Considering a Wise travel card

If they take credit cards, why not just use the CapitalOne card. Am I correct in assuming your own bank charges foreign currency conversion fees and out-of-network ATM fees? I just use a debit card from my local credit union for ATM withdrawals with minimal fees and no out-of-network fees.

I think you should check your credit cards and see what they offer. Some Amex cards have no transaction fees, although Amex is not as popular with merchants as it once was, so you may find many that don't take it. And I think many other cards have no-to-low fees.

First thing to do is to check the Money Travel Tips on this site. Loaded with info and answers bringing you up to date. I opened a CapitalOne checking account over 20 years ago because they offer no fee and no foreign exchange premiums on ATM withdrawals. For the same reason I use a CapitalOne Visa credit card. They have an easy to use website and app and you can set up alerts for any account activities.

It is just my opinion, but I think if you were going to open a new account or get a new card, why not get regular credit or debit cards that provide no fee services? Capital One has been mentioned. I know Alaska airlines credit card and most Chase Cards also have no foreign transaction fees. Charles Schwab has a great debit card with no atm fees paid worldwide.

In addition to no transaction fees, you can get credit cards with various other perks. Some come with an annual fee but provide enough perks such as travel insurance, lounge access , and cash back to completely offset fees.

I am glad you are doing research to find the solution that is best for you before buying.

I have a couple cards that have no foreign transaction fees and my debit card from my bank has no ATM fees. Check with your bank to see which credit cards are affiliated with them and if you can get a ATM card with no fees. That sounds easier than worrying about loading and unloading money onto the card you mentioned. Good luck!!

I don't understand the interest in a WISE card since it is a British base card. Why not stick to standard US debit/credit cards. There are dozens of US based cards that are fee free. You absolutely want a card that is part of either the PLUS or CiIRRUS networks - most common in Europe. You may not find the AMEX to be that widely acceptable so personally I would leave it home. Debit cards from credit unions are generally a very good debit card to carry. Pre-load cards in the US are treated as gift cards by the Feds so you don't have all of the banking protection that covers debit and credit cards. I would stick to a couple of debit cards associated with local institutions than getting a debit card based in England.

You will lose money exchanging foreign currency back to USD.
I agree, get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.
We have traveled to Germany, Switzerland, and Italy now, and all we do is swipe our phones across the merchants' portable credit card machines. Our phones have our credit cards loaded in our Apple wallets. In fact, it's been so easy I'm thinking about putting all my wallet valuables in my passport case, ( under my clothes in my neck passport case.) as I just don't need to get my wallet out at all!
Safe travels!

Thanks for the feedback! Giving up on the Wise card idea... even though they are British based you can still purchase from the US. Sounds like we can simply stick to the cards we have with no foreign transaction fees.

I'd like to piggy-back on this thread rather than starting a new one since I'm also looking at no- or low-foreign transaction fee debit cards. As suggested in the RS Money Tips, I contacted my bank to inquire on international ATM use since it suggested we get Euros in-country rather than purchasing any before we leave. Its fees: a $5 per withdrawal fee plus a 0.20% currency conversion fee. We don't expect to use that much cash, but we'd like to have some for smaller establishments, gelato, toilets, etc. (We'll use our no-FTF credit card for the vast majority of our purchases.) I've read about getting debit cards from online banks, but thought I'd check in this forum to find out what you have used before I proceed. Wise was one of the cards I considered, but I'd prefer a debit card from the US and/or one that uses US ATM networks. What no-FTF debit card do you use, and why did you choose it?

My primary ATM card is from my credit union. It doesn't charge a fee if I use a foreign ATM. My back-up card is from a CapitalOne 360 account. Those are easy to set up online. I think CapitalOne still promises to rebate fees charged by foreign ATMs, but I can't say for sure, because with one single exception 5 years ago, I've managed to avoid fee-charging ATMs. (However, that is getting harder to do.)

Others have reported Charles Schwab has a no-fee ATM card.

I ended up opening a capital one 360 checking account. The debit card has no fees for ATM or purchases. Did it all online and it was very fast then just did an account transfer of the money we’ve been saving. We are in Germany now and no problems at all so far. Everyone still seems to prefer cash though so have some of that too.

I've hijacked this link too much, so I'm going to start my own thread. Apologies to OP.

For those who'd be affected:
I opened and funded my Wise account on 9/5/23 and requested the debit card. Thought it would arrive in 7-10 days. Now almost two weeks later I'm getting told that for people in the US it can take 21 business days, sometimes more. I'm very disappointed. The longest wait for any kind of card.
I have two more weeks before leaving for Europe, so another 10 business days.
Will be a photo-finish for me, or may be no finish.

The hassle of setting up the account and funding and all that might be all for naught.
What a let down it will be. I'll have to go with MVV-App for the DB 49 Euro ticket.
I'm setting up a checking account with Schwab as backup. Hopefully, their debit card will arrive in 7-10 days.
So, folks in the US, beware of the need to have, at minimum, one calendar month before your travel to get started with a new Wise account to receive the debit card. Earlier than that the better. For US residents Wise does not have the option to expedite sending the card.
Hope this helps!
Ahmed