to Europe will have experienced the look of disbelief from the cashier when trying to pay with 1950's style US cards with the magnetic strip and a signature. Not everyone realises that it's even possible to accept payment by card without a chip & PIN and there can be a delay while they look for the guy that knows how to do it. So another vote for simply using a debit card to get cash out of ATMs.

THIS. Chip and pin cards will make a first trip to Europe a lot easier.