Which credit card to use abroad

What "good for travel" actually means

A travel-friendly card has four features: a true interbank exchange rate (no markup), no foreign transaction fee, free ATM withdrawals (or a generous monthly cap) and worldwide acceptance on Visa or Mastercard.

Cards from neobanks (Revolut, Wise, N26) usually tick the first three boxes for free, while traditional bank cards charge 1.5–3 % per transaction abroad on top of a fixed fee.

Always carry two cards

A second card on a separate account (and ideally a different network: one Visa + one Mastercard) is your backup if the first is lost, blocked by fraud detection or simply rejected by a merchant.

Keep the backup in a different bag or pocket. The first 30 minutes of a lost wallet are much calmer when you have a working card.

Withdraw cash strategically

Cash is still required in many countries for taxis, markets and small restaurants. Withdraw a larger amount once a week instead of small amounts every day — most ATM operators charge a fixed fee per withdrawal, regardless of the amount.

Always pay in the local currency, never in your home currency. The “Dynamic Currency Conversion” offered at the ATM screen is a 5–10 % hidden fee.

Use credit, not debit, for big purchases

For flights, hotels and car rentals, a credit card adds a layer of protection (chargeback) that a debit card does not. The money is not yet out of your account if the supplier goes bankrupt or never delivers.