Travel Money Card™ Customer Support

It is recommended that you check your transaction history and card balance at least once a month.

You can do this online, once you have registered your card on ‘My Account’ or via the mobile app.

If you have any queries about your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ balance or you notice a card transaction that you do not recognise, please notify the 24-hour Card Services team as soon as possible and in any event within thirteen (13) months of the transaction debit date. They will be happy to check and confirm the transaction details for you.

If there is a transaction which is not correct, Card Services can start the dispute process on your behalf and may request you to provide additional written information concerning any unrecognised transaction, or to complete a dispute form. Please help them to assist you by providing as much information as you can.

Further details on how to download and complete a dispute form.

When using your card at some merchants (see table below), you may be required to have an available card fund greater than the value of the transaction you wish to make.

This is because: (i) a merchant may request more funds than you initially authorised to cover the amount of the transaction (e.g. the meal or bar bill) plus an additional gratuity, tip or service charge agreed by you; or (ii) in the case of an automated fuel pump transaction, to ensure there are sufficient funds available to cover the final cost of the transaction.

The addition of this percentage or fixed amount to the amount of the transaction authorised by the merchant is called ‘tolerance’. At bars and restaurants tolerances are only applied to transactions authorised by magstripe rather than by chip or contactless. At petrol stations tolerance is applied to all automated fuel pump transactions. The merchant categories where tolerances apply are listed below.

Merchant category

Bars (or other similar drinking places) 20%

Restaurants (or other eating places) 20%

Automated fuel dispensers £99 or currency equivalent

Please see ‘How much more than the bill amount do I need to have on my card for transactions at bars, restaurants and petrol stations?’ for further information on the additional amounts required.

Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ is Mastercard® contactless enabled. Mastercard® contactless is the faster way to pay for purchases of under GBP100*. No signature or PIN is required. Just tap your card against the reader and go. For more information, please visit www.mastercard.co.uk/en-gb/consumers/features-benefits/contactless.html

(*Transaction limits are subject to change and different transaction limits will apply in different countries).

When using your card at the merchants listed below a percentage or a fixed amount may be added to the amount of the transaction when it is submitted by the merchant for authorisation.

The addition of this percentage or fixed amount to the transaction amount authorised by the merchant is called ‘tolerance’. This means that the value of the transaction plus the tolerance percentage or flat amount is reserved (‘ring-fenced’) from your available Card Fund. The table below sets out the typical percentage or fixed rate that may be added to the value of the transaction.

Merchant category

Bars (or other similar drinking places) 20%

Restaurants (or other eating places) 20%

Automated fuel dispensers £99 or currency equivalent

For example, you have lunch at a restaurant and the total bill is US$50.00. You are required to have an available Card Fund or currency equivalent of at least US$60.00 for the transaction to be authorised (US$50 + 20% tolerance (US$10) = US$60.00). You will only be charged for the actual and final amount of the transaction you sign for or validate by PIN.

Please see ‘When I use my card at a bar, restaurant or petrol station, how long are the funds reserved for and why?’ for further information on this.

Please also see the ‘Using the card’ section of your Card Terms and Conditions.

If the value of the transaction plus the tolerance percentage or flat amount exceeds the relevant available currency balance on the card, the remaining amount will be funded by converting that amount into the next available Currency in the order of priority.

Please see your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ terms and conditions for further information on the order of priority. The exchange rate used is the rate determined by Mastercard® to be the wholesale rate in effect on the day the transaction is authorised by the merchant plus the foreign exchange fee.

Please also see the ‘Using the card’ section of your card Terms and Conditions.

As a merchant may not settle the final bill immediately, tolerance is applied to ensure that there are sufficient funds available when the final bill is settled.

The amount authorised by the merchant plus the tolerance percentage or fixed amount is reserved from your available Card Fund until the merchant settles the final amount (i.e. payment is requested), at which time the exact final amount is debited from your card, or for 7 days, whichever is sooner.

If the final settlement amount exceeds the relevant available currency balance on the card, the remaining amount will be funded by converting that amount in the other currencies on your card, in the order of priority. Please see your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ Terms and Conditions for further information on the order of priority. The exchange rate used is the rate determined by Mastercard®, to be the wholesale rate in effect on the day the transaction is processed by Mastercard plus the foreign exchange fee.

Please note that the exchange rate used at the time the transaction is authorised (and the funds are reserved) may be different to the exchange rate used on the day the transaction is settled, however, you will only be charged for the actual and final amount of the transaction you sign for or validate by PIN.

As the merchant may not settle (i.e. ask for payment) the final bill within the 7 days and in some cases may take up to 30 days to settle (at which time the funds are debited from your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™), we recommend that you check your transaction history regularly via ‘My Account’ and take this into account, including the tolerance, to ensure you have sufficient funds available for your spending. Typically, a merchant will submit the settlement request within 24 hours of you authorising the transaction.

Please see ‘What happens if I do not have sufficient funds available on my card to cover the value of the transaction plus the tolerance amount?’ for further information on this.

