Working in the call center of a major retail bank, I know how nervous people get before they leave home for another country, or even to visit another part of the US. VISA has found a way to take a lot of the worry and stress out of summer travel with a prepaid travel card that comes with all kinds of helpful perks and can be easily reloaded from anywhere in the world.

VISA prepaid travel cards are available at banks and financial institutions throughout the US. You can find where to purchase one by visiting Visa’s handy travel money card locater and simply plugging in your home address.

Why use a prepaid Visa Travel card instead of your usual credit card or debit card? One of the best reasons is VISA’s Zero Liability Policy of complete protection from fraudulent activity due to a lost or stolen card while you are away from home. Should you lose your card or have it stolen, VISA will get a replacement card to you anywhere in the world within one business day. You will be credited back all fraudulent charges, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and you will also have immediate access to VISA’s Identity Theft Protection Services.

Convenience is another good reason to use a prepaid VISA travel card. VISA operates over 1 million cash ATMs around the world and is the most widely accepted credit card in the world. VISA also will reimburse or replace merchandise you buy with the card for up to $500 if it is stolen, lost or damaged within the first 90 days after purchase. You can reload your VISA travel card from anywhere using funds from your bank accounts, your other credit cards or your debit card.

Prepaid VISA travel cards come with a number of other excellent travel ‘perks’ such as lost luggage reimbursement up to $250 per trip and $1000 per person, whether you are traveling by plane, bus, cruise ship, or train. Replacement of your lost luggage through your prepaid VISA travel card is not contingent on the purchase of your ticket with the card itself. Even if you buy your ticket in advance with cash before you purchase the card, you can still use the lost luggage reimbursement feature.

Prepaid VISA travel cards also offer 24 hour emergency services which include access to a translator any time of day anywhere in the world if you need one, medical and legal referrals, emergency trip arrangement assistance, and emergency messages to friends or family if something happen while you are away and need to get word home fast.

VISA makes taking and spending money overseas so easy with this prepaid card, there is almost no reason to fool around with traveler’s checks or cash, and the perks are so excellent it’s hard to pass up the deal. You can also purchase the cards as gifts for teens or other family members about to go overseas, or for anyone going on a vacation within the US but far from where you are.

Prepaid VISA travel cards are a great option when peace of mind is what you want, first and foremost.

And who doesn’t want that?