credit and debit cards
 

Recommendations please for credit and debit cards with no conversion and transaction fees in Spain

No.

Go googling.

You have given no information regarding your country of residence, what banks operate near you, what access you have to financial institutions, your nationality or any other possible fact of relevance to this issue (like military status, which would allow access to military credit unions). Can't answer in a vacuum.

Do your own homework.

Presuming you are American (and what banks are near you is irrelevant for both, actually, although more so for a debit card, in that case):

credit cards
Capital One
AAA Visa
many cards for which you pay a fee of about $100 per year (airlines branded, etc)--in fact, if you pay a fee and don't have this, you shouldn't pay for that card.

debit cards
Charles Schwab (your location is irrelevant, it is an online acct)

Lists of cards like the one above are useless. Capital One has many (dozens?) of different cards, each has different rules.

First, find out what the bank you use now charges for use of your debit card in an ATM not belonging to the bank; what does it charge for use at a foreign bank? Typically, there are several different kinds of charges:
Per use charge for using a an ATM (foreign or domestic)
For a foreign transaction, what does it charge for foreign exchange?
And what does your credit card charge for foreign transactions?

The best deals are banks/credit unions/brokerage accounts that no not charge you to use a foreign ATM, and refund any charges from the ATM you used.

You also want to know about foreign exchange fees. The big banks often charge 3% on foreign exchange; some banks. credits unions, etc charge only 1%, and a few do not charge anything.

You need to do some reading so you understand what the issues are, then do your research on which accounts available to you are the best for you.

For the average person, it's not worth the trouble of doing all this research and opening a new account. These fees are usually a very small percent of your travel costs. If you travel a lot, it may be worth your while.

I am always <strike>amused</strike> curious re this sort of question. Besides the problems BigRuss and Kathie list which make your question unanswerable - you also don't tell us which banks/cards you use now. Are the fees your own bank(s) charge so onerous it is worth opening new accounts?

Unless you are talking multi thousands of $$/££/€€ your fees may be insignificant.

If you're from the United States, almost every Capital One credit card has the proper foreign transaction fee which is 0%. Any more is a rip off.

Many other banks, as noted, have a variety of different cards all with different fee structures. The fee structure is required by US law on the application form.

Example is Bank of America. Its Travel Rewards card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee. Its cash rewards card has no annual fee, pays 3% rebates on gasoline purchases, 2% on groceries and 1% on everything else but has a 3% foreign transaction fee.

I have a fidelity cash rewards card which gives me 2% on all purchases but has an asinine 1% foreign transaction fee with no annual fee.

The point being every card issuers has different policies. I am still searching for a card with no foreign transaction fee, no annual fee and at least 2% rewards. I think I have found one in the new Pen Fed Credit Union card.

Of course if anybody comes up with a card giving 5% cash rebates with no annual fee but a 3% foreign transaction fee, I would sign up.

janecantravel but janecantgoogle

I won't do business with Capitol One due to past bad experiences. I do use credit cards from big banks like BofA or Chase for short-term gain (award miles) and some of them have 0% foreign transaction fees, so I will use them when I travel. It's easy to find one of these cards - just look for the fine print regarding conversion fees, but if it has 0% foreign transaction fees, that is usually a prominent, advertised feature. Just pick a card that has some benefit to you - award miles or points for your favorite airline or hotel chain, whatever. I have a credit union Mastercard with true chip and PIN with no foreign transaction fees but no (significant) "rewards" so I use it as a backup.

I have a couple of credit union ATM cards that work great when I travel - one has 0% foreign transaction fees and no fee per use. Most ATMs in Europe charge no fees themselves - a few do, generally not the ones owned by banks - but your own institution could charge you.

I'm with BigRuss at least as far as you first having to provide basic information. To assume everyone on this forum is the same as you in terms of nationality etc. is ridiculous.

For those from the USA commenting on various US cards, if I were you and looking at getting a new card (or giving advise on getting one, to others) for travel, I would be looking for a true Chip and Pin card, not just one that was transaction fee free.

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-ti...chip-pin-cards

If you're going to get a new card, you might as well get one that works everywhere without hassle. Try pumping gas for your rental car in an unmanned service station in rural France on a Sunday and you'll discover what 'hassle' means.

