The Wise Card is the perfect card for frequent travelers- especially if you will be hopping to several countries with different currencies. I have been using this card for a few years now and my only regret is not signing up for it sooner.
The process is simple. Go to the Wise Website and sign up for a card. You don’t have to initially put any money on the card, only pay the fee for the card itself ($9 at last check). Don’t worry, the card will pay for itself quickly. The beautiful green card will be mailed to you, so make sure you do this at least a month before your vacation.
Before vacay- Load the card up with your home currency. However much you want. You don’t have to spend it all and if you don’t, you can easily transfer what you don’t spend back into your account. If you are on vacation and you need to add more money, don’t worry! You can easily, INSTANTLY add more money by pre-linking your bank account. There is NO wait time and your money is immediately available for use.
Here is a snapshot of my account from my summer travels:
What I LOVE about looking at my statements online or in the app is that it tells me what I spent in the local currency AND in my home currency. There are NO ATM fees. As you can see above, I withdrew 1,000 EGP (Egyptian Pounds) from an ATM and it automatically gave me the BEST rate and tells me the USD equivalent. Earlier that day I was at the airport in Greece, hence the purchase in Euros. On July 2, I added $300 USD and there was only a 48 cent fee, You CANNOT best that! You don’t have to change anything in the app, just use your card as you would at home and everything is automatically converted.
I also love how it gives each purchase a category- Food, ATM, entertainment. This helps me out when I reconcile my receipts when I get back in preparation for tax time!
Another tip: Whenever you are abroad and the credit card machine asks if you want to purchase in USD or local currency, always pick local currency!!
Have questions about the Wise Card? Ask below!
Blue Grotto Travel 