TUI Travel Money 4+

Prepay technologies ltd, designed for ipad, screenshots, description.

The official TUI Travel Money App puts you in control of your holiday spending. As well as providing you access to your TUI Multi-currency Card to check your available balance, load and transfer funds between currencies and view transaction history the app now also has an ATM finder and currency converter. If you do not currently have a Travel Money Card, please visit https://www.money4travel.com/tuiuk/travel-money-card for more information. This is the official Travel Money Card app developed in partnership with Prepay Technologies Ltd

Version 7.7.1

- Fix for connectivity issues experienced by some users - Under the hood security improvements

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The developer, PrePay Technologies ltd , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

  • Financial Info
  • Contact Info
  • Identifiers

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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The best prepaid travel cards (travel money cards) in 2024

Article contents

In a nutshell

  • Best prepaid travel money cards
  • Best direct debit travel card
  • Our criteria for the best prepaid travel money cards
  • What's the best prepaid travel card for Europe?

What is a prepaid travel card?

Store multiple currencies, the best prepaid travel card in the uk.

  • Pros and cons of prepaid travel cards

What’s the alternatives to multi-currency prepaid cards?

What is the mid-market rate (the real exchange rate), what’s the mastercard rate, prepaid travel card fees, how to get a prepaid travel card.

  • Are prepaid travel cards safe?

Let’s recap

The best prepaid travel cards are Revolut and Wise. Although not a prepaid card, one of the best cards to use abroad is Currensea (it links to your bank account). They’re all super popular, with low fees, and are easy to sign up and use.

Heading off on an adventure or holiday abroad? Or perhaps a work trip? Making the right decision on travel money can save you a small fortune – and a prepaid travel money card is likely your best option. So without further ado, here’s the best:

The best travel money card

The best travel card overall.

Best travel card

Currensea tops the list – it's super simple to use, just connect it to your bank account and it’s low cost too. You'll also get a £5 welcome bonus.

£5 welcome bonus

With Currensea, you can get a travel card that connects directly to your bank account – it acts just the same as your bank card, and transactions come directly out of your bank account.

The only difference, is you won't have to pay hefty bank fees, saving anywhere from 85% to 100% of the cost.

It's a great alternative to a prepaid travel card if you want something a bit simpler.

Best prepaid travel money card

The best prepaid card you top-up beforehand, all ready to spend.

Wise is one of the best travel cards out there. It's super popular, with over 16 million customers around the world.

It's got some of the lowest fees you'll find, and it's available in over 40 currencies and 150+ countries.

The card is contactless, and there's a great phone app (and website) to manage everything too.

Our criteria for the best prepaid travel cards

To compare and determine the best travel money cards, we looked at:

Exchange rate

  • Withdrawal fees from an ATM

Card delivery fee

  • Number of currencies available
  • Ease of use (manage online via a website or phone app)

There’s lots of options for converting (changing) your money, or spending abroad, such as changing cash in-person at a bureau de change (not recommended), using an ATM, or a credit card or debit card abroad – but a prepaid travel card is often one of the easiest and cheapest options – and you can reuse them for all your holidays in the future, or even on the same trip to different countries, spending different currencies. 

We’re big fans of prepaid travel cards here at Nuts About Money, and are only recommending the best – they’re ones we recommend to our friends and family (and readers of course), and use ourselves when we’re able to get away.

Best prepaid travel money cards

So, whichever travel card (from our recommendations) you opt for, you can be confident they’re safe to use, trustworthy, and you’ll be using one of the cheapest options available.

What’s the best prepaid travel card for Europe?

If you’re heading off to Europe for a bit of getaway, you’ve got loads of options when it comes to a prepaid travel card – just make sure you don’t use your current bank account and debit card – you’ll be charged hefty fees (we’ll cover all of this below).

Anyway, the best travel card for Europe is Currensea ¹ – it’s easy to use, just link it to your existing bank account and you’re good to go. It’s very low cost too (and no set up fees).

A prepaid travel card is similar to a bank card (debit card) that you might use for all of your spending in the UK, except instead of your money coming directly out of your bank account, you’ll top it up with money beforehand (or during your trip) – meaning you’ll simply send Pounds (GBP) from your bank account directly to the card (account). 

