What's Really in Your Wallet?
 

As there are always posts here about the best credit card and ATM cards to take when traveling, I thought I would post this article that went up today on the site's Wire and out in this week's newsletter.

The Good: Capital One, HSBC, Starwood Card, Wachovia, Washington Mutual, credit unions

and

The Bad: Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo

Want to know why? Check out: http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/002384.cfm

I'd be interested to hear your own recommendations for top cards--- especially for regional banks.

OMG...I have a Chase and 2 Citibanks!!!!

Don't worry BeachBoi...it's not the end of the world. Just a heads up!

Thanks......I think I have them cuz they were prolly the first to make me an offer after I got out of college....Thanks for the info...:D

Thanks! There was thread here about carrying two ATM/Debit cards when travelling. I only have Bank of America now and was looking to open another account at either Chase or Citibank. But now I know exactly where to go HSBC it is!

Since this is the US Board, it's necessary to point out the conversion fees that wre the main evaluationfactor in that article are irrelevant for US travel.

I like my mastercard that gives point that can be redeemed for all sorts of things rather than hotel rooms. I paid for half of my new laptop with CompUSA gift cards bought with points from my mastercard.

Anon,

Huh? I love to travel throughout the US which is one reason I am on this board. However, the US isn't the ONLY place I travel...

No fee ATM and low fee CCs (the 1% V and MC currency conversion fees are rebated at year end) from USAA for international use and CitiAAdvantage MC for US charges.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

I've got Chase, Citibank, and BofA cards - I never applied for cards through any of these banks, but over time with mergers and acquisitions, this is what I have ended up with - LOL.

My small regional bank, Community Banks of Colorado, rebates the ATM fees that other banks charge when I use other banks ATM. At $3.50 a pop, that is very user friendly in my eyes.

$2,000.00 in cash. I don't like ATM's. Two AM EX Co and two Visa..........

I pay my credit card bill to "First Bankcard" Got the card from the Union Bank, but they've sold their Credit Cards.

I like the way they handle problems, and I like to get cash back - don't save the points, just cash them out.

I wonder what's wrong with the Citibank ATM, used it in several countries.

Oh, another point: I never ever keep those cards in my wallet. A little bit of cash and store cards, that's it.

The credit and health cards I keep in a small "note-book" with clear plastic compartments. If I lose my wallet, at least the cards stay with me.

AmEx (good old green), Citibank Visa and ATM, Chase Visa, Capital One Visa, Fidelity ATM

For credit use AmEx unless the vendor won't take it - except for the low limit Capital One Visa (that's for gas and parking only - so if anything happens the potential mess is limited to only $2500).

The Citibank and Chase cards are free based on other accounts/deposts - and are rarely used. And those are my local banks.

Based on the replies, I would guess most don't travel internationally or don't mind paying high fees.
I thought that was the premise of the original question, lol.
M (SMdA, Gto.)

Chase and Citibank are on our nasty list as well, but not just for exorbitant usage fees. Out of the blue, and after a 15 year perfect payment record, both of these banks decided my roommate's credit card balances were too high. One raised him from 9% to 18%, and the other from 10% to *27%*.

Fortunately he had the resources to pay both cards off immediately and avoid this legal usury.

I travel internationally, but not often enough that international transaction fees would be an issue for me.

I ravel internationally fairly frequently on both business and pleasure. Have not seen any real differences in the cards - although as I said I use AmEx wherever possible - and it usually is.

But - I think there are different rates, fees etc based on your total business with the bank. Have checking (since high school) with citibank along with some CDs - and similar for Chase (got them when both were offering the best rates of any bank I'd ever heard of). I won't use no name banks - still believe there's too much opportunity for playing games with the money.

I'm a hopeless Amex devotee as well. They've always done really well for me, and the service is amazing!

Capital One Mastercard for overseas -- no foreign transaction fee and their ATM fees were only $1.50 overseas compared to $5 with my regular bank (Comerica.)

In the US, Exxon Mastercard with rebates in gasoline; I've had the card for several years and have received about $5,000 in free gas.

HSBC..the best card for international travel????!!!!!

not in my experience. my uk issued HSBC card did not work in any HSBC bank machine in china (or other banks' machines). the branch was open so i went in thinking that they could easily sort it out. i was told that the problem was with the issuing bank, not their problem. when i politely pointed out the (obvious) fact that this was an hsbc card and i was standing in an hsbc bank, they still repeated that the issuing bank was the problem. upon returning home, the card could not be used because "there was an attempt to use it overseas". a new card had to be issued. i totally understand security concerns but this whole experience just shows an inability to deal with the needs of an international traveller.

