UK bank Alliance & Leicester (A&L) has partnered payments vendor Indigosolutions to launch a pre-paid foreign currency card with SMS top-ups for holidaymakers.
The free Indigo Travelcard can be ordered online and topped up with US dollars or euros through a dedicated Web site or via SMS text message.
Users can also request balance updates, cancel their card and make card-to-card transfers via SMS.
The Visa card can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs and make payments at the point of sale around the world.
A&L says the card offers market-leading exchange rates for conversion into euros and dollars, making it a secure and cost-effective way to organise holiday money.
James Le Brocq, director, pre-paid cards, A&L, says: "The Indigo Travelcard can be of great benefit to anyone needing foreign currency, removing some of the barriers often associated with travellers cheques, lost or stolen currency or fraudulent use of credit cards when abroad."
Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Virgin Money and The Post Office have all launched pre-paid plastic cards aimed at holidaymakers and travellers. In the US Travelex recently teamed with MasterCard and West Suburban Bank to launch a pre-paid foreign currency card aimed at US customers travelling to Europe.