What is a prepaid travel card?

Note: you can send it back if you don’t spend it all.

Once the card has been 'topped-up', you can spend it abroad and withdraw cash from an ATM (cash machine), (e.g. Euros if you’re heading to Europe), meaning that you can save a lot of money in hidden fees and bad exchange rates – and these fees can really add up.

Why? Typically using your high street bank card abroad will mean a fee every time you want to use it, and your money will need to be converted into the local currency every time you use it too – at a very bad exchange rate that the bank sets (which often includes a hidden fee).

The prepaid travel cards we've listed above give you the freedom to spend like a local, and not worry about the cost. They’re pretty great.

With prepaid travel cards, you can actually store a range of different currencies in your account, it doesn’t have to be just one. And for this reason they’re often also called a multi-currency card, or a foreign currency card.

With Wise ¹, there’s actually over 40 different currencies you can store, and of course, spend. 

Store multiple currencies

And normally, if you don’t have the particular currency you want to spend, the card will automatically convert another currency in your account to the currency you need when you spend. Pretty cool.

The best prepaid currency cards we’ve listed above are some of the best wherever you are in the world, for changing one currency to another, and spending in a different country (there’s a huge range of currencies with Wise ¹). And all great if you’re from the UK travelling abroad.

You can sign up online and use both Revolut ¹ and Wise ¹ if you’re in the UK, and are travelling to pretty much any other country in the world.

Best prepaid travel card in the UK

Pros and cons of prepaid travel money cards

Let’s run through the pros and cons of using a prepaid card:

  • Cheap way of spending abroad (pay in the local currency)
  • Easy way to spend (make contactless payments abroad)
  • Store multiple currencies on one card
  • Often free to withdraw cash from an ATM (up to a limit)
  • Safe way of spending money abroad (don’t need loads of cash)
  • Protection from fraud (sometimes able to refund a transaction, called a chargeback)
  • Easily block your card if it’s lost or stolen (and get a replacement card)
  • Great for setting a spending budget (no overdraft)
  • Can be low withdrawal limits from an ATM (before fees)
  • Might not be able to use it to hire a car or a hotel (or any pre-authorised transactions)
  • Can’t spend more than you top up (no overdraft like a bank)

A prepaid currency card isn’t your only option, but it’s definitely one of the cheapest (especially with one of the top prepaid travel money card providers). You could also change cash before you go (very expensive), or use a credit card or debit card designed for foreign currency spending (don’t just use any credit or debit card, they can be expensive!).

But with those, you’ll need to do a full application with credit checks, and open a whole new bank account for a debit card. There’s not really much benefit vs a prepaid card (unless you’re travelling a lot, or in the market for a new bank).

Nuts About Money tip: if you don’t want to use a prepaid card, check out Currensea ¹, they’re a travel card that connects directly to your bank account – so whatever you spend comes directly out of your bank. It’s a pretty cool idea and much cheaper than your bank, as you’ll get cheaper currency conversion rates and no transaction fees.

Multi-currency prepaid card alternatives

Although you’ve likely heard of an exchange rate, which is how much you get in another currency when you swap (exchange) your Pounds for them (e.g. Pounds for Euros) – depending on where you exchange your money, this rate can vary wildly.

Foreign exchange (forex or FX)

Typically banks and other foreign exchange places tend to set their own exchange rate, which is much worse than the real exchange rate… (it’s how you can often see commission-free advertised, but it’s not really, there’s a hidden fee in the exchange rate).

The real exchange rate (used worldwide) is called the mid-market rate, and this is the rate that banks themselves use to swap money (also called the interbank exchange rate), without any hidden fees involved. It is the rate the ‘market’ sets – where buyers and sellers come together.

Mid-market rate

Technically the mid-market rate is the middle of the buy and sell prices of two currencies (e.g. Pounds to Euros), and so it effectively represents the current exchange rate.

So, if a travel money company isn’t using the mid-market rate (they might say interbank rate), you’re not getting the ‘real’ exchange rate, and you’ll be paying a fee.

