Supercards temporarily unavailable to new customers – but other travel cards offer comparable rates

The Supercard is a travel card that anyone can get, as there's no credit check. It lets you link your debit and credit cards to it using an app, has no added fees on spending and gives one of the best exchange rates.

MoneySavingExpert.com was told of the issue concerning delayed deliveries by a reader last week. However, we have since learnt that new customers have been waiting for their cards ever since the error first surfaced on 28 October.

Nevertheless, applications are still open to new customers – when we tried we could still apply – and nowhere during the application are the long-standing processing issues mentioned. Customers are only being told about the problem in detail via an email sent out in the days after signing up.

Travelex, which issues the Supercard, says the issue is ongoing and it's working on a fix, but it couldn't give us a timescale for when it'll be resolved.

What should I do if I've applied and am waiting for a Supercard?

When contacted on social media by customers questioning what's going on with the delivery of their Supercards, Travelex has been suggesting that those who have been caught up in the processing glitch should instead sign up for its prepaid Cash Passport card.

While Travelex's Cash Passport card's not a bad alternative, it can be beaten and is more expensive than the Supercard.

See our Cheap Travel Money Tips for all overseas spending options including prepaid cards and specialist credit cards. We've removed the Supercard from our travel guides while the issues are being addressed.

What is the Supercard?

First piloted in May 2015, the Supercard's an alternative to cheap overseas credit cards. To get it you need its Android or Apple app on your smartphone – once you've got that and set it up, you'll be sent your card.

It then works as follows:

1. You link existing debit or credit cards to it (not Amex)

2. You spend on it

3. It then charges your existing card in pounds, having done the conversion at the near-perfect Mastercard wholesale rate, which is far better than you would've got spending directly on most cards

However, cash withdrawals overseas have a 2.99% fee (more than the cheapest specialist credit cards) so it's best to spend on the card, not withdraw cash and spend that.

What does Travelex say?

A Travelex spokesperson told us: "We have paused sending out new Supercards due to an application processing issue. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."