Today people often visit other countries for different reasons. Some have regular business trips. Other categories of voyagers travel abroad for sightseeing and family or romantic holidays. Nevertheless, for a convenient trip, you should have some funds spent on booking, shopping, entertainment, food, etc.
That is why users worldwide are searching for the most optimal banking options to make their traveling experience affordable for their budgets and comfortable for each family member. The same story if you are planning a business trip overseas. The best-matching international debit card with minimum or zero foreign transaction fees is required.
But what is the perfect match that will meet your expectations in the context of monthly charges, fixed commissions for withdrawals, wire transfers, generous cashback, and many more? Before visiting any country of your interest, explore all the available variants banking service providers offer today.
4 Best Debit Cards for International Travel: Choose the Ideal Variant for Your Trip Overseas
All the options reviewed meet the main request of the millions of users worldwide – the absent foreign transaction fee. Each e-platform or plan from the banking establishment observed obtains its significant features consumers would like.
The top list of the best credit cards with no foreign transactions fees are:
- Starling virtual card;
- Chime digital account;
- Wise multi-currency account;
- CapitalOne 360 plan for travelers.
Take a closer look at the descriptions of the above-listed variants you might choose as the alternative to credit cards with no international fees for your convenient wealth management overseas. This way you will be not limited to the financial operations abroad and avoid overpaying for some options you are interested in.
1 – Starling
This is the ideal variant for those who travel to European countries or to the USA. The main reason to select Starling is its multi-currency account where transactions in euros and American dollars are free of charge. Note that some fixed fees will be presented if you undertake international money transfers. Your recipient might request the remittance to the account of a non-partnering financial establishment.
In other cases, Starling can become the best debit card for travel due to the following perks:
- Zero foreign financial operation fees;
- Optimal exchange rates;
- Charge-free ATM cash-outs worldwide;
- Rewards for savings in the format of extra points to the user’s profile.
Note that the multi-currency plan can obtain additional fees for account maintenance. But other favorable terms available for Starling consumers can compensate for this weak spot with saved pennies on supplementary charges other debit, prepaid, and credit cards with no international fees have.
2 – Chime
One more e-platform with favorable exchange rates and zero fees for foreign financial operations is Chime. This is the best debit card for travel throughout the USA due to the free ATM withdrawals on the whole United States of America territory. If you use your Chime e-wallet in other countries, be ready to pay the fixed charge of $2.5 for each withdrawal.
Note that this option is more optimal for NFS and other online transactions. If you are going to cash out money regularly, the extra fee for over-limit operations takes place. The daily limit for withdrawals is about $500. If these terms meet your budget per day while traveling, select the Chime best debit card for international travel with its customer-centric wealth management app.
3 – Wise
If you are searching for the perfect alternative to credit cards with no foreign transaction fees, the Wise e-platform can become the ideal choice. Undertake various financial operations that are accessible for about 50 currencies. If you need some exchange transactions, be ready to pay the fixed fee of up to 1.9%. The smaller amount is; the fewer charges you will pay.
Try to cash out up to $250 per month while booking, buying, and ordering everything via the app to avoid ATM withdrawal fees. In this case, Wise can become the best debit card for international travel for voyagers in the context of their fund-saving strategies abroad via.
4 – CapitalOne
The CapitalOne plan is notable for numerous partnering financial organizations worldwide. Users can cash out their funds in any ATM globally with a minimum fee of $2. This charge does not depend on the sum to be withdrawn. Additionally, there is one more feature that makes CapitalOne the best debit card for international travel for thousands of customers. Users can count on the live exchange rates for their funds.
It means that you can wait for the most favorable stock indices to get profit and save money on the planned operation. Not all American debit and no-international-fees credit cards can offer such an opportunity to their consumers.
How to Pick Sides with the E-Banking Platform for Your Needs?
It is quite challenging to find the best debit card for travel because of the numerous accessible options. Numerous banking e-platforms and traditional banks provide clients with different plans required for comfortable and cost-efficient traveling. But there are the most common aspects to consider while selecting the optimal international debit card:
- Pay attention to cashback. Usually, travelers spend a lot of money on their trips abroad. There are perfect plans for most debit, prepaid, and credit cards with no international fees offered in the context of cashback.
- Check remitting charges. If you are usually on your business trip and are looking forward to sending money to your family, minimum fixed fees for remittances are required. This way you will save funds and avoid overpaying your financial institution where the current account is held.
- Explore various variants with multi-currency operations not to spend much on unfavorable exchange rates. Find the perfect no-fee international debit card with the opportunity to manage funds in several currencies at once.
Do not forget about ATM cash-outs that can require additional charges for withdrawals. The best option is to hold the account in the fin-corp organization with free-of-charge operations of this kind. Or select the e-platform that partners with global ATM networks. Plus, there is a fixed number of free cash-outs you can use to get money from your debit or no-international-fee credit cards daily (2-3 times without any charges).
Debit vs Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees Compared
It is impossible to recommend either debit or credit cards for travelers with no doubts. Each user obtains his/her own requirements for traveling bank accounts. Nevertheless, it is possible to compare some key aspects to help consumers with their choice.
|
Characteristics |
Credit Cards with No International Fee |
International Debit Cards (No Fees) |
| Online banking packages | Most credit cards offer great wealth management experience in the virtual user’s account. | Most debit cards offer great wealth management experience in the virtual user’s account. |
| Interests & fees | Users should pay attention to the APR rates and not pay high interest for borrowed funds.
There is an opportunity to find the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and interest-free terms to return the loan without charges.
|
Even the best debit card for travel can obtain different fees to consider (overdraft, maintenance, return-item charges, etc.).
The great deal for consumers is to realize that most accounts here are free from annual fixed fees. |
| Protections | Warranty & Purchase and Fraud protections are guaranteed | Fraud protections are guaranteed |
| Rewards | VIP plans provide special offers for clients who hold credit cards with no foreign transaction fees like increased cashback, long-term interest-free periods, lower maintenance fees, etc. | Cashback for travelers, special points for the user’s profile, and extended features for sub-accounts (for example, for the prepaid debit card of the same consumer opened). |
| Extra benefits & drawbacks for users to consider | It is possible to build credit history and develop trust of financial organizations to increase credit limits, etc.;
Enlarged opportunities in the context of wealth management (but with the risk of the ever-growing debt). |
Available EBT and free-of-charge virtual cards;
No risk to have debt while managing only own funds on the balance; Limited rewards and no chance to spend extra funds loaned in the fin-corp institution of your interest. |
While summarizing, each consumer selects the best match for his/her needs. If the family would like to have a fabulous vacation with no limits in funds, it is better to explore credit cards with no international fees. But be ready for the debt to pay after your marvelous trip.
At the same time, the debit card can become a great option for those who would like to plan their budget abroad without borrowing extra money from banking institutions. Today, it is possible to find the e-platform or the plan from traditional banks with favorable terms (cashback, zero transaction & exchange fees, minimum charges for sending/receiving funds, etc.).
Take a closer look at the best debit cards for international travel presented in this guide. Find the most appropriate terms & conditions for your family voyage, business trip, or other kinds of journey overseas with no hassles related to your money management.
