In Reply to: If you take TC you will get a lower rate posted by balee on Tuesday, 18. September 2012 at 20:32 Bali Time:
TCs get a rate of about 4 or 5 cents/AUD less than cash in Bali - way cheaper than using cards. TCs are free from Aust Post. They are readily replaceable if lost or stolen. Cash isn't.
Actually, Indonesian law stipulates that all tourists carry their Passports with them at all times. No one does, of course, but I always have a photocopy of my Passport with me (& a copy of my travel insurance) & that's usually fine for cashing TCs.
I only take cash I can afford to lose & find that TCs are way cheaper than Travel Cards or using my debit or credit cards.
To each his own, of course. But I DO like to put in a plug for the good old TCs when I can - the teller at my Bank laughed at me when I asked for TCs - so I took my $ to Aust Post & was glad I did.
After having used all sorts of means of acquiring local currencies on our SE Asian travels we are firmly back to using TCs with some cash & credit & debit cards for emergencies. Working well for us & saving quite a bit.