European Central Bank (ECB) rate

In Europe, the European Central Bank (an organisation that is intended to look after the finances of all the countries in Europe that use the Euro, similar to the Bank of England in the UK), set an exchange rate too, called the European Central Bank rate. 

You could think of this as another official rate, just for Euros, although you’ll never actually be able to get this rate – but the closer to it, the more money you’ll save.

There’s also something called the Mastercard rate, which as you’ve probably guessed, is the rate the company Mastercard sets – they’re a very big company who provides cards for banks and other financial companies for their customers to use (e.g. a bank debit card). Another similar company is Visa.

And similar to the mid-market rate, they set an exchange rate which is set on their cards for foreign exchange. 

They take a small fee within this rate, so it will always be slightly higher than the mid-market rate. And, companies using Mastercard services (e.g. to give their customers cards), can choose to either add their own fee on, or add no fees and pass on the exact exchange rate.

Mastercard rate

So, if you see a bank saying you’ll get the Mastercard rate, that means they haven’t added any extra fees and are passing the lowest rate possible they can get (with Mastercard) onto you. 

This rate will be one of the cheapest you'll be able to get. Just make sure they haven't added any commission on top.

The topic we’re all here for, how much do you actually pay with prepaid travel cards? We’ve covered the exchange rates above, and typically this is the main fee you’ll pay (if there is a fee hidden in the exchange rate).

However, there are some other fees to be aware of, depending on which card you choose, let’s run through all the foreign exchange fees:

Note: you don’t typically get charged a fee to spend money (often called foreign transaction fees) with prepaid cards, these are more common on credit cards and and with banks.

As mentioned above, there’s always a fee within the exchange rate, whether it’s hidden or not. Normally, you’ll see this as the mid-market rate, interbank rate or mastercard rate plus a certain amount on top (e.g. the mid-market rate plus 1%).

ATM withdrawal fees

Some card providers will let you withdraw cash for free from an ATM (cash machine), some have a limit on how much you can withdraw for free per month (or a maximum number of transactions before there’s a fee), and others have no limit but will charge for every withdrawal.

This can range from a fixed fee per withdrawal (e.g. £1), to a percentage of the amount you take out (e.g. 2%), or a combination of both.

Producing a card can involve a lot of admin and of course actually producing and printing the card and delivery, so a travel money card provider will often pass this fee onto you – so they can cover their costs if you don’t end up using the card.

This is normally around £5-10, although with some companies it can be free, but there’s normally conditions such as topping up your card beforehand.

Note: if you lose your card, you’ll often have to pay a card replacement fee too. This is typical with all cards, even our recommended options.

Inactivity fee

With some cards, there can also be an inactivity fee, which is a fee for not using the card after a certain period of time. This is normally after 12 months, and a fee per month of around £2 per month.

Note: the best cards we recommend above ( Revolut ¹ and Wise ¹) don't have this fee. You can leave them for as long as you like (until your next holiday).

The great news is it’s super easy to get a prepaid travel card – it’s not like applying for a bank account or a credit card, you can get set up within a few minutes and the card can arrive the next day.

All you’ll need to do is first decide which travel card you’d like (we recommend Revolut ¹ or Wise ¹ as they’re the cheapest, and have easy to use apps for managing your money), and then fill out a few details on their website (or app), prove you are who you say you are with your passport or driving licence, and that’s it.

Prepaid travel card

You’ll need to transfer some money (also called ‘load money’) over from your bank account, or deposit via a debit card, and that’s it. You can start spending online straight away (you can also add your card to Apple Pay or Google Pay) – or wait until your card arrives in the post to start spending on that.

It literally couldn’t be easier.

Are prepaid travel money cards safe?

Yep, it’s perfectly safe to use a prepaid travel card.

The company giving you the card will need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are the people making sure financial companies are looking after you and your money.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Your money will also be held in a bank account with a very large bank (e.g. Barclays), completely separate from the company’s own money. So, if anything happened to the company such as going out of business, your money could only be returned to you.

