The 3 Best Travel Cards For Aussies to Use in the UK

Wise is our pick for travel debit card for the UK

With this card:

Convert Aussie dollars to pound sterling at the mid-market exchange rate
It's very easy to set up and order
You can receive foreign currency into a multi-currency account linked to the card
You can transfer money to a bank account overseas

It's not all good news though

There is a 2% ATM withdrawal fee when you withdraw over $350 during a month
It takes 7-14 days for delivery

Click here to see the full list of cards and how Wise compares

What are different types of travel cards?

One of the least exciting parts of going overseas, is working out how you're going to access your cash. Using card is an option if you don't want to carry cash, so we've put together the best travel cards to use in the UK.

With lots of different cards you'll need to find the one that best suits your needs. To help narrow your options, here is a list of the best Travel Cards and the key benefits and pitfalls of each one.

They can be either prepaid, debit or credit cards designed specially for overseas use. You can use travel cards to make purchases online, in stores and to withdraw money at ATMs. There are 3 popular types:

Prepaid Travel Cards
Travel Debit Cards
Travel Credit Cards

Let's have a look at each one.

Debit Cards offer the convenience of a credit card, but work differently. They draw money directly from your bank account when you make a purchase. It's designed for everyday money transactions and means that you're not accumulating debt.

A debit card could make you stick to your travel budget, because you can't overdraw money from your account. And for daily purchases, we think a debit card can help you stick to your travel budget, because you can't overdraw money from your account.

Generally, we recommend having the combination of a travel debit and travel credit card for safety, flexibility and convenience on your trip.

For prepaid cards, you're able to load the card with a set amount of money in the currencies you need. Ideally you do this before your trip, but often you can reload them as well.

Most prepaid travel cards allow for multiple currencies to be loaded onto the card. So it's important to know what currency you'll be using on your travels. Airlines also offer prepaid cards so the money you spend can earn you reward points.

With prepaid travel cards you need to be careful. They can have numerous fees and charges, which can make it more expensive than other options. But if you're organised and travelling to multiple cities a prepaid travel card is a good option.

Revolut - prepaid travel card for the UK

With this card:

No purchase fee, load fee, reload fee, exchange rate margin or minimum balance requirements
Unlike other Travel Cards, its free and easy to use the balance of your currency or convert it back to AUD
Mid-market exchange rate, they add a mark-up for currency conversion during weekends

It's not all good news though

For the free Standard account, there is a 2% ATM withdrawal fee when you withdraw over $350 during a month
The premium account costs $10.99 a month, which can really add up if you are not using it often

Click here to see the full list of cards and how Revolut compares

Credit cards have obviously been around for a long time. But now there are specialised travel credit cards. Generally, these cards give you longer to pay back what you've spent but the interest rates after this time can be quite high.

The main advantage with credit cards are the reward points you get in return for your customer loyalty when you spend. But it only works if you pay off the balance in full each month.

Credit cards are great to use for car hire, restaurants and accommodation - larger expenses that are easier for you to pay back over time. Some services only take credit cards to hold purchases so they can definitely be handy while you're travelling.