Advantages of travel money cards
- Pre-load your funds. Depositing your money on the card in advance can help you to stick to a budget, though you can always reload if needed.
- Multiple currencies. You can convert Australian dollars into several supported currencies (great for a multi-country trip) and avoid currency conversion fees.
- Locked-in exchange rates. When you put money on the card it's converted to the local currency based on the exchange rate at that time. This means you don't have to worry about a sudden spike in exchange rates costing you more money.
- Frequent flyer points. The Qantas Pay prepaid card means you'll earn frequent flyer points for your spending both overseas and in Australia.
- ATM fees. Many travel money cards don't charge overseas ATM fees.
When travelling from Australia to Switzerland is it best to exchange money at Australia Post from AU dollars to Swiss Franc in advance rather that change on arrival in Switzerland.
Hi Marjorie,
If you exchange your money at an airport or at a kiosk once you’ve arrived overseas, you may pay a hefty commission – it’s hard to know what charge in advance. Banks and licensed currency exchange outlets are likely to offer the best rates overseas but again, its hard to know what fees you’ll pay.
AustPost exchange is conveneint but it is not always the cheapest. Today, if you exchange $1000:
– At AustPost, you’ll get CHF541.80
– The same transfer with Travelex is CHF550.80
– With Wise, you get CHF572.05
It pays to shop around and compare to find the best value.
Hope this helps!
I want a good all-rounder card, locked in FX, no maintenance charges, ATM fees , no withdrawal fees. What card is best ?
Hi Charles,
The comparison table in this guide includes details of ATM fees, load and re-load fees that can help you compare different options. For example, currently the Wise Travel Money Card and Revolut standard card both offer $0 ATM withdrawal fees for the first $350 per month, with charges for further ATM withdrawals. The Travelex Money Card also offers $0 ATM withdrawal fees.
All of these cards also let you lock in FX rates for supported currencies, but may charge fees when you’re spending in a currency that’s not loaded on the card. So it’s a good idea to consider which currencies you plan to spend, as this could have a big impact on the overall costs and help you choose a card that’s suitable for you. You can also view more details on potential costs for each card on Finder’s review pages. I hope this helps.
I am going to the Uk in 2019. Confusions is supreme. I see there is information about conversation currency fees, however on individual travel card sites they claim 0 fees. If I have a facility with my current domestic bank that charges no fees to transfer money to another facility and I use a travel card that states they have 0 fees for upload and currency conversation fee, am I correct in believing that there will be no cost to me to upload AUD to GBP. I am traveling for about 3 months and with a budget of around AUD 20,000. What cards should I consider compared to using my domestic Credit and Debit cards. I have tried using your search engine for best card for country but it is not uploading.
Hi Kerry,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Sorry to hear about your confusion as to which card you would bring to the UK and apologies as well if you’re having a hard time uploading our page. Nevertheless, to help you narrow down your options, you can refer to our guide on travel money to the UK. From the page, you’d be able to compare your options for pre-paid, debit, and credit cards, and even foreign cash. Just click on the tabs to see the list. Once you have chosen a particular travel card, you may then click on the “Go to site” button and you will be redirected to the provider’s website where you can proceed with your application or get in touch with their representatives for further assistance.
With regard to the cost, usually, there’s no cost in loading AUD to the prepaid travel cards. If the currency is supported by the card, say GBP, it’s also free.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
May
Hello, just wanted to let you know that unless I’m mistaken, the Qantas Cash card has differing information on your website. On one page it says that there is a 1% reload fee and on another that there is 0%. That said, thanks for offering unbiased easy to understand information, much obliged…
Hi Brenda,
Thank you for your inquiry.
There are actually two ways to reload your Qantas Cash Card. The first option is via bank transfer or BPAY which has 0% fee and the second option through Direct Debit that charges 1% of the total amount. As a sample, this is how Direct Debit works:
If you wish to load or reload 200 AUD onto your card using Debit Card Load, you will be charged a fee of 1% of the load amount being AUD 200 x 1% = AUD 2. This means you will be required to pay AUD 202 to complete your Debit Card Load transaction.
Please also note that you may be charged other fees by third parties in relation to the Debit Card reloading transaction like the fees charged by your financial institution.
I hope this information helps.
Cheers,
May
I am traveling to South Africa and wanted to take a prepaid debit card but do not know who to contact for something like that. I talked to Travelex but they do not deal in South African currency. Any suggestions?
Hi Jean,
Thank you for contacting Finder.
Our Travel money guide to South Africa will provide you some options that may suit your needs. On the page, is a comparison table for a list of travel debit cards and prepaid travel money cards. You can use the table to help narrow down your options. Once you have selected one, you may proceed by clicking the green “Go to Site” button.
Before applying, please ensure that you read through the relevant Product Disclosure Statements/Terms and Conditions when comparing your options before making a decision on whether it is right for you. You can also contact the provider if you have specific questions.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Danielle