The rest of the world uses Chip and Pin. The USA is the only country that does not.

I use Capital One Quicksilver World Mastercard.

No foreign transaction fees, no annual fee and 1.5% cash back on all purchase.

I use a Capital One Debit Card from a 360 Checking account for ATM withrdawals. While they don't charge a transaction fee or an ATM fee, they also don't rebate any fee that might be charged by the foreign bank. These can be substantial depending on where you're going. There is no annual fee and it earns 1.5% cash back on everything, which make ups for the handful of foreign ATM fees that I have paid.

Like Andrew I also have a credit union Visa debit card as a backup, which charges a 1% fee. Sometimes it works when the Mastercard doesn't.

The rewards cards I churn for the most part so if you can find one you want to use just for a year when they wave the $95 or so, they can come with lots of international benefits plus the bonus miles. Just don't forget to cancel them at the end of the year if the annual fee isn't worthwhile to you.

And they ARE both chip and pin cards. So I don't know why the above "expert" Dogeared thinks we don't have those.

Unlike Andrew I've had great experiences with the Capitol One CS staff.. I believe they are all based in the US. A few times they've offered to call an overseas merchant for me to help resolve a dispute (in one case it was just a potential dispute with a reservation made for the wrong date). I also really like their website for online banking.

mlgb wrote:
"I use a Capital One Debit Card from a 360 Checking account for ATM withrdawals. While they don't charge a transaction fee or an ATM fee, they also don't rebate any fee that might be charged by the foreign bank. These can be substantial depending on where you're going. There is no annual fee and it earns 1.5% cash back on everything, which make ups for the handful of foreign ATM fees that I have paid. "

I don't think that's accurate. Cap One 360 checking does not earn 1.5% cash back (only the credit card, not the debit card, does that). At least mine doesn't! (They do earn interest, but it's about .2%)

Dogeread...In theory, you are absolutely right. But, and it's a big but, there are very few US banks which issue what might be called chip and pin cards. The overwhelming majority of banks in this country have chosen to issue chip and signature cards. It is senseless here to rehash the whole history of this thing. You and others can research that through.

Without scaring people, the overwhelming vast majority of time, there is no problem with chip and signature cards. Yes every so often one will run into some trouble at automated petrol pumps or local transport kiosks but these are few in number. There are other factors such as having no annual fee, no foreign transaction fee and the best rewards program possible that are more important.

Now if having a "true" chip and pin card is important, there are three financial institutions in the USA you can look to. They are UNFCU, First Tech FCU and upon specific request State Department FCU. That's it. Some other cards can fall back on pins but like I said, the vast overwhelming majority of time it makes no difference.

I would recommend the Andrews Federal Credit Union Visa - it is "conditional" chip and PIN meaning you can use a PIN at automated kiosks but a signature will be required when a human is involved. I don't have the card anymore because I have another card now and just didn't need two. I used it for a few years for trips to Europe, and it worked everywhere (though I don't think I used it at any unattended gas bumps). It worked in Amsterdam to buy a train ticket at the airport when my Chase chip and signature Visa did not.

Andrews FCU should be easy to join - I don't know what is required today to join, join some other group first or something, just a formality.

You are right joan, Quicksilver is the credit card and has all the benefits..like1..1.5% cash back. Neither charges a extra forex fee. The interest rates are tiered but either the money or savings give better rates. Although at first I think the checking account was better.

Thank you for the information. I regret that I did not include the fact that I am from the US, and have checked with my bank and with the two cards I have and all three charge transaction and conversion fees. I appreciate the many comments that people took the time to write.

First, mlgb. Capitol One Quicksilver cards are 'chip and signature' cards, not 'chip and pin' cards. They even try to tell the suckers that that is 'good news'. Don't confuse being given a PIN to use at ATMs, with a PIN that you can use with merchants.


https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/chip-cards/

So to answer your question, "So I don't know why the above "expert" Dogeared thinks we don't have those.", the answer is, because YOU DON'T.

Next, xyz123. What you write is correct as far as it goes. However, while it is fair to say, " the overwhelming vast majority of time, there is no problem with chip and signature cards.", that is also 100% meaningless when the 1 time it occurs, happens to YOU.

It's like saying, if everyone else in the world has 100% hassle free cards, YOU are happy to accept a card that is only 99% hassle free and will accept that hassle! Really?