Using a card is also much safer than taking out cash when abroad, and keeping cash in your hotel room (or your sock). There’s lots of safety features such as being able to freeze your card (so it temporarily can't be used) and protection from fraudulent transactions if your card was lost or stolen – which you can often do immediately within an app on your phone.

That’s all there is to it. Pretty simple right? You can get a prepaid travel card in just a few minutes, and the card can turn up the next day – you’ll benefit from saving a small fortune on your spending money abroad. Plus, it’s much safer than travelling with cash.

You can also use your card in a huge range of shops, bars and restaurants, just as you would in the UK (with contactless), and withdrawing cash from an ATM can be easy too.

We recommend using one of the best travel cards above, such as Revolut ¹ or Wise ¹, they’re super popular, trustworthy, are easy to use and have great mobile apps to manage everything, not to mention they’re the cheapest out there (by quite a bit!).

And there you go, that’s your travel money sorted, all that’s left is to enjoy the holiday!

This article was written by the team at Nuts About Money, and fact-checked by 2 independent reviewers. You’re in safe hands.

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Best prepaid travel cards to use in 2024

Claire Millard

This is the most comprehensive comparison of the prepaid travel cards available to UK travellers. We’ve picked the best all-round prepaid travel card, Wise, plus four other highly recommended cards to look at in detail.

Plus, we’ve got an exhaustive list of other travel cards available at the bottom of this article, so you can compare your options and check out which will work best for you.

Wise - our pick for prepaid debit card

  • Hold and exchange 50+ currencies with the mid-market exchange rate and no hidden fees
  • Autoconvert feature means you can wait for the best rate before loading foreign currency
  • Send payments to 80+ countries and get paid from 30+ countries with a Wise account

Learn more about the Wise card. Get a Wise card

prepaid travel card tui

Revolut - mid-market exchange rate

  • Hold 30+ currencies, and exchange with the mid-market rate up to your plan limits
  • Fee free ATM withdrawals which vary based on the plan you pick
  • Earn cashback on some travel bookings - higher tier accounts also get some insurance cover and airport lounge access

Learn more about Revolut's travel card. Get a Revolut card

prepaid travel card tui

Post Office travel card - fast delivery

  • Order online for delivery in 2 - 3 days, or pick up a card instantly in a Post Office branch
  • Store up to 22 currencies, and use your card in 36 million locations around the world
  • Top up and manage your balance in the Post Office app

Learn more about the Post Office travel card. Get a Post Office card

prepaid travel card tui

FairFX - good choice to use in the UK

  • Up to 3.5% cash back when you use it at selected UK high-street partners
  • Add extra cards for family members or helpers, which are linked to one central account
  • Covers 15 currencies with customer support available year round, 7 days a week

Learn more about the FairFX card. Get a FairFX card

prepaid travel card tui

TUI - second card for free

  • Free to order a card - plus you get a second card free in case the first is misplaced
  • Supports 12 currencies
  • If you can’t access your cards, you can have the funds sent to you for cash collection via Western Union for no extra cost

Learn more about the TUI travel money card. Get a TUI card

prepaid travel card tui

Is it worth getting a prepaid travel card?

In our opinion: yes. Prepaid cards are worth it. Getting a prepaid card is usually easy, and can be free. A travel card helps you budget as you’ll only be able to spend the balance you load on the card - and could save you money on currency exchange, too.

Don't just take our word for it, though. We've covered the most important topics on prepaid cards below to help you make an informed choice about whether you need a prepaid card for your next holiday.

  • Are prepaid travel cards safe?

Is my money protected?

  • Advantages of prepaid cards
  • Disadvantages of prepaid cards

How to get a prepaid card

  • Fees and charges
  • Cash withdrawals
  • Alternative prepaid cards
  • More info on our top 5 prepaid cards

Are prepaid cards safe?

Prepaid travel cards are usually considered safe to use as long as you take normal security precautions like keeping your account details and card PIN secret.

If your prepaid travel card is stolen you’ll usually be able to freeze or cancel it in an app - and it’s not linked to your main bank account, which can also offer peace of mind.

