Hello World Travelers,
I have had some questions concerning the best use of credit/debit cards and money in general.
Debit Card Suggestions
The best suggestion that I have is to make sure yo
u contact your bank to tell them when and where you are traveling. This usually takes care of any issues. However, it is important to keep contact numbers and info on hand just in case you run into any issues.
u contact your bank to tell them when and where you are traveling. This usually takes care of any issues. However, it is important to keep contact numbers and info on hand just in case you run into any issues.For debit cards, make sure that you have a Visa/Mastercard symbol on the front. If you don’t see this symbol, you will need a different card. You also need a four digit pin on the card. If you have a five digit, you will need to change it because many ATMs in Europe still only accept a 4 digit pin.
If you are looking for a debit card just for this trip, one option is a prepaid card. You can find one like the AAA MemberPay Visa® Prepaid Card . I have not used one like this, but I have heard good things.
If you don’t have a debit card and would like one, according to TouristBee.com the top three based on extra fees are as follows:
| Bank Name | Foreign Withdrawal Fee | Foreign ATM Usage Fee | Fees for $100 withdrawal | Fees for $1000 withdrawal | Foreign Purchase Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One 360 | None | None | $0 | $0 | None |
| Charles Schwab | None | None | $0 | $0 | None |
| Fidelity | None | None | $0 | $0 | 1% |
I have used Capital One 360 before and had no issues.
Money Travel Tips
Below are some other tips found in the article from TouristBee.com that are important to remember. There are more tips in the article, so it may be worth a quick read.
- Avoid using ATMs that are not associated with a local bank. This will help cut down on extra fees.
- Set up a pin for a credit card. It may be necessary to enter a pin at some point on your trip. However, don’t withdraw cash from an ATM with your credit card. They have high fees.
- As quoted in the article found above, “When using a credit card to make a purchase in Europe, don’t accept merchants’ suggestion to change your purchase currency to your home country’s currency when making credit card purchases. Their question seems benign: ‘Would you like to pay for that in American Dollars or Euros?’ You may think that’s a good thing but it’s not! They can set their own rates and it still counts a s foreign transaction on your credit card. Just answer no!”
- Don’t be this person walking down the street!→
I personally bring two debit cards and one credit card. I hide one debit card and use the other to pull cash from ATMs. This way if one is lost or stolen I still have access to cash. The credit card is used for big purchases such as souvenirs.
I hope this helps everyone. I’m sure there will be some more questions, so please keep asking.
Now let’s go explore!
Theo