You would make a better argument to say that while Chip and PIN is preferable to Chip and Signature, if you can't GET a Chip and PIN card, you have to live with what you can get.

What I wrote was, IF you are going to get a NEW card, then you should TRY to get a Chip and PIN card if you can. I don't think anyone can argue with that statement.


The wisest thing to do if you are going to get a new card, is to try to get a Chip and PIN card. Do not think that Chip and Signature is just fine, it only takes ONE instance for you to know why it isn't 'fine' at all.

Get a Chip and PIN.

http://milecards.com/6084/3-full-chi...-with-no-fees/

jancantravel

You took this very well. You must be a nice person.

Presumably, thousands of Americans travel to Europe without chip and PIN credit cards and survive to tell the tell. "Chip and PIN" is nice to have (I'm glad I have one) but really not required in all cases. The most likely case when you will really wish you had one might be at an automated gas pump. If you are not renting a car, then it's probably not something to worry much about too much. If you need to buy a train ticket and your chip and signature card won't work in the automated machine, you can either buy it from a human being or try to use cash - at worst a delay or slight inconvenience, not something to ruin your vacation.

I have a money market account and there are no fees with my debit card on cash withdraws which I love. 3% if I pay using debit so I withdraw cash and I spend less that way so works. Capital one for credit card purchases.

I belong to two credit unions, neither of which charges me anything for transactions on my debit cards (I use my Carte Bleu for credit card purchases, but that's irrelevant to someone living in the USA). Both are true chip & pin cards, so they work fine in Europe. In addition to unmanned gas stations, toll booths and ticket machines can be problematic for people who have only chip & signature cards, but I don't see that as a huge hassle. Most American visitors to Europe have only chip & signature cards and I don't see a lot of them fainting on the sidewalks.

Dogearead...I won't argue with a word you said but my question for you is are you from the US? The reality is very few banks issue chip and pin cards here and even those are broken into two categories; the very few that will always default to pin and a few more that can default to pin although some have reported difficulty with some of these cards in automatic kiosk and automated petrol pump situations. And what's even worse. Some of the customer service reps at some of the banks don't have a clue as to what you're talking about when you start asking about pins.

People by all means should try to get a "true" chip and pin card. I've made suggestions where you might find them but I would not make any of them my primary card. When searching for a primary card, pin is a lower priority than no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee and a decent rewards program. I don't think there's any need to quibble about that.

Yes we are in agreement really xyz123. The sad reality is that Americans are poorly served in this regard by their banks. The whole world has moved on and the US banks have fallen behind.

<i>"The sad reality is that Americans are poorly served in this regard by their banks."</i>

My American bank, USAA, had chip & pin once upon a time for its overseas residents, but switched to chip & signature when it introduced chip cards for everyone. I live in the UK, and apart from the minor irritation of having to sign for my purchases haven't really noticed much difference. I can make most small purchases with Apple Pay on my iPhone, so don't even take the credit card out of my wallet most of the time.

Speaking of "poorly served by their banks" most Brits take wads of cash with them on their holidays because the transaction charges by their banks are so high.

It really does depend on what you consider your priorities and as an additional thought, I would never travel with only one card in case it gets compromised. It would be nice to have pins but for Americans it is simply not all that convenient to get one, there are other things more important when travelling including foreign transaction fees and rewards programs. It really should not present all that much of a problem. As a matter of fact, my biggest complaint about chip and signature cards is that most of the time the clerks has to start hunting for a pen for me to sign the signature slip. Haven't they ever heard of signature pads?

Heimdall, the UK is one of the best served countries in terms of cards with ZERO exchange loading. So when you say that, "most Brits take wads of cash with them on their holidays because the transaction charges by their banks are so high.", all you are saying is that most of the Brits you know are not smart enough to know which cards to get or are simply living in the past. When I lived in the UK people were taking cash as you say and also Traveller's Cheques which went the way of the Dodo decades ago.

The UK is also well served with one of the best online resources for finding the right cards to use when travelling. Moneysavingexpert is a continuously updated source of information on the topic. You'll find the best cards for a traveller from the UK to be using, here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tra...l-credit-cards

Xyz123, my wife and I travel with 2 cards each. A mix of both Visa and Mastercard, all Chip and Pin from 3 different banks.

