International Prepaid Debit Cards
Digital nomads and travelers use international prepaid debit cards thanks to their various conveniences. These cards essentially work like debit cards. You can buy something abroad with these cards. In addition, you can withdraw money and do online shopping.
Also, you can only spend the amount you’ve topped up. These cards also do not bring overdraft fees.
Let’s dig deeper to learn more about these cards.
Basics About International Prepaid Cards
- A prepaid card international is easy to get in your home country from a bank
- It’s a great alternative to carrying lots of cash with you.
Main Advantages of an International Prepaid Debit Card
A prepaid card international is not linked to other accounts of yours. So, it’s a safe option in case of theft and fraud.
In most cases, your card exchanges the amount you need without the need for an exchange office. Also, there won’t be any extra costs because of the exchange rate volatility. The reason is that you can lock in the exchange rate before you travel.
You can top up several currencies on your card as well.
Some types of prepaid card international even offer benefits including concierge and travel insurance.
How To Get a Prepaid Card International
Firstly, you fill in an application form and submit proof of identity and personal details. The card will arrive at your address then. You can top the card up in your home currency, and then choose the foreign currency to exchange when abroad.
Then, you can easily switch the balance. In this way, you can learn how much foreign currency you have in advance through the app.
The application process is typically free and straightforward.
Let’s now take a look at the list of best international prepaid debit cards below.
Best International Prepaid Debit Cards
The following are the popular types of international prepaid cards.
Wise Multi-Currency Debit Card
Residents of the US, UK, New Zealand, Australia, or Europe can open a Wise account. It’s mainly an online bank. Its multi-currency account comes with a debit card as well. In addition, more than 40 currencies are available to hold in your account.
It also uses a mid-market exchange rate when it converts currencies. Withdrawals of up to $250 are free per month.
N26
N26 is another online bank that serves residents of the UK, US, or Europe. N26 also does not entail any additional fees and markups while using the Visa exchange rates.
Revolut
Residents in the EEA (European Economic Area), UK, US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, or Switzerland can use Revolut. Only US residents can benefit from the free account.
More than 150 currencies are available in a Revolut account. Holding and exchanging 28 currencies is another advantage of this account.
PayPal Prepaid
Paypal Prepaid is available to use both at home and abroad. The account charges $4,95 per month.
Netspend
One of the cards Netspend offers entails a monthly fee. The other option is “pay as you go”. It also charges each transaction.
Usually, no particular international ATM fees apply. Yet, it may depend on the ATM operator in certain cases.
Ally Bank
Overseas ATM withdrawals entail a one percent fee, and additional charges may apply by ATM owners.
Travelex Money Card
You can use it contactlessly in restaurants and stores. You can also withdraw money from ATMs. US local clients can use the prepaid currency card with six foreign currencies. Other similar products are also available for clients from outside of the US.
You may need to pay a certain fee when you get the card. It also adds a 5.5 percent exchange fee to the currency exchange.