Travel Credit Cards, Debit and Prepaid Cards

How do you know which card is right for you? ATM card, Travel credit cards, debit cards or prepaid cards.

Debit Card
A Debit card is also issued by your bank but is generally associated with a major credit card company and carries their logo. It is hard to tell the difference between a debit and a credit card just by looking at them. They look the same and may have the same logo (Mastercard or Visa). You can use a debit card either at an ATM or to make purchases from a retailer.

Travel Credit Card
A travel credit card offers extra benefits for travelers, like points or miles or rental car or travel insurance.

Credit cards will also charge a foreign transaction fee for converting your foreign purchase amount into US dollars. However, this is better than having the European merchant convert the currency and charge you in US dollars. They will generally not give you a very good exchange rate. And they may also charge you a fee.

If you have a 4 digit numeric pin, you can use your credit card at an ATM. You should only do this as a last resort since the card issuer views this as a cash advance and will charge you a hefty fee for the convenience.

Prepaid Card
You purchase a prepaid card before you leave on your trip. Beware, these cards come with hefty fees. They act like a debit card but you are limited to spending the amount of money you preloaded onto the card. (Minus the fees of course)

US credit cards are still accepted at most retailers in Europe but be sure and check if your card will be accepted before you make a purchase or eat your dinner. This can be a real problem at unattended pay points like gas stations and subway or train ticket machines.

Because of the cost involved in changing technologies, US companies have no plans to make the switch. So keep some extra cash handy for those times when none of your cards will work.


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