Please also see the ‘Using the card’ section of your Card Terms and Conditions.

If you do not have sufficient funds available in your total available Card Fund to cover both the value of the transaction plus the tolerance amount, the transaction may be declined.

For example, you have lunch at a restaurant and the total bill is US$50.00. You only have US$50.00 on your card and there is a 20% tolerance applied to restaurant transactions. If the restaurant tries to charge your card with US$50.00, it will be declined because 20% tolerance is added to the transaction amount and there will be insufficient funds to cover US$60.00 (US$50 + 20% tolerance (US$10) = US$60.00).

Please ensure you remember to take the tolerance amount into account. If you are using your card at one of the merchant types where tolerance is applied, you may be unable to use your card, unless you have enough in your total available Card Fund to cover the addition of tolerance. If the merchant supports it however, you can use your card to make a partial payment, and cover the balance with some other payment method. Just make sure you tell the cashier before you start the transaction and confirm the amount you want deducted from your card. The cashier should process your card payment first, and then accept the remainder of the balance in whichever way you want to pay it.

Please also see the ‘Using the card’ section of your Terms and Conditions.

When using your card at merchants where tolerance is applied, in some locations your card may be authorised by the merchant prior to you agreeing the final bill, e.g. where you allow your card to be swiped at a bar to open a tab.

The amount authorised by the merchant at this time plus the tolerance amount is reserved from your available balance. This is the case whether your card only has a magnetic stripe or is Chip and PIN. We do not know at the time how a merchant will process a transaction and whether the merchant will initially authorise the transaction and later ask you to sign for or validate the transaction by PIN, together with an additional charge or tip agreed to by you. Therefore, a tolerance is added automatically where the merchant falls into one of the categories listed below.

Merchant category

Bars (or other similar drinking places) 20%

Restaurants (or other eating places) 20%

Automated fuel dispensers £99 or currency equivalent

In some places (e.g. hotels, car hire companies and on board cruises) you may be asked for your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ as “pre-authorisation” (i.e. a deposit) of your final payment.

It is not recommended to use your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ as a deposit. This is because your final bill will be estimated and a sum of money will be reserved on your card to cover this. You will not be able to spend the reserved amount for some time. You can of course use your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ to settle your final bill.

When using your card at automated fuel pumps, a fixed amount is reserved. Please see ‘I don't have as much money available on the card as I thought, why is this?’. You may prefer to use your card to pay for fuel inside the petrol station instead.

When you’re on your travels you may get the choice of paying in a different currency than the local currency.

By choosing to pay in the local currency, you may avoid an extra foreign exchange conversion at additional cost to you. Remember that if the local currency is not one of the Currencies on your Card, or you do not have enough funds in the local Currency on your Card, the amount, or the balance, will be taken from another Currency on your Card, in the following order of priority: Pound Sterling, Euros, US Dollars, Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars, New Zealand Dollars, South African Rand, Turkish Lira, Swiss Francs, UAE Dirham, Mexican Peso, Polish Zloty, Czech Koruna, Swedish Krona, Japanese Yen at an exchange rate determined by Mastercard® on the day the transaction is processed, increased by a foreign exchange fee determined by us (see the Fees and Limits section for more details).

No, cash back is not available on Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™.

If you experience any issues during the purchase process, please contact the Card Services team for assistance.

You can email prepaidmgmt_ppc_disputes@mastercard.com, or phone them 24/7).

It is recommended that you check your transaction history and card balance at least once a month. You can do this online, once you have registered your card on ‘My Account’ or on the mobile app.

If you have a query about a transaction on your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™, please call the 24-hour Card Services team immediately (and in any event within thirteen (13) months of the transaction debit date). They will check your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ and confirm the transaction details for you.

If there is a transaction that is not correct, Card Services can dispute this on your behalf. You will need to complete a dispute form, sign it, and send the signed version to prepaidmgmt_ppc_disputes@mastercard.com. You'll need the latest version of the free Adobe Acrobat reader to view this form. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer, please download it.

Download the dispute form

Please help Card Services to assist you by providing as much information as you can. They'll send a response within ten (10) working days of receiving your query.

For a PIN reminder, to check your balance, or for any questions about your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™, you can call Card Services at any time.

You can also log on to 'My Account' if you wish to:

• Check your balance(s)
• View your transaction history
• Edit your personal details
• Top up your card
• Get a PIN number

In the interest of security, the following subjects cannot be discussed by email. Please phone the 24-hour Card Services team, who will be able to assist you in relation to the following:

• lost/stolen/damaged cards
• queries regarding transactions on your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ or balance enquiries
• PIN assistance
• guidance on registering your Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card™ online
• help with forgotten usernames and/or passwords for “My Account”

You will be charged a monthly inactivity fee after 18 months or more of no activity if there is a balance on the card. 

To prevent this fee being charged and to keep your card active, you can; 

• Re-load your card by adding more funds.
• Make a purchase.
• Withdraw cash from an ATM.
• Cash out to zero at an instore bureaux or via Card Services.