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One of India’s widest currency
portfolios on a prepaid forex card
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Reinforces focus on secure,
seamless and digital-first payments for global travel
Mumbai : As Indian travellers become increasingly global and digitally
adept, expectations around overseas payments are evolving rapidly. Convenience,
security and speed have become central considerations, particularly amid
shorter booking cycles and a growing preference for cash‑light travel. Today’s
global Indian traveller seeks secure, transparent and seamless payment
solutions that work
effortlessly across destinations. Responding to these shifts, Thomas
Cook (India) Limited - India’s leading omnichannel foreign exchange services
company, has announced a significant expansion of its prepaid Forex Card
portfolio to 28 currencies, with the addition of 16 new global currencies -
creating one of India’s widest currency portfolios on a prepaid forex card.
This move reinforces the Company’s leadership in travel and forex innovation,
aligned with its focus on enabling smarter, secure and more efficient
international travel experiences.
Indians have become increasingly experimental in their choice of
holiday destinations, especially post-covid, driving strong demand across
emerging international markets. However, local currency for many of these
destinations is not always readily available. This often forces multiple
currency conversions, from INR to USD and then to the local currency, resulting
in higher costs and inconvenience. Thomas Cook India’s expanded prepaid Forex
Card portfolio addresses this gap by enabling travellers to load and spend
directly in local currencies, eliminate multiple conversions and access a
secure, seamless alternative to cash.
The newly added 16 currencies include: 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 Wo,
Philippine Peso and complement the Company’s existing suite of 12 currencies –
US Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Japanese Yen, Singapore Dollar, Australian Dollar,
Canadian Dollar, Swiss Franc, UAE Dirham, Thai Baht, Saudi Riyal and New
Zealand Dollar. Notably, the inclusion of currencies such as the Chinese Yuan
reflects the growing relevance of destinations aligned with strengthening
bilateral relations, increased trade flows and expanding air connectivity,
underlining Thomas Cook India’s commitment to staying ahead of evolving travel
patterns.
The expanded suite of 28 currencies is available across both
Visa and Mastercard prepaid forex cards, ensuring seamless global acceptance.
Customers can purchase and load currencies through Thomas Cook India’s
extensive omnichannel network, including its retail outlets, digital platforms,
and via its partnership with Blinkit—enabling customers to buy and load forex on
their prepaid cards in under an hour. Additionally, Thomas Cook India’s Forex
on WhatsApp provides 24x7 forex services assistance, from live rate to
end-to-end transactions for today’s on-the-go, always‑connected consumer.
The prepaid Forex Cards also support contactless payments,
allowing travellers to transact seamlessly at international merchant outlets,
including compatibility with digital wallet integrations such as Google Pay on
enabled POS terminals.
Mr. Deepesh Varma, Chief Business Officer – Foreign Exchange,
Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “At Thomas
Cook India, innovation and customer-centricity are at the core of our
offerings. We are witnessing strong and sustained growth in travel demand from
Indian consumers to emerging and short-haul destinations across Asia, Southeast
Asia, Africa and beyond. Our expansion to 28 currencies for our prepaid Forex
Cards is a direct response to evolving travel patterns, enabling our customers
to transact seamlessly in local currencies while benefiting from greater
transparency and cost efficiency.
Importantly,
this initiative also supports our strategic focus on driving a digital-first
approach to forex usage—shift from cash towards secure, smarter prepaid
solutions. Additionally, through our partnership with Blinkit, we have further
enhanced convenience by enabling customers to buy and load forex on their
prepaid cards in under an hour—delivering speed, flexibility and ease to
today’s digitally savvy and globally mobile Indian traveller.”
Mr.
Ravi Datla, Senior Vice President, Customer Solutions, South Asia at Mastercard,
said, “As international travel from India diversifies into newer and
emerging markets, access to simple, secure and widely accepted payment
solutions becomes increasingly critical. Mastercard’s deep expertise in
cross-border payments, coupled with our global acceptance network, enables
seamless transactions across geographies and currencies. Thomas Cook India’s
expanded prepaid forex card suite, now offering access to 28 currencies, builds
on this strength by allowing travellers to transact directly in local
currencies, reducing the need for multiple conversions. The result is a truly
cash-light, transparent and secure payment experience that delivers consistent
convenience and confidence wherever their journeys take them.”
Mr.
Sridhar Keppurengan, Head of Cross-Border Payments, India and South Asia, Visa,
added, “Our cross-border strategy is rooted in
creating seamless, secure, and accessible payment solutions for travellers. The
expansion of Thomas Cook Visa forex card portfolio to 28 currencies further
leverages our vast international footprint and extends the same security,
transparency, and convenience to cardholders making cross border transactions.
This offering is yet another pivotal step in our broader vision to foster
global connectivity for the Indian consumer, through continued innovation and
service excellence.”