Some providers like Wise and Revolut also offer virtual cards which can add an extra layer of security when spending with merchants you don't fully trust.

Icon showing a padlock superimposed on a map of Europe.

Most prepaid travel money cards are issued by financial technology companies. These services aren’t banks - but they are usually regulated in a very similar way to banks for the services they offer.

While different card providers may have slightly different regulatory requirements, you’ll usually find your money is protected through safeguarding .

Safeguarding is when customer funds are held in trusted third-party accounts, separate to their own operating capital, so it can always be easily accessed and won’t be mixed with the funds needed to run the business.

If you’re looking for a travel card with a provider which has a large user base, and a global presence, check out Wise or Revolut .

Both companies are used by over 15 million customers already, and global businesses, they are overseen by several regulatory bodies - so your money is protected no matter what currency you hold.

Advantages of prepaid travel cards

The main advantages of prepaid travel cards are convenience, safety and budgeting .

Prepaid cards are safer and more convenient than carrying cash - with the added benefit that they’re not connected to your main bank account.

This can make it easier to budget as you’ll only ever be able to spend the funds you’ve loaded to your card - and also means that even if your card was stolen, the thieves can’t access funds in your primary bank account.

Because prepaid cards like these have been built specifically for travel, you may also find you can save money and get access to a flexible range of international and multi-currency services.

Disadvantages of prepaid travel cards

The most common disadvantage of prepaid cards is the fees .

The fees of travel cards can vary greatly - which means you’ll need to compare a few to make sure you get one that suits you.

Some cards - like the British Airways multi-currency travel card - have monthly fees. Others charge a fee if your card is inactive for too long.

Other cards charge a fee if you load up in pounds rather than a foreign currencies. And some - like the Travelex card - have a staggeringly high foreign exchange fee when you spend a currency not supported (5.75% in the case of Travelex).

The process of getting a prepaid card is usually simple and involves fewer checks than a credit card.

The process to sign up for a prepaid travel card varies by provider.

In most cases you’ll have to show or upload proof of your identity, and then load an initial amount onto the card.

You’ll then be given your card if you’re applying in person, or sent it in the post if you’re applying online.

The good news is that it’s usually more straightforward to sign up for a prepaid card than a credit card as there are no credit checks to complete.

Loading money on to the card

You can usually load money onto your travel card online, using a bank card or bank transfer. Prepaid cards providers in the USA sometimes accept cheques, but this is less common in the UK.

Some cards also offer the option to top up in cash - but there are usually higher fees for this option.

Prepaid travel card fees

The fees you’ll pay with a prepaid travel card can vary pretty widely.

Read through the terms and conditions of any card you’re interested in before you sign up - and look out for charges like:

  • Monthly maintenance fees
  • GBP top up fees
  • Cross currency / money exchange fees
  • ATM withdrawal fees
  • Inactivity fees
  • Replacement card fees
  • Cash out or account closure fees

Also look out for fees hidden in the exchange rate. Cards offering the market exchange rate (i.e. the one you see on Google) are Wise and Revolut.

Can I use a prepaid travel card to withdraw cash?

You can usually use your prepaid travel card to withdraw cash at an ATM, and in some cases over the counter.

The fees you pay - and the withdrawal limits which apply can vary by card.

Some cards, like the Caxton travel card, don’t have their own ATM withdrawal fees at all. Other cards have a fee-free limit (which, once exceeded, will incur fees).

One thing that is out of your control is the fees that ATMs themselves may charge for cash withdrawls. If you want to avoid these, you'll have to find another cash point!

Other prepaid travel cards available in the UK

The list of prepaid cards available in the UK does not end at our top 5. Here are a few more to consider if you’re looking for a prepaid travel card to take abroad in 2024.

More info about our top 5 prepaid cards

Read more about the benefits and limitations of our top 5 prepaid cards.

Open a free Wise account online or in the Wise app and order a Wise card for spending and withdrawals in 170+ countries around the world.

You’ll be able to hold and exchange over 50 currencies in the Wise app, with no fee to spend any currency you hold - and all currency exchange uses the mid-market exchange rate with no markup and no hidden fees.

