US Passport Card: Easiest Way To Cross The Border

The original idea behind the passport card was to make it easier for people who regularly cross the border going into Canada, Mexico or the West Indies. People can go across national lines a number of times without having to replace their worn passbook or stamps. The card is ideal for those who travel across cross borders several times a week for work or business-related reasons.

A passport has a vicinity-read radio frequency ID chip embedded in it. This chip connects the cardholder with a computer database that contains their necessary travel information that would ordinarily be in a standard passbook. No personal cardholder information is contained on the chip, so the card is safe to use.

These cards are designed to be read at close range by readers designed for this purpose. This prohibits anyone else from scanning the card accidentally or for purposes other than the intended personnel at the border checkpoints. The card is also accompanied by a 'blocker sleeve' to house it while not in use to prevent any type of unwanted scanning.

One of the most appealing features is the economical advantage the card has over the standard passbook that you can get from a USA passport agency. An adult pays a $100.00 charge for a first time standard passbook purchase. Comparatively, an adult card only costs $45.00 for the same 10-year life expectancy.

Any traveler that has a current passport can upgrade the passbook to a card. There is a modest $20.00 fee incurred to renew the card as opposed to going through the hassle and expense of buying a whole new card. The savings and convenience are two good reasons to switch from a passbook to a card method.

There is one prohibitive factor involved when deciding whether to switch to the card from the book. The card is not valid for international travel requiring the use of airlines. For these trips, it will still be necessary to use the book and have plenty of pages available to cover the entire itinerary. As this is done infrequently, the card is still the preferred method for frequent border crossing for many people.

While the book is more familiar to people and recognized the world over, there is no more convenient method in existence than the US passport card. This eliminates the wear and tear the paper book takes while coming in a more convenient size for carrying. These can be easily applied for by either going online and searching out a provider or visiting a local American passport agency office.