Hi all,
Travelling to Europe later this year.
Not for points churn, but ease of use and competitive rates.
To pay for accomodation, transport, big activities and at restaurants.
I plan to use cash as well, but would rather not carry around more than a few hundred dollars at any time.
Any recommendations?
Thanks!
Latitude 28Deg or Bankwest Zero Mastercard. All other options (per my recollection) attract fees (usually because they earn reward points).
You can add Bendigo Ready Credit to that list, a newish offering.
https://www.bendigobank.com.au/personal/credit-cards/ready/
We use Citibank Plus MasterCard Debit cards. No foreign transaction or ATM fees. Can't comment on credit cards specifically sorry.
28D rates are very competitive, usually a few cents off the rates when I type into google for comparison. Used it in Europe, Asia and South Africa with no issues.
Wise (not credit)
Sure, I can help you with that. Here is a table comparing some of the best Australian credit and debit cards online for use in Europe, based on the information I found on the web¹²³.
| Card Name | Card Type | Fees | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wise Multi Currency Card | Prepaid | $0 monthly fee, $0 card fee, $0 ATM fee up to $350 per month, 0.4%-3.5% conversion fee | Mid-market rate |
| Travelex Money Card | Prepaid | $0 monthly fee, $0 card fee, $0 ATM fee, 5.95% reload fee, 2.95% currency conversion fee | Travelex rate |
| Bankwest Breeze Platinum Credit Card | Credit | $0 annual fee, $0 foreign transaction fee, 2% cash advance fee, 9.9% p.a. interest rate | Mastercard rate |
| ING One Low Rate Credit Card | Credit | $0 annual fee, $0 foreign transaction fee (if you deposit at least $1000 and make 5+ card purchases per month), 2% cash advance fee, 8.99% p.a. interest rate | Visa rate |
| Macquarie Transaction Debit Card | Debit | $0 monthly fee, $0 foreign transaction fee, $0 ATM fee in Australia or overseas | Mastercard rate |
Which card are you most interested in? I can provide you with more details if you like.😊
Source: Conversation with Bing, 05/09/2023
(1) The 5 Best Travel Money Cards for Europe in 2023. https://www.smoney.com.au/blog/best-travel-money-cards-for-e….
(2) . https://bing.com/search?q=best+Australian+credit+and+debit+c….
(3) The 3 Best Travel Cards For Aussies to Use in Europe. https://www.thecurrencyshop.com.au/guides/europe/best-cards-….
Latitude 28 Degrees. Remember when paying to always select local currency. Withdrawing cash from ATMs can be hit and miss with fees but always avoid the "private" ATMs - I only used the major bank's ATMs and did not incur any withdrawal fees. A good perk with 28 Degrees is the "Flight Pass" benefit - just register your flight before you depart and if your flight is late by 2 hours or more, you will get a free airport lounge pass. Also look up the posts re Orange Flex for eSim in Europe - its basically free 15GB roaming data in the EU with the current discount code.
A combination of fee free credit and debit cards from here (some countries love cash still):
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/wiki/cards_with_no_overseas_tra…
I just use commbank ultimate awards card