Travel Money: Card vs Cash vs Travel Card
Heading abroad, you’ve got three main ways to pay: your normal card, cash, or a dedicated travel card. Most people should use a mix — here’s how they compare.
Your normal debit/credit card
Convenient and secure, but watch for foreign-transaction fees (often ~3%) and poor exchange rates on older cards. Great if yours is fee-free; expensive if not.
Cash
Essential for taxis, markets, tips and small vendors. But carrying lots is a theft risk, and exchanging it badly (airport desks!) is costly. Take a sensible buffer — see how much cash to take on holiday.
Prepaid travel cards
You load them with currency in advance, sometimes locking in a rate. Good for budgeting and avoiding fees, but check for load/withdrawal charges and poor rates on the initial conversion.
The smart combination
For most trips: a low-fee card for day-to-day spending, plus a modest cash buffer, and decline “pay in your home currency” at every terminal. Whatever you choose, know the mid-market rate first on our converter — see the full playbook in getting the best exchange rate.
Try the live currency converter → · Explore Burgernomics →