Travel agents and their customers will be the real winners in a new battle underway between travel money providers and Cash Passport operator Access Prepaid.

The battle for the travel money dollar is intensifying following the launch of the new Multi-currency Cash Passport, enabling the travel industry to genuinely compete with travel money providers, including banks, for the first time in decades.

Graham Perry, Director of Global Sales and Strategic Relationships for Access Prepaid Worldwide, said the travel industry would now have access to the most advanced travel money product available.

"Travel agents will be able to offer their clients the best product on the market with highly competitive exchange rates," he said. "In addition to free point of sale transactions, the Multi-currency Cash Passport also charges no international ATM fees - an industry first."

"The travel industry can now reclaim their rightful ground in competing for the travel money dollar," Perry said. "There is a natural fit between travel bookings and the purchase of foreign currency and for that reason we believe the travel industry will benefit from this potential major revenue source," he said.

The Multi-currency Cash Passport surpasses competitive products and sets an entirely new benchmark for the industry, according to Perry.

"The Multi-currency Cash Passport allows travellers to aggregate funds from more than one currency to complete a transaction, should the cardholder not have enough funds in the transaction currency - a functionality other cards lack," Mr Perry said.

"Not only can this reduce costs, but it also means travellers can hand over their card with confidence when making a purchase, without being concerned about how much money is available in each currency.

"The Multi-currency Cash Passport uses innovative smart wallet functionality specifically developed for the Cash Passport. We took the time required to get this product right and we believe the result is superior to anything else on the market," he said.

The Multi-currency Cash Passport retains all the benefits of the traditional Cash Passport, including the ability to lock-in the exchange rate on the day of load or reload, security, the support of a 24/7 Global Emergency Assistance line and chip & PIN functionality.

Available in-store at most travel agencies, the Multi-currency Cash Passport can be purchased instantly over the counter. It is accepted at over 32 million merchants and ATM's around the world and online and gives cardholders access to MasterCard's extensive network.