Best Credit Card for Travel Abroad. With so many options available, it’s essential to choose the right card that suits your specific needs and travel habits. This comprehensive guide will help you compare some of the best credit cards for travel abroad, considering factors like APR, foreign transaction fees, additional benefits, and eligibility requirements. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or planning a one-time adventure, we’ll assist you in finding the perfect card to enhance your travel experience.
NatWest
Best Credit Card for Travel Abroad.
Our credit card has an APR of 12.9%
Fee for buying from outside of Europe: £0.00
Fee for opening an account: £0.00
The credit card from NatWest is on the list because the interest rate is so low. Even if your credit score isn’t good enough to get the stated rate of 12.9% APR, NatWest will still offer you a rate of 18.9% APR at most.
The NatWest mobile app also has many features. For example, you can add your journey plans to the app before you leave for your trip. Deals in these countries will be less likely to be stopped or marked as suspicious.
Not only that, but Ulster Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland also offer the same card. These banks are mostly found in Northern Ireland and Scotland, respectively.
Coutts & Co
Best Credit Card for Travel Abroad
APR for Coutts & Co. is 19.99%
Fee for buying something from outside of Europe: £0.00 Account fee: £0.00
Some people who qualify for private banking will be able to use this choice. If you are one of those people, it has a lot of benefits.
This gives you entry to more than 1,100 airport lounges in 300 of the world’s busiest airports and a full concierge service. This can be a great way to pay for your trip before you even leave, since its experts might be able to get you some great deals or hotel upgrades.
Halifax – Clarity Credit Card
Best Credit Card for Travel Abroad
23.9% APR
Fee for buying something from outside of Europe: £0.00 Account fee: £0.00
One good thing about this card is that Halifax doesn’t charge any fees to take out cash. But ATMs in other countries might charge fees, so it might not be free.
Before you go abroad, it’s always a good idea to make sure you have enough cash on hand. Read our guide to the best travel money deals to find the best deals for you. But if you need to make an emergency transfer while you’re abroad, this card might be the cheapest way to do it.
Virgin Money
Travel credit card from Virgin Money (24.9%)
24.9% APR
Fee for buying something from outside of Europe: £0.00 Account fee: £0.00
There aren’t many travel credit cards with 0% interest on purchases or debt transfers, and this is one of the few. The fact that both offers are spread out over nine months makes them great if you want to buy big things abroad and pay back your amount over time.
The APR for this card will be higher (27.9% or 29.9%) if you’re not one of the top applicants. You may still get the card, though.
Nationwide Building Society
You can get a Nationwide Building Society Member Credit Card (All Rounder Offer) APR for Ex/C: 24.9%
Fee for buying from outside of Europe: £0.00
Fee for opening an account: £0.00
Nationwide members are the only ones who can get this credit card. A member is anyone who has a checking, savings, or mortgage account with Nationwide. With this card, you can avoid fees when you shop abroad, among other things.
Best prepaid travel cards
Another name for a prepaid travel card is a currency card. You can put money on it and swap it for different currencies before you leave. After that, you can use this card to buy things or get cash while you’re away.
You can only spend the amount of money that’s on the card. It’s kind of like a bank card that doesn’t have an overdraft protection.
Prepaid travel cards, on the other hand, are not protected by the FSCS like debit cards from FCA-registered banks are. If your service company goes out of business while you’re away, it may be hard to get your money back.
Because they care about you, companies like Wise and Revolut have set up specific ways to keep your money safe. This makes their services better than others.
Wise
On the Wise trip money card, you can use 53 different types of money. It works in more than 175 countries and has an app that lets you add money to it.
It does charge an exchange fee, though. Use the tool to figure out how much you might have to pay.
Also, you can only take out two £200 amounts each month before fees kick in. After that, each release costs 50p. Also, if you take out more than £200, there is a 1.75% fee.
To sum up, if you want to take out a lot of cash, Chase or Starling might be better for you.
Also, keep in mind that it costs £7 to have the card sent to you.
Should I use a debit card or a credit card when I’m abroad?
Most of the time, it doesn’t matter what card you use as long as you find the best and cheapest one to use abroad. When you use your credit card overseas, you are protected by Section 75, which means that if something goes wrong, you can get your money back.
So, if your things are broken, not delivered, or the supplier goes out of business, this law says you can get your money back. Section 75 covers activities that take place outside of the UK as well as those that happen in the UK.
Our guide goes into more depth about the scheme and says that it only covers purchases worth up to £30,000.
When you ask for any credit card, though, you’ll have to go through a “hard” credit check. If your score is low, this may limit the cards you can get.
Current accounts, on the other hand, might have easier standards and be a better choice for these people.
How much does it cost to use a normal card in another country?
When you use a regular debit or credit card abroad instead of a trip card, the fees can add up. Most high-street banks charge a 3% transaction fee if you use your card outside of the UK. This means that a £100 bill will cost you £3.
How much do trip cards cost in different currencies?
When you use a Visa or Mastercard to pay for something, the exchange rate is used. This is very close to the market rate, so you shouldn’t end up paying more than you should have because you were given a bad exchange rate.
Credit cards and ATMs should be avoided
When you use a debit card at an ATM, you should be careful unless you choose a bank like Chase Bank or Starling Bank that has fee-free current accounts that don’t charge you to use a debit card in Europe.
When you use a credit card to get cash from a machine, the fees will be even higher, and that’s before interest is added. Some will charge you interest from the day the money leaves your account, even if they say you can take it without any fees.
Some cards, like Barclaycard Rewards, let you pay off your balance early without incurring any fees. This means that if you pay off your balance in full every month, you shouldn’t have to pay any fees or interest on cash withdrawals.
Change your money for cash from other countries
You may need cash for your trip abroad. Not all stores will take cards, and paying with cash can give you some freedom. That’s why you might want to change some of your trip money into a different currency.
It is usually a bad idea to wait until the last minute to do this, especially if you plan to use an airport bureau de change. Because you don’t have many choices at this point, these companies usually raise their prices and charge extra. Give yourself time ahead of time to find the best currency exchange deals.
