Discover which travel money card might be better for you.
As with most financial products, there isn’t a universal “best” travel card for everyone. Instead, the right card for you will depend on where you’re travelling, the currency you need to use and your spending behaviours. These reasons, as well as the fact that there are many travel cards on the market, are why it’s important to compare your options.
In this guide, we look the travel cards from two of Australia’s Big Four Banks. Read on to see if National Australia Bank’s NAB Traveller Card or the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s CommBank Travel Money Card is better for your travel needs.
NAB Traveller Card vs CommBank Travel Money Card
We’ve highlighted some of the major components you should consider when comparing the NAB Traveller and CommBank Travel Money card. So whether you want to know the available currencies or the fees you’ll have to pay, you can compare them below:
| Feature/fee/rate |
 NAB Traveller Card |
 CommBank Travel Money Card |
|---|---|---|
| Card issue fee | $0 | $15 |
| Available currencies | AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, THB, USD | AED, AUD, CAD, CNY, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, NZD, SGD, THB, USD, VND |
| Currency conversion | 4% of the total transaction value | 5.25% |
| Load fees | $0 | $0 |
| Minimum load amount | $50 | $1 |
| Maximum load amount |
|
Maximum load and reload total per year: $1,500,000 (subject to maximum $50,000 balance at any given time) |
| Daily transaction limits |
|
|
| ATM withdrawal fees | Overseas: $0 per withdrawal via international ATMs Domestic: $3.75 fee applies (subject to ATM operator fees) |
International:AUD3.50, USD2.50, GBP2.00, EUR2.20, NZD3.50, CAD3.00, JPY220, SGD3.50, HKD17.00, THB80.00, VND50,000, CNY15.00, AED10.00 |
Other factors to compare
Aside from comparing the features and fees, you should also consider the following factors when deciding which travel card is the better one for you.
- Additional cards. While NAB issues a card for $0 for you to use as back-up, CommBank charges $15 for your primary card and doesn’t offer additional cards. This could impact your choice if you want a back up card in case yours is lost, stolen or damaged.
- Loading funds. You may load both cards via BPAY or bank transfer. BPAY transactions take up to two or three business days to process, while bank transfers from external banks can take up to a day. Loading a NAB Traveller Card from your linked NAB bank account results in an instant transfer, and loading a CommBank Travel Money Card from your CommBank account via NetBank or the app also loads funds in real time.
- Smartphone app. Both banks offer apps that help you to efficiently manage your accounts on a smartphone or smart device. You can load funds, transfer money between currency wallets, check balances and past transactions, as well as manage account settings using the app.
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Worldwide acceptance.
The NAB Traveller Card is a prepaid Mastercard while the CommBank Travel Money Card is a prepaid Visa card. That said, both card networks offer extensive global acceptance at merchant stores and ATMs worldwide. - Rewards program. If you’re a points chaser, you might be disappointed to learn that neither card is linked with a rewards program. If you wish to earn frequent flyer points with a prepaid travel card, consider Qantas Cash or Velocity Global Wallet instead.
- Verdict. Based on its marginally lower currency conversion fee, free cards and free international ATM withdrawals, the NAB Traveller Card comes out on top if you’re looking to save on fees. That said, you’d definitely choose the CommBank Travel Money card if you were travelling to China, Vietnam or the United Arab Emirates because it supports those currencies.
Remember that there isn’t one card that will universally suit everyone, so you ought to consider all card options in light of your individual needs and preferences. Why not check out our travel money guide to compare other travel cards and find the right one for your next overseas trip?
Pictures: Shutterstock
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