There’s a one time fee of £7 to get your Wise card, with no ongoing charge after that. Some transaction charges apply, depending on the services you use.

Read our full review of the Wise card. .

Revolut offers travel cards and multi-currency accounts you can manage in-app, with a free standard plan and 3 higher tier plans which offer more features and fee free transactions.

Use your Revolut account to hold 30+ currencies, exchange between them fee free up to plan limits (£1,000/month for the free plan), and spend on your linked card around the world.

Some out of hours and fair usage fees may apply to your account - and you’ll need to pay a monthly fee to unlock the full range of account features and benefits.

Read our full review of Revolut.

Post Office

Post Office has a handy Travel Money Card which you can apply for online for home delivery - or get in a branch instantly if you’re in more of a hurry. Use your card to spend any of the 22 supported currencies - which cover many popular holiday destinations - and there's no extra fees to pay.

You can manage your card and balance in an app, to top up, freeze or unfreeze your card, and view transaction history.

There’s a 3% fee whenever you spend a currency not supported by the card, plus ATM withdrawal costs which vary based on currency.

Read our full review of the Post Office travel card. .

FairFX has a multi-currency prepaid card which can hold 15 currencies, and which offers extra perks when you spend in the UK with partner retailers.

Get cashback on spending with partners, and order extra cards to give to family members - or helpers like baby sitters - to allow them to spend from the same central account conveniently.

Some transaction fees do apply, including a 1.75% charge when you spend in a currency not supported on the card.

Read our full review of FairFX. .

TUI’s Travel Card is free to get - plus you’ll get an extra card in case your first is misplaced.

Lost both cards? Don’t panic, you can have your money sent over for cash collection via Western Union instead. TUI cards support 12 currencies and it’s free to spend any currency you hold on the card.

While the TUI card has some great free features, there’s a 3% cross border fee when you spend a currency not supported by the card - plus conversion fees may apply when you load funds.

Frequently Asked Questions

There’s no single best prepaid travel card. It’ll depend on the currencies you need to use, and the types of transactions you want to make.

For example, if you’re looking for a card with the Google exchange rate with no markup you might want to take a look at Wise.

If getting a card in your hands instantly is important to you, you may prefer to pop into a Post Office and get a travel card there.

There are lots of providers out there - so you’ll be able to find the best prepaid travel card for you with a bit of research.

Prepaid travel cards are more secure and convenient than carrying lots of foreign currency cash. And if you pick the right provider for your needs you could also find you get a better exchange rate and lower overall costs for your international spending.

There are pros and cons of each - so it really depends on what transactions you need. Often a prepaid card is perfect as a balance of convenience and cost. But travel focused credit cards may come with handy rewards schemes for spending overseas, while debit cards are also good all round options if you plan to use the card at home.

Some - but not all - travel cards can be used with mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay for easy spending on the move. Compare a few to find one which is best for you.

Most travel cards offer contactless functionality. Double check the one you pick has this facility before you sign up.

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' class=

Just wondering if the prepaid card from tui is worth it

22 replies to this topic

' class=

Not done tui

We do Sainsbury’s and Post Office

Absolutely fine

Never had a problem

prepaid travel card tui

They can be useful although I prefer Starling Bank debit card. You can use their app to put money in the account, no fees for withdrawals although the ATM provider might charge.

We’ve just used the Post Office card (again) as one of our forms of payment with absolutely no issues..

prepaid travel card tui

Prepaid travel cards and debit cards offer NO protection in case of emergencies. Zip, zero, zilch.

Get a real credit card.

1. The main reason to have at least one credit card is for emergencies. If

you ever have an emergency where you need more money than you brought

with you, you are protected. Of course, nobody ever expects an

emergency, but they do happen. What if you had a medical emergency and

your travelers insurance required you to pay first and then seek

reimbursement after you paid the bill and returned home? What about

unable to get to their destinations. This also had a ripple effect

across the nation and many travelers had to remain in place for several

more days because their domestic and international connections were

impacted. This means more $$$ for hotels, meals and rental cars .

Although somewhat less likely, but still possible are summer

weather-related delays like Hurricane Matthew in 2016 or Ian in 2022.

