Based on our comprehensive study comparing all the travel cards in the market, the best travel card for this year, 2024, by far is the Wise card. It offers the best currency exchange rates and the lowest fees for any transaction.
Moreover, compared to any other debit or credit card from banks, neobanks, fintech companies, or financial institutions, Wise card also provides the most advanced options and services to its customers. Among many other benefits, it allows you to manage your card entirely from your mobile device instantly, and if you need assistance, customer support is available in Spanish.
Below, we will explain in detail the results and exact differences of our analysis. However, if you don’t want to get overwhelmed with numbers and already trust our recommendation, you can learn about all the benefits of the Wise card and how to obtain it at this link.
Comparative Analysis of All Travel Cards
To better summarize the results of our research and enable you to clearly see all the data at a glance, we have categorized all the available financial cards into three categories: Wise card, travel cards from specialized financial companies, and traditional bank cards.
Commissions and Real Costs for Financial Transactions:
| Payments in foreign currency | ATM withdrawals in foreign currency | |
| Wise card | From 0,40% (in general 0,45%) | From 0,40% (in general 0,45%) |
| Other travel cards | 0,5%-3,5% | 0,5%-3,5% |
| Bank cards | 3,5%-6,5% | 7,5%-11,5% |
As you can see, whether it’s making payments at merchants or withdrawing cash from ATMs abroad in a different currency, travel cards have lower costs compared to bank cards. Furthermore, among these travel cards, the Wise card stands out as the best by offering the lowest possible costs compared to any other card.
Functionalities, Options, and Services of Each Financial Card:
| Wise card | Other travel cards | Bank cards | |
| Mobile phone App | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recharge instantly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Claim operations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pay with mobile phone | Yes | Some | Most |
| Blocking option | Yes | Most | Most |
| Notifications | Yes | Yes, possible cost | Yes, possible cost |
| PIN management | Yes | Yes | In ATM |
| Limits management | Yes | Yes | In office |
| Customer service in many languages | Yes | Some | Yes |
| Credit | No | Few, with cost | Yes |
As evident, the Wise card offers numerous advantages compared to other cards in the market. The only exception would be the availability of credit, which is usually offered only by bank cards.
However, when traveling, it is often best to have a debit card that allows spending from the loaded balance only. Otherwise, in case of theft or card data compromise, one could become a victim of significant fraudulent transactions. Thus, not having credit on the card can even be considered an advantage.
However, do consider if you’ll need your bank credit card during your vacation, as many car rental companies, for example, only accept credit cards for deposit payment.
Price and Fees of Each Financial Card:
| Initial fee | Shipment | Annual cost | Renewal cost | |
| Wise card | 9 dollars | 0 dollars | 0 dollars | 0 dollars |
| Other travel cards | 0-15 dollars | 0-10 dollars | 0 dollars* | 0-10 dollars |
| Bank cards | 0-45 dollars** | 0 dollars | 0-45 dollars** | 0 dollars |
* They usually do not have an annual fee.
** To be 0 euros, it is currently required to direct payroll and meet certain conditions, otherwise there are usually issuance and maintenance fees.
Why does Wise charge so little compared to the competition?
The reason why Wise is unbeatable in terms of costs and transaction speed compared to any other financial service provider is straightforward: Wise has millions of customers worldwide, which allows them to have funds in many different countries and currencies. Consequently, during transactions, no actual currency exchange takes place.
For instance, if you want to convert your Euros to British Pounds into a Wise account in the UK, you simply deposit Euros into your Wise account in Spain, and in return, the British Wise account delivers your Pounds shortly after verifying the transaction’s authenticity in a completely secure and transparent manner. Thus, as there is no actual currency exchange, the transfer can be done for a minimal cost and with unbeatable speed compared to any competitor.
You can check the following video with Spanish subtitles to understand how this winning philosophy enables Wise to stay ahead and offer better prices and conditions than its rivals:
Conclusion: Wise, the Ideal Travel Card
As you have seen, with Wise, you will save on your international travels compared to using any other card in the market. Additionally, you will have complete control over your card through your mobile device, and the interface is available in Spanish! Discover how to obtain this travel card and explore all its advantages and possibilities at this link.