One of the most important things to consider when planning an international holiday is how you're going to carry and spend your money.
Unless you plan to carry large amounts of cash or pay high international transaction fees on your debit or credit card, you might find yourself in need of a travel money card.
These cards allow you to load different foreign currencies onto them and use them to withdraw cash from ATMs or pay for purchases just like a regular debit card. There are many options available, but not all travel money cards are created equal. We'll help you learn what to look for in a travel money card and what we've discovered after a lifetime of travelling the world and booking holidays for our clients.
Exchange rate and fees
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a travel money card is the exchange rate and associated fees. Make sure to compare rates and fees for each card before making a decision. Often, free or low-fee cards offer poor exchange rates.
Accessibility and usability
A good travel money card should be accepted at most ATMs and merchants around the world. You also want a card with an easy-to-use app or online dashboard where you can check your balance, see transactions and load money quickly and in real-time.
Security
Keeping your money safe while traveling is crucial. Look for travel money cards with fraud protection, such as chip and PIN or biometric identification. Find out if there is 24/7 customer support if you need to report a lost or stolen card.
Additional benefits
Besides the basic features, some travel money cards offer additional perks, such as travel insurance, global Wi-Fi access, or cash-back rewards. Consider these benefits and how they could enhance your travel experience.
How does your bank's travel card compare?
While using your bank's travel money card can seem convenient because it allows you to move money in and out via your online bank accounts portal, there are some things to look out for.
You want to ensure that these cards are in no way linked to your other personal accounts.
Banks also offer increasingly strict fraud protection. While this is of course a good thing, we were caught out recently using our bank's currency card and it severly impacted our trip. Despite letting our bank know the dates of our travel and each destination, they thought our spending patterns looked erratic and suspended our cards thinking it was fraudulent transactions. We had to pay a fortune in international roaming charges from a remote location phoning them to rectify as we were on hold for over an hour while they tried to sort it out. We also missed an important sightseeing activity on hold to rectify.
What Travel Currency Card do we recommend?
We are constantly trying different products as things evolve in the currency card space and of all the travel money cards we've used, Pelikin is our current favourite. Not only do they offer competitive exchange rates and low fees but their card is also widely accepted and easy to use. Pelikin's app is intuitive and lets you track your spending by category, set budgets, and split bills with friends. Your are offered a virtual card, and a physical card if needed, which comes in an awesome bright colour that makes it easy to spot in your wallet. On top of that, Pelikin offers exclusive discounts and awards on travel experiences for its users, making it an all-in-one travel companion.
- Pelikin is a fast, simple prepaid travel money card that allows you to pay like a local with great exchange rates in 150+ currencies
- You can set up a free virtual card in just a few seconds, or order a physical travel card to be posted to you (or both!)
- Get free and instant wallet loads. Unlike many other currency cards it is free to reload too
- Hold and send up to 22 currencies in your easy to use app
- Add your card to Apple Pay or Gpay and send money instantly
- Securely pay at millions of locations worldwide (anywhere in the world that accepts Visa) with no hidden fees
- Travelling with friends? Make instant and free payments on the go with a nifty function to split bills for dinners, Ubers and other shared expenses
- Feel secure with global support
- Support an Australian company - we love to #supportlocal
Choosing the right travel money card can make or break your international adventure, so you want something that is going to seamlessly integrate into your trip and not cause you delays or hassles. You want a card with great exchange rates and low fees, easy access, security, and additional perks to enhance your travel experience. After using various travel money cards, we love Pelikin Travel Currency Card for their overall excellence in all these categories AND because we love to support local businesses - they an Australian innovation! Try it out on your next trip and see for yourself why Pelikin is the perfect travel companion.
Grab a free travel money card in less than 5 minutes, load money and start using it, all from your phone.
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