2. Hotel & rental car deposits will be simply a hold

against your credit limit. It won't (temporarily) deprive you of any

cash saved for your trip. This could be several hundred dollars.

3. In case of a disputed charge on a transaction (i.e.

rental car charges) you have more recourse (through the cc company)

than if you simply paid cash or used a debit card. That kind of

transaction is more final.

Cash or credit?

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/03/25/cash-or-credit.cnn

That’s why we bring “multiple” ways of paying..

I certainly wouldn’t just do a CC as if there’s an issue you may be without funds..

This trip one of our CC’s had an issue at Universal checkin. No idea why so I didn’t try it again until last week and it went through straight away🤷🏻‍♂️

Multiple ways of paying are the way to go in my opinion..

Tui pre paid cards are not a great way to spend abroad and there are so many better options. Why do you think Tui push them on you when you book, its because they earn a lot from them and you barely benefit.

I agree with Mike and I would advise two cards. Firstly a no fee credit card for the protection a pre paid card wont offer you ans secondly the best card to use abroad at the moment which is a chase card which offers no fee at all and 1% cash back on all purchases.

If you doubt me google martin lewis.

The OP asked about tui pre paid cards so I answered on that basis. That's the one we tend to load up for meals/food etc.

Plus we take $$ for tolls, tips and incidentals etc.

It's always wise to have more eggs in your basket.

“”If you doubt me google the guru martin lewis.””

There I fixed that for you clarktoppcat 😉🤣

Hope you’re keeping well??

Yes ppmaiden I answered the question "Is the tui card worth it: and the answer is a big fat No

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TUI Prepaid Travel Money Card - Orlando Forum

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TUI Prepaid Travel Money Card

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' class=

Hi there you lovely bunch, please could someone help me with regards to a prepaid travel money card question?

So a good few years ago we had a thompson/tui prepaid travel money card that you could top up via an app on your phone all your spare change. We are looking at getting another pf these cards for our upcoming May trip and wondered did any of you know of another card you could top up on an app with no minimum.

Hope this makes sense? The reason were looking for a different provider is tui are idiots who keep providing us with differing answers to there card and app not working

' class=

Personally I’d get a fee free credit card and use that instead. You then don’t need to worry about topping up as you just put all your holiday savings in an account and set it up for a direct debit to be paid in full. I can’t advise on a travel card as I haven’t ever had one, sorry. See theguide below for the best way to spend on holiday!

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money/

We’ve had a Caxton FX card for years, the minimum load is £50 never had an issue with it and it’s from a proper FX Company not some tour operator who has no clue about anything. There are others like Revolut or Fair fx but as I’ve never use them I can’t recommend.

We top it up when the rate is good, our last trip at Christmas we used it for spending as we loaded it at a better rate than was on offer if we used our Halifax CC.

prepaid travel card tui

Wouldnt touch a Tui card even if my life depended on it its one of worse you could use.

I dont use pre paid cards anymore, I find it a lot better and safer to use fee free credit cards.

If you want a pre paid card then Revoult is one of the best.

If it is a fee free credit card. Look at the Halifax Clarity Card.

Pre Paid card, look at Caxton FX card. Also th Starling Bank app and debit card.

prepaid travel card tui

Revolut cards have no minimum amount to transfer to them if you’re doing it by bank transfers. It’s a £10 minimum by card payment within the app, but you also have a sort code and account number you can just transfer money to out of your own bank account.

Revolut, Starling, Monzo. I would go with any of them. I have Revolut and Monzo and just transfer the right amount I need for that period from my 'normal' bank. £300 of fee-free withdrawals a month from overseas cashpoints I believe.

' class=

Another vote for the Halifax Clarity card. I'd much prefer the full protection of an actual credit card over any pre-paid card. What if it gets cloned? All your pre-paid money gone. With a credit card, much easier to deal with fraud without losing your money.

Add in the value of consumer protection, no brainer for me.

