Using Money While Abroad
For using money while abroad we recommend Wise's international account. You can get a debit card which holds multiple currencies to make sure you don't lose money on international fees on your trip. It allows you to easily access and spend money overseas.
The Wise debit card is used in the same ways as traditional debit cards. You can use Wise to withdraw money, pay for things on your program and receive money. Wise also has a very easy to use app.
Benefits include:
No annual or monthly fees
The ability to freeze and unfreeze your card
Up to 9 times cheaper than traditional banks on foreign transactions fees
Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay capabilities.
How Does the Wise Debit Card Work?
Here are some useful details on the Wise debit card.
The Wise debit card can be used in the same ways that traditional debit cards are used. The amount will be taken out of your Wise borderless account as long as you have enough of the particular currency you are paying. If you don’t have enough currency in which you are paying, Wise will convert other available currency from your account. If you have more than one currency, Wise will convert the currency that offers the best conversion rates.
The card lets you spend the funds that are in your account, just like any other debit card.
There is no charge to spend funds that are already in your Wise multi-currency account. Funds will be converted from the currency in your account balance with the lowest conversion fee automatically if you don’t have enough funds to cover a transaction in the particular domestic currency.
Letting Wise handle conversions and withdrawing funds in the local currency can help eliminate the need for paying hidden (and sometimes costly) exchange fees while traveling abroad.
Note: when taking out money abroad from an ATM, always choose the local currency to avoid local ATM fees that can be substantial. You can find more information regarding that here.
How to get your Wise Debit Card
Step 1: Sign up and order a Wise Debit Card (small fee applies)
You'll just need an ID and it only takes a few minutes. Give yourself up to 3 weeks to receive it in the mail.
Step 2: Activate your card
Activate your card online and receive your PIN. To activate your card, buy something with the chip or PIN and select “credit” on the terminal.
Step 3: Spend and save anywhere
Spend while abroad at the real exchange rate, with low conversion fees. Fee details for the Wise card are found here.