Are American Express traveler's checks cashable at Brazilian banks?

Question

Has anyone had difficulty using or cashing American Express travler's checks in Brazil? I will be traveling to a smaller city called Vitoria.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

no. it's easy

Answer 2

Some banks will accept travelers checks, but not all the banks. You will usually find those banks at the touristy areas, near airports, hotels and tourists attractions. The exchange rates at those areas are usually not good, and they usually charge 10% commission, so it makes travelers checks the worst possible option for travelers.

In Vitoria you will probably only find 2 or 3 banks or 'casas de cambio' that will purchase your travelers checks.

Other good options: credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) if you have a 4 digits PIN number.

Answer 3

You can cash Amex on any HSBC, which is quite big in Brazil.

But remember that banks in Brazil have HUGE queues for everything. A nightmare.

The best option is to use either credit cards or debit cards.

Both Amex and Visa have traveller checks in the form of a card that you use in ATM's. They have an agreement with BANCO 24 HORAS which is the largest ATM system in Brazil.

There's a pin and insurance as well.

Don't use Western Union, they are associated with Banco do Brasil (government bank) and the queues are ridiculous.

I spent 7 hours there to cash some WU wire recently.

Safra and Santander cash Amex TC as well, but they are much smaller banks.

Also, not all branches of such banks cash travellers checks.

Best way for you are debit card and credit cards.

You also get a better exchange rate.

BTW, Vitoria is not small. It's ugly, but not small at all.

Answer 4

Vitória isn't THAT small. I found "American Express" symbols in a LOT of places in smaller places much further north than Vitória. You won't have any problems in the banks mentioned above as well as several others and some stores will even accept it.

Answer 5

All the banks I went to accepted them as did the hotels where I stayed (and even the "black market" exchange place I would occasionally trade at when I worked as an accountant for a business operation there.

Answer 6

I saw on the American Express site that there are two important banks which accept American Express traveler's checks in Vitoria: BANCO SAFRA and BANCO SANTANDER.

There is another one, but I've never heard about. It's BANESTES (maybe that's a regional bank).