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The best card / service to use abroad

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Hi Guys!

I have been reading MSE to find the best card to use abroad but the more I read, the more I am confused to be honest.

I see that Starling Bank has got good opinions and I will most likely go for it but I am a bit worried about app-only access. If my phone gets stolen while somewhere in Asia or South America, what are my options then? Is it possible to authorise a new up on a second phone?

What about Revolut, Curve ( curve.app/en-gb ) or Caxton ( caxtonfx.com ) as these are services that I can`t really understand. Starling seems to be a “normal” bank (although app-only) when these 3 are something different if I understand correctly? I heard something about Revolut and the opinions were possitive but never heard anything about Curve or Caxton.

Obviously I just need hassle free and safe service that gives me some recovery option if I lose my phone on the other side of the world.

Thanks in advance for some advice.
Mike
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Comments

  • bd10
    bd10 Posts: 347 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hi, I use the Clarity & Starling combo abroad. Starling for cash and back-up esp. or if credit cards are not accepted. Clarity for all else. Both are issued by banks with full UK banking licenses. That's important to me.
    I struggle to see the point of Revolut for me: when travelling, the biggest items are hotel and flights. Flights I typically book via an Amex credit card ahead of times. Hotels depends: if I can book the hotel directly (and also in the foreign currency) rather than via a portal, I do so using Clarity. If the Mastercard rate would be slightly worse than Revolut (I do not have Revolut so cannot make a direct comparison), then I consider this an "insurance premium": I get section 75 protection if anything were to happen with regards to the hotel booking.
    The rest is day to day spending which is a fraction of these two, so any savings using Revolut are minimal at best, plus they have a weekend exchange rate mark-up. Visa and Mastercard do not do that.
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,835 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Don't limit yourself to only one card for travel, take several in case of loss, decline, etc.

    If you lose your phone, the card will still work. You can have the Starling app on more than one device.

    Avoid Revolut and Curve if you prefer simplicity.
    Evolution, not revolution
  • worried_jim
    worried_jim Posts: 11,631 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I use the trinity. Revolut, Monzo and Starling.
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,641 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Don't let your phone get stolen in Asia or South America, put a pin lock on your phone and the sim too.
  • 18cc
    18cc Posts: 2,120 Forumite
    Consider Tandem it is a credit card and as long as you pay it back in full each month there is no charge. They give 0.5% cashback.
  • vic09
    vic09 Posts: 21 Forumite
    Second Anniversary 10 Posts
    edited 22 August 2019 at 10:40AM
    One more vote for Starling! I've used Starling abroad several times (Middle East, Africa & North America), it has always worked fine and never been rejected. The free withdrawal is also very handy :) You can download the app on multiple devices, in case you lose your main phone.
  • Tragen
    Tragen Posts: 278 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 100 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    I've used starling extensively around the world, as well as monzo and revolut. I've found some countries have a major preference for Visa instead of Mastercard; i.e. Peru. Luckily Revolut now issue Visa debit cards so I use that in those situations. I use starling for cash withdrawals and general card purchases. Monzo is my backup.

    I also use Revolut to pay things like rent abroad, as you can pay in virtually any currency to any IBAN which means when I was paying rent for an apartment in Peru, I could pay my swedish landlord directly to his swedish bank account in his local currency which saved both of us a chunk of money.
  • Thanks for the answers all!

    So I will have Lloyds Debit Card with me, as this is my main account. Hopefuly, I will get HSBC opened in few days as well, as want to split savings between them two, so these are going to be my backup in case I have got a problem with Starling or Revolut.

    I just applied for Starling today, hopefully it will get approved quickly. Is it safe to apply for Monzo as well now, so I have got few options? I just don`t want to be highlighted in their system, that suddenly I want to open 3 accounts with 3 different banks and I will end up without any account. Although I am with Lloyds for years already so I am clean in any system.

    Monzo would be eventually by second back up plan in case of a problem with above accounts, but is Monzo 100% free when I am not using it at all?
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,835 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Monzo is totally free except for 3% fee on cash withdrawals in excess of £200 per calendar month. Use it as backup rather than your bank cards. You will not be 'highlighted' for anything, Starling and Monzo do not perform a credit check (unless you make an overdraft/loan request).
    Evolution, not revolution
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,641 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Mike997 wrote: »
    Thanks for the answers all!

    So I will have Lloyds Debit Card with me, as this is my main account. Hopefuly, I will get HSBC opened in few days as well, as want to split savings between them two, so these are going to be my backup in case I have got a problem with Starling or Revolut.

    I just applied for Starling today, hopefully it will get approved quickly. Is it safe to apply for Monzo as well now, so I have got few options? I just don`t want to be highlighted in their system, that suddenly I want to open 3 accounts with 3 different banks and I will end up without any account. Although I am with Lloyds for years already so I am clean in any system.

    Monzo would be eventually by second back up plan in case of a problem with above accounts, but is Monzo 100% free when I am not using it at all?

    Just use Monzo for chip and pin/contactless purchases and use another for ATM withdrawals.
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