Amex/Delta advertises Fee Free travelers cheques as benefit. Anyone able to get $1000 in cheques for $5.95 postage and have the $15 order fee waived. That's $.006/mile...not quite as good as savings bonds.

http://www.americanexpress.netfirms.com/

I think the original post was asking if one could charge travelers checks and earn points, Hilton HHonors points in this case.

Let me relay my true TC anecdotes, one good experience and one bad:

Good: was a time when AAA in Colorado permitted purchase of AMEX Travelers Checks using a credit card; in this case a VISA card. A friend charged the max limit he could each month, and immediately paid off his balance each month. Af course he accrued quite a few frequent flier miles using this method, to the tune of about $30,000 per month. This loophole has long been closed...sigh...

Bad: Last summer, we went on a 5 week trip, traveling thru France, Italy, and Belgium. Though I use credit cards almost exclusively, wanted a "just-in-case" kitty, so purchased about $1500 worth of traveler checks at the local Credit Union, which offered "fee-free" checks. (no I could not use the credit card to purchase them). I thought I was being smart by purchasing Euro-denominated checks. What a mistake...

First problem was the exchange rate; though updated daily, was significantly different from bank interchange rate. So I lost a few points there (still fee-free though ).

Second problem was finding how few places actually accept them in Europe. Seems there is a bit of fraud everywhere, and most merchants won't accept them. Banks charge a fee to cash them in Belgium, and one hotel refused, even though they had a decal in the window stating they were welcome! These were Euro checks in Euro countries!

Third problem: Amex travel centers don't exist in every city - there were none in Brugge, Belgium, our last city on the trip, so no way to turn them into euro cash without a cashing fee at a bank.

So I waited until I returned to the US to convert back to cash at an AMEX center; some good news, as the Euro appreciated a bit in the 3 months I waited to cash them in. But still more bad news, when there was that little euro-to-$ conversion rate that differed considerable from the inter-bank rates quoted in the WSJ.

Moral: never, never use TC unless you are aware of the "hidden fees" or inability to cash without a fee at some places, or inability to even use.

Unless of course, you can still find some AAA office or Bank that will accept a CC to purchase a TC.

By the way, when I complained to AMEX, there was little they could offer to make me hole again. Alteogether about $100 lost out of the $1500.

The original poster wants to be able to get HHonors points by buying travelers cheques. Many suggestions were made on where to get them fee-free, but were not applicable to the question since they involve using a non Hilton HHonors credit card, much less a reward card.

Some suggested that Amex will sell fee-free travelers cheques to Gold and Platinum cardholders. I just wanted to point out that such transactions are treated as cash advances and do not earn HHonors point or any kind of points. Plus, cash advances incur fees and interest.

Actually, the original subject was CAN you purchase them fee free, not where. Many people stated that you can get them fee free, but as a cash advance, and other things that would not work. So they were in fact answering the question, no you can not get them. The poster didn't say Where can I get fee free checks, but can they.

Probably each and every post was applicable to the question CAN you get them. It was pointed out to them that you can get fee free ones, but they would be treated as a cash advance.

A few years back, it was possible to get AMEX TC's fee free from AAA using a UA affiliated credit card. (at least in the wash dc area). People were getting free loans, and miles.

Only after lots of publicity was this stopped.

The original posted also said "and Count as Hilton Honors Points." So far, nobody has mentioned any method of purchasing that can earn the points.

Actually, I believe there is some bank or small credit union or forex firm out there somewhere that will probably allow it, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea to post it here since it would be abused and eventually disappear.

Some banks, such as Washington Mutual, offers them free to their customers, if you have the approriate type of account with them. You may want to check with your bank to see if they do.