Travelers Checks: Can You Still Buy or Cash Them?

Maybe you found a folder of old travelers checks in a drawer, inherited some from a parent, or remember using them on a trip and wonder whether they still make sense. The answers changed quietly over the last decade, and many pages online still describe a product you can no longer buy.

This guide explains what travelers checks are, whether anyone in the US still sells them, whether old ones expire, how to cash or redeem them today, what to do with inherited checks, and what people use instead when they travel.

Quick Summary

Travelers checks are prepaid checks in fixed amounts that need a second signature when you spend them. The best known issuer, American Express, says its Travelers Cheques are no longer issued and cannot be purchased. Old ones have no expiration date and can still be deposited at a bank that accepts them or redeemed with the issuer.

Key points

• New ones are hard to find. American Express says its cheques can no longer be bought, and we could not find a US seller in October 2026.
• Old ones do not expire. American Express says its cheques remain backed and have no expiration date.
• The countersignature is the security feature. UCC 3-104(i) defines a traveler's check as one that requires a countersignature before it is paid.
• You have several ways to cash them. Deposit at your bank if it accepts them, or file a claim with the issuer online or by phone.
• Inherited checks need paperwork. Expect a death certificate and proof that you are the spouse, executor or beneficiary.
• Unsolicited travelers checks are a red flag. Fake check scams still use them, and the FTC says funds showing in your account do not prove a check is good.

Table 1. First steps by situation. For other prepaid check types, see our check types glossary.

What Are Travelers Checks and How Do They Work?

Travelers checks are preprinted checks in fixed amounts that you buy in advance and spend later by adding a second signature. In the Uniform Commercial Code, section 3-104(i), a traveler's check is payable on demand, drawn on or payable through a bank, labeled as a traveler's check, and requires a countersignature as a condition of payment.

That second signature was the point. A thief who stole the checks could not easily copy the owner's signature in front of the person accepting them, and the issuer could refund lost checks. Our types of checks guide shows where they fit among other check types.

How did the two-signature system work?

1. At purchase, the owner signed the upper line of each check.
2. At the point of use, the owner signed the lower line while the person accepting it watched. American Express still gives that instruction for redeeming cheques.
3. The acceptor compared the two signatures before taking the check as payment.

How is a traveler's check different from a cashier's check or a money order?

All three are prepaid, but they are built for different jobs. A traveler's check is made for the buyer to spend later. A cashier's check and a money order are made out to a specific payee for one payment.

Table 2. Three prepaid payment types compared. Read more in what a cashier's check is and how money orders work.

Can You Still Buy Travelers Checks?

In the US, you generally cannot buy new travelers checks today. American Express, the issuer most people know, states on its US page that its Travelers Cheques are no longer issued and so cannot be purchased. We could not find a US bank or other seller still offering them when we checked in October 2026.

The decline was gradual. An OCC examiner handbook updated in December 2018 already said many banks no longer sold traveler's checks. American Express sales ended in Canada on August 31, 2018, according to a Canadian credit union notice, and in Germany at the end of 2015. A US credit union told members it would stop providing them on December 31, 2020, after American Express announced the end of sales in the United States.

Why did banks stop selling them?

Issuers have not published one single reason, but the pattern is clear from the timeline above: as debit and credit cards became usable almost everywhere travelers went, fewer people bought paper checks for trips and fewer merchants wanted to accept them. The OCC handbook was already describing the product as one many banks had dropped by 2018.

Do Travelers Checks Expire?

Travelers checks do not expire. American Express says its cheques remain backed by the company and have no expiration date, so a check bought decades ago can still be redeemed.

State unclaimed property law adds one wrinkle. Many states presume a traveler's check abandoned 15 years after it was issued. Idaho and West Virginia, for example, both list 15 years for traveler's checks and 7 years for money orders. When that happens, the issuer reports the funds to a state.

Which state holds the money from an old traveler's check?

Federal law, 12 U.S.C. 2503, gives the right to the state where the check was purchased. If the issuer's records do not show that state, the issuer's home state takes custody. If the issuer cannot pay your claim directly, ask it whether the funds were reported, then search that state's unclaimed property site.