'the world's bank'....this is a joke. my NatWest card works fine all over the world. i have also had other problems using an hsbc bank card in other countries.

hsbc also is not a good international bank in other areas. they basically offer few, if any useful services to those of us who live internationally.

i suspect it was just on the list because of the international marketing rather than through real analysis of their ability to provide good service internationally. btw, they charge about £7.50 (US $15) for an international ATM withdrawal. the fixed fee is £2.50 of that and the rest is the amount lost over the bank rate. this is pretty standard, however.

Jayne, are you saying you also have a checking account with Capitol One so you can use their ATM card to draw money out of that checking account? Or were you talking about drawing money out of an ATM using a Capitol One credit card?

walkinaround- your experience echoes my own understanding of U.K. based cards. I traveled with a Brit throughout Europe and I couldn't believe some of the charges he incurred using his credit card. The article just tackles U.S. based cards...perhaps we should do a run down of UK cards too.

What we really need is a Fodorite cash exchange program.

OK, the next European coming to Naples, Florida, bring me 1000 euro and I'll give you dollars at the current exchange rate. Period. Wouldn't that save us all money?

NeoPatrick~good idea.
Both my credit card (citibank) and debit card (Wells Fargo) are from the "bad" list....sweet!
We are getting ready to change banks though to a local credit union, I will have to inquire about the conversions fees if any on their credit card as we plan to travel overseas within the next 2 years.
Thanks for posting this!

I have had a Capital One MC for YEARS. I loved it and would sing its praises to anyone who asked.

Recently, however, Capital One decided as a "corporate policy" to increase the rate of my card from 4.99% to 9.99%. My original offer was 4.99% for the LIFE OF THE CARD.

I called Capital One to try to find out what was going on because I have been a good customer for years (always pay on time....and often carry a balance, so they get the interest...) The guy told me, sorry, it's corporate policy, and you can "opt out" of the rate increase if you want, and they'll terminate your credit card line on March 31. So that's what I did....

I also have a USAirways miles credit and debit card.

Thanks for the info.
Wonder if all the trouble the credit cards companies are in with the government right now will affect the rates cahrged by some. Hope so!

The card I use for everything within the USA is my Mileage Plus Visa from Chase. I have stayed with this card for years because they have always been completely responsive and helpful in any billing disputes I've had with vendors. I am able to reach a live person right away to get help in such unusual situations. Never had a problem.

For traveling outside the USA, I use my BellCo credit card and ATM cards, because BellCo only charges the 1 percent Visa conversion fee. BellCo also has extraordinary customer service and on-line banking is easy.

I have an AmEx card, only because it's issued by CostCo. I only use it there, and I get a three percent rebate on every purchase.
:)>-

After a bad experience with Bank of America Visa during a trip to Spain in May, 2006, I opened a Capital One Visa with which I am very pleased.

This no-fee card returns me 1% on all purchases and, in November of each year, a bonus equal to 25% of the return from the preceding twelve months.

I have one of those Costco Platinum rebate American Express cards too, but what is the rebate? I just got my annual rebate voucher and it was for $ 4.65. Trust me, I spent a lot more at Costco last year than $150!

Patrick, you might call and ask about that. I get two rebate checks: one from CostCo, and one from AmEx. They both are good only at CostCo, I believe. CostCo can pull up your account and see how much you spent, and what type of rebate you should be getting. I will admit to having ripped up a rebate check once, from AmEx, because I thought it was junk mail! AmEx did re-issue it, though.
:)>-

Patrick, we had friends that we use to do this with..honestly. Back before the Euro. It worked out great!

I have a lot of lira in my safe if anyone wants to buy it??? ;;)

The Pentagon Federal Credit Union has some good cards. They offer cash back as well as miles credit cards. They are member friendly when traveling, considering they have members all over the world. Anyone may join, check the bottom left of the home page for information.

https://www.penfed.org/index.asp

Patrick -- I opened a Capital One checking account specifically for ATM withdrawals on overseas trips. It's also an added little security bonus that on the extremely rare chance that a card thief was able to access that money, there would only a certain amount they could get their hands on.

I get ATM-only debit cards (not the Visa-check type) because there's simply no way to use them without a PIN.