I keep having difficulty with your acceptance of the shortcoming of US banks in regard to Chip and Pin xyz123. It is not a question of there are higher priorities. Why can't you have ALL priorities including Chip and PIN access met? You write there are more important things as if that means it's OK to accept less than what is ideal for something else when in fact a better answer does exist.

If one car manufacturer has a car for sale with X features and sells for $Y but it has no anti-lock brakes and another manufacturer has a car for sale with all of the same features but with anti-lock brakes and at the same price, do you say, oh well, the chances of my needing anti-lock brakes isn't that high a priority, I'll settle for poorer brake features because the dealer is easier for me to get to. Or do you do the sensible thing and drive another couple of miles to the dealer who has the better car for your money?

That to me is what you are saying when you write, "for Americans it is simply not all that convenient to get one". Remember we are not talking about driving your existing car (or using your existing cards) we are talking about if you are going out to get a NEW car (or card). Why would anyone settle for less than the best available just because it is a little bit harder to get the best? That makes no sense to me whatsoever.

It's the acceptance of an inferior product that I find hard to understand.

Sorry, I think you're making waaaaay too much of a fuss about chip and PIN credit cards. It's REALLY not that big of a deal for travelers, except in the few circumstances I mention. Getting gas for a rental car from an automated pump is probably the only case I can imagine really being a problem.

Heck - one of my credit unions hasn't even switched over to chip/signature. Still only mag stripe on its visa and I often use it as a 2nd back up. Used it last week in London.

All this angst over signature vs PIN?

I will say, my chip and signature card worked almost everywhere, even at many machines, on my last trip to Europe, and I would not have wanted only a mag strip card. I'm sure mag strip would have worked at hotels and probably restaurants, but having the chip and signature card to buy tickets for buses, trains, and museums from machines was a time saver. It was nice to have a chip and PIN card in the wallet as a backup, but I really needed it only once where the chip and signature card didn't work.

Dogeared, you like to 'stir the pot', don't you? ;-)

One of the most frequently asked questions by Brits on TripAdvisor is "Should I buy my euros in the UK or wait until I get to Greece" or words to that effect. Perhaps the TripAdvisor posters aren't as intelligent as you.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Search...eece__2E__html

Just back from two weeks in Paris and London: zero issues with not having a chip and pin card.

Heimdall, I can assure you that most of the people posting on TripAdvisor aren't as intelligent as me.

There is no doubt many people still travel with cash. But that isn't because they are 'poorly served by their banks' which is what you suggested, it is because they aren't knowledgeable enough (I'll forego commenting on the connection to intelligence)to know there is a better way.

What I find difficult to understand is why, when someone finds out there is a better way, they do not avail themselves of that better way. I am not in the habit of accepting second best, are you?

I don't care if there is only a 1 in 1000 chance of something being a hassle. If I have a choice of a card that allows that hassle to exist or a card that avoids that hassle entirely, I know which card I would get. There is in fact only one logical choice.

I don't see anyone here saying anything other than they are willing to accept the hassle, they are willing to accept second best. Accepting second best is a habit that many people have and it is a bad habit to have. No one here is trying to say that Chip and Signature is best. They are actually acknowledging that it is in fact second best and they are settling for that.

No one can actually justify accepting second best when best is available to them, no matter how much they think they can.

"There is only one real sin, and that is to persuade oneself that the second-best is anything but the second-best”
― Doris Lessing

But unless people LIVE in Europe, as I do, or travel there incessantly, which is rarely the case, having a chip & pin card is only a minor setback, not a matter of second-best, just something one has to regulate when traveling to Europe.

So you plan your trips so as not to hit supermarket gas stations on Sunday...is this such a big deal?

It's probably way more of a hassle for the average American to switch banks to a credit union that gives them a chip & pin card and doesn't charge transaction fees than to find a way around paying a toll at an automatic machine in France. If they're frequent travelers, that's another story.

Transaction fees also aren't worth worrying about unless you travel a lot.

Americans may find this strange, but supplying cash to travellers is a big business in the UK, not only for banks and travel agencies, but also department stores, supermarkets, and even the Post Office. Brits can even order their travel euros online and have them delivered to their homes. You have to ask yourself why this is so, and it's not "because they aren't knowledgeable enough."
https://www.compareholidaymoney.com/...ency/euros.php

Are people so blind that they cannot actually see what they say?