How Do You Cash Old Travelers Checks Today?

You can cash old travelers checks by depositing them at a bank that accepts them or by redeeming them directly with the issuer. American Express lists four routes: online, by phone, by depositing at your bank, and through exchange partners. It notes that you should confirm your bank accepts them and that fees may apply.

Table 3. Ways to cash old travelers checks, based on American Express redemption pages, October 2026. For general cashing steps, see how to cash a check.

How do you deposit a traveler's check at a bank?

1. Call the branch first. Ask whether it accepts travelers checks and whether a fee applies.
2. Bring photo ID. The teller will want to match your identity to the signature.
3. Countersign in front of the teller. Do not countersign at home, because the acceptor should watch.
4. Endorse and deposit. Follow the teller's direction on where to sign; our check endorsement guide covers the basics.
5. Keep the receipt until the funds are final in your account.

How does the issuer's online redemption pay you?

American Express's terms say online redemption pays by bank transfer or by check, and you must be 18 or older. Its FAQ lists US dollars, euros, Canadian dollars, British pounds, Australian dollars and Japanese yen as supported cheque currencies, with a conversion margin applied when you are paid in a different currency.

What If You Inherited Travelers Checks?

If you inherited travelers checks, contact the issuer before going to a bank, because some bank branches decline checks bought by someone who has died. American Express runs a separate claim process for inherited cheques that starts with a phone call, and its document checklist depends on your role.

Table 4. Inherited cheque documents from the American Express checklist, October 2026. Requirements can change, so confirm on the call. Related: cashing a check.

People who have gone through it describe the same pattern on public forums: the local bank declined, the issuer's claim worked, and the process asked them to void and photograph each check. Allow time for estate paperwork, especially for foreign currency checks.

What Happens If Travelers Checks Are Lost or Stolen?

Lost or stolen travelers checks may be refunded by the issuer. American Express asks you to call with the serial numbers and says ID and proof of purchase are required. That refund promise is why people kept a separate list of serial numbers away from the checks themselves.

• Find your serial numbers. Check the purchase receipt or any list you kept.
• Call the issuer quickly. Report which checks are missing and where.
• Gather proof of purchase. The original receipt helps most.
• Keep a record of the call. Note the date, the person you spoke to and any claim number.

Are Fake Travelers Checks Still Used in Scams?

Yes. Fake travelers checks show up in the same overpayment and prize scams as fake cashier's checks and money orders. A Connecticut police department warned residents in 2012 to be cautious when accepting payment by traveler's checks after counterfeit ones appeared locally.

The FTC's warning applies to every fake check: even if the money appears in your account, that does not mean the check is good, and you are responsible if it bounces. In 2019 the FTC received more than 27,000 fake check reports, with a median loss of $1,988 compared with $320 for all fraud types.

• Never deposit an unsolicited check from someone you have not met.
• Never send money back from a check that overpays you; the CFPB calls this a common scam.
• Report it to the FTC, the US Postal Inspection Service or your state attorney general.

Our check fraud scams guide walks through the patterns, and checking whether a check is valid covers what to look for.

What Replaced Travelers Checks for Travel Money?

Cards replaced travelers checks for most travel spending. A debit card covers cash withdrawals, a credit card covers purchases, and a prepaid travel card can cap what you carry. For large payments at home, cashier's checks and personal checks still do the job.

Table 5. Common replacements for travelers checks. For lost personal checks, see lost check replacement steps.

Should you carry personal checks when you travel abroad?

Usually not for spending. US personal checks are rarely accepted outside the country, and a lost checkbook exposes your account details. Leave the checkbook at home unless you need to pay a US bill while away, and keep it in a cover separate from your wallet.

About the Author

This guide is the Checkomatic team's work, written for people who still use paper checks and want clear answers about older payment types. Sources include American Express Travelers Cheque redemption pages, FAQ, terms and inherited cheque checklist, UCC 3-104, 12 U.S.C. 2503, the Idaho and West Virginia unclaimed property statutes, the OCC Comptroller's Handbook, FTC and CFPB fake check guidance, and published credit union notices.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Issuer policies and state laws change, so confirm the current process with the issuer, your bank or your state's unclaimed property office.