The best travel debit and credit cards

Monzo, Starling, Curve, Halifax Clarity and more compared for overseas spending.

If you’re heading out of the UK then one of the best ways to spend money is to use a specialist card. Use the right one and you could be getting near perfect exchange rates. Use the wrong one and it could be hit with extra fees and charges on every transaction.

But the selection of good cards isn’t huge. Out of my 15 or so debit cards and five or six credit cards, only a handful are fee-free. And some of them have limits on top.

Which means it’s more likely than not that your existing debit or credit card is going to be an expensive way to spend abroad. It’s worth having a look online to see what your bank charges.

If you find you already have a fee-free card then great. There’s probably no reason to switch to one of those listed below. But for most of you, it’s well worth opening up an account to get your hands on one of my top picks below.

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Watch my video round up or keep reading

My top travel debit cards

The cheapest cards are usually specialist debit cards – and they have the added benefit of not being credit cards! That means you can’t spend what you don’t have. Plus the credit checks will be easier or non-existent.

Another benefit is you won’t get charged interest to take cash out of an ATM, though as you’ll see a couple do have monthly limits on your fee-free spending.

Here are my top four. If you already have one of these then you probably don’t need to open up another account.

Chase Bank

Why get it? No fees and 1% cashback for a year

This digital-only account was launched in September 2021 and has no fees to use abroad. Plus for the first 12 months you’ll get 1% cashback on all purchases (if not more), 3% interest on savings and 5% interest on ’round-ups’ (though this latter one probably won’t add up to much). Here’s my full Chase Bank review.

Starling Bank

Why get it? No fees and the best banking app

Since Starling has become my main current account it’s also been my main card to use overseas. There are no limits for spending abroad or taking cash out (other than the daily cap you get with all debit cards), making it the best of the new breed of internet banks. Read my full Starling review.

Virgin Money M Plus account

Why get it? Not as good as Starling but there’s access to competitive savings

The next best account offers the same benefits at Starling. No fees to spend abroad or withdraw money overseas. I don’t think the app is as good as Starling’s. Here’s my review of the M Plus current account.

Monzo

Why get it? If you want the other budgeting and savings features that come with the account and won’t take out much cash abroad

Monzo has a better brand recognition than Starling, and people might wonder why I’ve put it last on my debit card list. The answer is very simple – you can only take £200 out of a cash machine outside Europe every 30 days.

Now for many people that’s not going to be a problem. I didn’t take out any cash on a trip to New York, let alone £200. But if you’re going to countries where cash is still king (or at least more prevalent) or are away for a long trip you could reach that limit. If you do you’ll be hit with a 3% charge. 

But if that doesn’t bother you, Monzo has some great budgeting features. More details and in my full Monzo review.

My top travel smart debit cards

These cards aren’t technically debit cards, though they works just like one. Instead you get a smart card which links to your bank and credit cards in the same way you’d use Paypal or Apple Pay.

The benefit of this is it is largely fee-free to spend overseas, even if the attached card you are using to spend isn’t. 

This makes it a great backup card, or even your primary travel spending card if you can’t be bothered to go through the hassle of opening new accounts. There’s also no credit check, something only Starling Bank has in common.

With both these cards you’ll want to go for the free plans, though they do have a few restrictions.

Curve

Why get it? Decent back up and the ability to change your underlying payment card

Curve is my top pick here thanks to its handy extra features, such as the ability to change which card you want to charge after purchase. However there is a £4.99 card delivery fee. Read my full Curve review for more details.

As with Monzo there are monthly limits on fee-free overseas spending (£1,000 a month) and cash withdrawals (£200 a month). After these limits 2% is added.

Currensea

Why get it? A decent backup card

Currensea does the same as Curve but has a 0.5% fee on top of the exchange rates every day of the week, so it could work out more expensive.

However there’s no monthly limit on spending with the card, and a higher £500 monthly free ATM withdrawal limit.

My top travel credit cards

Specialist credit cards can be great for overseas spending as long as you pay off the debt before any interest is charged.

Credit cards are particularly handy for things like hiring a car or putting deposits down on hotel rooms. The money can be held on these without leaving your account. You’ll also get Section 75 consumer rights protection.

With all credit card applications do make sure you check your eligibility first if you can.

Barclaycard Reward

Why get it? Earn cashback on all spending abroad

This Visa card from Barclaycard offers fee free spending and ATM withdrawals – and there’s no interest on cash you take out.

There’s also 0.25% cashback on purchases at home and abroad. That’s great for holiday spending but there are better alternatives for spending in the UK.

Halifax Clarity credit card

Why get it? If you want a credit card but can’t get the Barclaycard Reward

This is the card I’ve had for years and I only stopped using it when slightly better options came along . But it’s still a decent card and comes with me as a backup.

The downside is you will get charged interest on cash withdrawals straight away. This can be avoided or minimised If you clear the balance on a daily basis to avoid these extras. If you can’t get online then you can set up a standing order before you go. 

It’s a solid card and well worth sticking with if you already have it.

The best ways to spend when abroad

Cards aren’t the only way to spend. his article breaks down how I spend when I go away