"So you plan your trips so as not to hit supermarket gas stations on Sunday...is this such a big deal?"

Is that not a case of, 'persuading oneself that the second-best is anything but the second-best'?

WHY should anyone have to plan to avoid buying gas on a Sunday? There is a better answer. WHY should anyone be willing to accept the second best answer? Is getting the right card to avoid having to avoid buying gas on a Sunday 'such a big deal'? Turn your own question around.

Bvlenci, I agree. Those who travel once a year for a 2 week vacation which results in them spending let's say $1000 on which they pay exchange loading, may not feel it necessary to worry about paying 2.5% extra. It would only be $25 dollars after all.

But note how the same people who say Chip and PIN is not important will say that getting a card with no transaction fees is MORE important. So saving $25 is more important than getting stuck on a Sunday or having to plan around it. LOL

They are obviously capable of, persuading themselves that second best is something other than second best.

Heimdall, I don't know what point you are trying to make about Brits travelling with cash. So what? What does it have to do with the topic here of which cards to get? Are you trying to suggest that Brits have found a better answer than using cards?

I also don't know why you are fixated on Brits. Plenty of people from the USA, Canada, etc. also travel with cash. I can get foreign cash delivered to my home in 24 hours by my bank here in Canada if I wanted to. There is nothing unique about the UK in any regard.

You write, 'you have to ask yourself why'. OK, well I've asked myself and gave my answer. But if you believe there is another answer, rather than telling me to ask myself again, why don't you tell me the answer as to why they take cash. I'd honestly like to hear what you think it is.

Whew! I feel Ike some of us should just take a deep breath and count to ten.

We don't have a true chip and pin and had no problems on our last trip to Europe, but I can see how that could be inconvenient. Unfortunately, as many have noted , it's not very easy to acquire a true chip and pin in the US.
We carry a Charles Schwab debit card, a Capital One credit card and one other credit card just in case. Our Capital One was compromised a few years back in Rome. Luckily it was the end of our trip, but it is a good idea to have a spare.

I did switch to a Capital One Venture card when we first started traveling as well as opening the Schwab account because both had no foreign transaction fees and Schwab will reimburse debit card charges.

Jancantravel, I hope you got the information you were looking for. Sometimes the community can get very passionate about their opinions. Don't let that scare you off from asking questions in the future. A little more information to start is helpful as well as any information you've found out all ready, so people know best how to help you.Most fodorites are well intentioned and helpful. Have a great trip.

Dogeared...Again, you are a bit too dramatic. While it would have been better for the USA to have issued chip and pin cards more universally, it is what it is. Calling chip and signature cards second class is really not true and might lead to confusion with people trying to get something that is really not readily available and set off panic the way I have seen this issue confused by travel writers and others.

Let's be clear. Any card with a chip will work 99% of the time, even in many automated fuel pumps and train kiosks. Period. Stop scaring people. Yes I understand in those few cases where merchants are knowingly violating their merchant's agreements which say all valid mastercard and visa cards must be honored, pin or not and the frustration that one would feel, it simply does not happen all that often. Are you able to tell people where they can get a "true" chip and pin card? And the ones I know of, do not have rewards programs as good as many of the cards you called "second class". I am afraid the battle for chip and pin, at least in the United States, has been lost whether you or I like it or not. Panicking people with misinformation is simply not helpful.

I think the topic has been adequately covered. Everyone is entitled to make their own decision. As for second best, yes, signature cards are second best. That is simply undeniable but people can settle for them if they wish.

Case closed as far as I am concerned.

I just have to get in on this! When I'm spending multiple thousands of dollars on my trip, I don't worry about the minor stuff. My bank charges (or somebody charges) $5.000 for a withdrawal, no matter how much I withdraw, so I usually get $500 at a whack. If I have euros left over, I just use them on my next trip.

I usually withdraw just a couple of thousand, so I pay maybe $20.00 per trip. The rest, especially the big stuff, I put on my Mileage Plus Explorer card, which has no foreign transaction fee. True, it costs me $100 per year, but it has enough benefits that I don't mind paying it.

Periodically (like this April) I get enough frequent flyer miles that I can go to Europe for less than $100 in taxes and fees.