Spend abroad without the bad exchange rate

A regular bank card often adds a 2–3% markup on foreign transactions plus a flat ATM fee. A multi-currency card avoids both.

Provider	Best for	Notes
Wise	True mid-market rate	Holds 40+ currencies at the real exchange rate, small transparent fee per conversion.
Revolut	All-in-one app	Budgeting tools, virtual cards, and fee-free spending up to a monthly limit on free plans.

Mid-market rate

Wise

Order the card before you travel — it can take a week or two to arrive.

Get Wise

All-in-one

Revolut

Good if you also want budgeting and spending insights built in.

Get Revolut

Tip: when paying by card overseas, always choose to be charged in the local currency rather than your home currency — the "convert to my currency" option at checkout almost always applies a worse rate than your card provider's own conversion.

Getting the most from a travel money card

Order your card at least two weeks before you travel, and add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay as soon as it's approved so you can pay by phone while you wait for the physical card to arrive. Load a small amount first and make a test purchase at home to check everything works.

Take two cards from different providers if you can, and keep them in separate places. If one is lost, stolen or blocked for a suspicious-looking transaction, you still have a way to pay. Using ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, rather than standalone machines in tourist areas, lowers the chance of high operator fees and card skimmers.

Finally, check your card's monthly limits for free ATM withdrawals and currency exchange before a long trip, as fees apply once you go over them.

More detail: Wise vs Revolut for travel.