The Best Ways to Use Credit and Debit Cards When Traveling Abroad

NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast

NerdWallet Personal Finance

Business, Education, Investing, How To

4.2 • 665 Ratings

🗓️ 26 September 2024

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Learn how to optimize debit and credit cards abroad, avoid fees, and maximize rewards for stress-free international travel. What are the best ways to use debit and credit cards while traveling internationally? What are best practices for avoiding fees and maximizing card benefits abroad? Hosts Sean Pyles and Meghan Coyle discuss strategic card usage and essential financial tips for international travel to help you understand how to enjoy a seamless and cost-effective travel experience. They begin with a discussion of the importance of preparing for holiday travel, with tips and tricks on carrying multiple credit cards for redundancy, avoiding pitfalls of cash advances, and the benefits of traveling during off-peak times. Then, travel Nerd Craig Joseph joins Meghan to discuss practical tips for managing credit cards and currency while traveling internationally. They discuss the advantages of using cards for their rewards and protections, the necessity of charging in local currency to avoid conversion fees, and obtaining local currency before departure to minimize ATM and currency exchange fees. This episode offers a comprehensive guide to help your international travels stay financially savvy and stress-free. Check out NerdWallet’s roundup of the 16 Best Travel Credit Cards of September 2024: https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/travel In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: international travel tips, using credit cards abroad, debit card tips for travel, avoiding ATM fees abroad, holiday travel finances, travel expert tips, maximizing card rewards, charging in local currency, obtaining local currency, avoiding cash advances, minimizing travel costs, financial savvy travel, travel currency tips, holiday travel tips, travel spending strategies, travel card usage, credit card protections, travel rewards cards, international spending tips, foreign transaction fees, ATM fees abroad, travel planning, stress-free travel, travel stories, travel anecdotes, off-peak travel benefits, travel points, local currency tips, avoiding travel pitfalls, credit card tips, international travel guide, travel with multiple cards, safe travel tips, RFID protection, trip delay insurance, and lost luggage protection. To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:29.7	We're coming up on what many of us know as the most wonderful time of the year. Q. Andy Williams,
0:35.8	and Mariah Carey for that matter. Sure, it's only September,
0:39.2	but the holiday season will be upon us sooner than you think. And for a lot of folks, that means
0:43.7	a lot of spending, especially on holiday travel. As long as there's a mobile signal, you can now
0:48.8	use a card in a lot of situations where you previously couldn't. That means you don't have to
0:52.9	carry as much cash, which is obviously safer. And credit card purchase protections cover you from fraud in case
0:58.8	you swipe the card in the wrong place. Welcome to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. I'm Sean Piles.
1:06.7	And I'm Megan Coyle. And this is our fourth and final episode of our nerdy deep dive into holiday travel
1:12.3	and how to save some scratch before sitting down at the family and friends holiday dinner table.
1:17.2	Or in this case, what you should know about using your debit and credit cards abroad
1:21.2	if you're taking an international trip for the holidays.
1:24.1	You know, that's been on my bucket list for years.
1:26.3	I've heard traveling to Japan around
1:27.7	Thanksgiving is especially lovely. Fewer crowds, cheaper airfare. And you also get to experience
1:33.1	autumn in Japan. It sounds incredible. Oh, man. Yeah. I went in October last year. You have to do it.
1:39.1	Jealous. I also spent New Year's in Mexico last year, which was super fun, but I did not strategize with my cards correctly and did not get enough pesos.
1:49.0	So all of our friends ended up pooling together as many pesos as we had and only a few people had cards that worked at the ATM.
	...

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