Does anyone here use a Wise card? I'm thinking of getting it to pay for things like public transit in cities where I don't want to take out my phone or a credit card.
I recently had an experience where a tram wouldn't read my card on my phone and I don't want to go through that again.
Any other suggestions for something to use for small payments?
I've used in in the US as they gave me the physical card for free as part of a promotion. I've not bothered since that first trip though as I prefer the extra convenience and protections of using my credit card over the tiny forex saving I made.
The main (only?) advantage is you can pre-convert to local currency and get wise's rates, which are usually better than bank rates.
Other than that it is a debit card and works like any other debit debit card so I'm not sure how it will solve any of your problems. You either get the card out to pay or load it onto your phone and get your phone out. Obviously YMMV
I personally have a Revolut card that I use for my travels. It holds multiple currencies, is contactless, is under VISA. I use it to book things online like museum tickets or buy things on Amazon. I suppose Wise is similar?
If preferring to use a debit card, mine has no fees to create, maintain, use and assigned fees at bank ATMs rebated worldwide. Performs very well! Carefully read the fine print about fees and withdrawal limits associated with the Wise card.
I have a Wise card, but basically never use it - I just can't see the advantage over my bank debit and credit cards.
For example, Wise is offering USD1.347 per £1. My bank exchange rate is USD1.35 per £1. So basically the same. If I use it to transfer money, Wise charges a fee, but my bank does not. And I can hold multiple currencies both with Wise and also with my bank.
But it is basically a fintech, very similar to Revolut.
Wise will issue you a card (in the US it will be Visa, here in Singapore it's Mastercard). It will behave the same way as any normal visa debit card. Same risks etc as using your standard bank cards.
The safest way is to pay by phone. For public transport you can keep is locked even when you tap it, and it can't be used for anything else, even if you lose the phone.
We have used our Wise cards successfully on trips to Europe over the past few years. Our primary use has been transportation systems with the tap option and with some taxis. We put a smaller amount on the Wise card so if anything happens to it, the loss is minimal. I prefer it to my regular credit cards and phone at those times.
Thanks Claire. That's exactly what I want it for and you answered my question.
I use a Wise card to tap on public transport also - used it last in Amsterdam and Brussels in December. Works perfectly. I also use it to buy things like a normal debit card and we also use the account to shift around larger amounts of money internationally. The advantage over a normal debit card is that my debit card has access to all of my money in my account, and Wise is limited just to what I have moved into it. Of course you can rig up your normal debit card like this too depending on your bank and whether it allows this, I just happen to use Wise like my international bank account. A physical card only costs a small amount (for Australia this is A$10) and is worth it in my opinion.
Lavandula
EDIT: and if you lose your card, as my husband did in Japan, you can use an electronic card on your phone, which can be locked down when not using it, just in case a ne'er do well finds your lost physical card. All very thief-proof.
I have Wise and use it as a backup debit card. My regular ATM card has good rate and a better deal than Wise.
But I like the backup option and just used Wise in Poland to withdraw a small amount of cash. For tap to pay, my credit card is a much better option with no fees.