From the amount of complaints on tui facebook page about these cards I definitely wouldnt use them, we have a post office cc and a halifax clarity cc bith are fee free but make sure its a clarity and not the usual halifax cc

Thank you for all your replies x

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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prepaid travel card tui

Are Prepaid Travel Cards a Good Idea?

They can help with budgeting but compare them with other debit and credit card options before you go.

On the move

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A prepaid travel card can offer fraud protection, with your liability limited to $50 if you report it within two business days of learning of the theft.

Whether you're planning a trip to Bali or Boston, staying on a budget and keeping your money safe is essential. A prepaid debit card can help.

Prepaid travel cards function similarly to general-purpose prepaid debit cards but offer extra perks that can make your life a little easier when you're abroad. However, they also come with limitations and other drawbacks that may give the casual traveler pause.

What Are Prepaid Travel Cards?

Prepaid travel cards, also sometimes called international prepaid cards, can make spending easier when you're outside the country.

There are two primary types of prepaid travel cards:

Multicurrency prepaid travel cards. These cards allow you to load cash in specific currencies onto your card before you go on your trip, letting you lock in your exchange rate instead of paying the current rate at the ATM or point of sale.

You can then use the card wherever its payment network, such as Visa or Mastercard, is accepted.

You can't load cash with just any currency, though. Even major prepaid cards may be limited to only a handful of currencies. For example, some have only six currencies available: the euro, British pound, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, Japanese yen and Mexican peso.

General travel prepaid cards. These cards don't differ much from traditional prepaid debit cards. However, they're more likely to offer certain features that can come in handy when you're overseas.

Examples include chip and PIN capability, emergency cash and card replacement, and international ATM use.

Not all prepaid cards have a chip though, and that can be a problem, says Quentin Telep, director of financial services for AAA National. "In many countries, especially in Europe, they've had the chip functionality for many years."

You may have difficulty using a chipless card at unmanned kiosks and other automated payment points.

What Are the Benefits of Having a Prepaid Travel Card?

If you're planning a trip within the U.S., you likely won't need a travel prepaid debit card. But if you're traveling internationally, you may gain some benefits from doing so.

It can help with budgeting. Sticking to your vacation budget can be tough. Traveling is a time to let loose and live a little, and it can be easy to spend more than you originally planned.

"It's a little easier perhaps to overrun the credit card when you're on vacation and you're not really thinking about how much you're spending," says Mike Clark, co-founder of PrepaidCards123, an online tool for comparing prepaid debit cards. "You may want to set aside a specific amount for your spending money while you're on your trip, and people use prepaid cards for that purpose."

You'll be protected from fraud. Prepaid debit cards are required to give cardholders the same level of fraud protection as traditional debit cards.

This means that if someone uses your card without your permission, your liability is limited to $50 if you report it within two business days of learning of the theft.

Some prepaid cards may go above and beyond this standard, providing a zero-liability policy that protects you from losing any money, even if you don't report the theft before charges show up on your account.

Prepaid cards offer a buffer for your accounts. If you're wary about using your debit or credit card on your trip, a prepaid card can help. While all three types of cards offer some level of fraud protection, it might take time to recover.

A thief who gets access to your debit card could do serious damage to your bank account right when you need funds the most. For example, you may not be able to get reimbursed right away, or it may take some time to receive a replacement credit card . If any kind of theft happens with your prepaid card, the stakes are much lower.

What Are the Disadvantages of Using a Prepaid Travel Card?

While prepaid travel cards can have their perks, watch out for some potential pitfalls, too.

They can cost more. General prepaid debit cards typically charge foreign transaction fees on purchases made in a foreign currency. And though many travel credit cards waive that fee, prepaid travel cards don't. That means you may be paying 3% on top of every purchase you make on your trip.

Even if you exchange your currency before you go with a multicurrency card, you can expect to pay a premium. For example, you may pay a fee of 5.5% to exchange U.S. dollars to an available currency.

Prepaid travel cards could be a more expensive option than other methods of obtaining foreign currency, such as withdrawing cash from an ATM at your destination. "The exchange rate is not nearly as favorable as you would even have if you prepurchase currency at a bank," says Clark.

And if you don't use all the money on the card, you may be subject to a fee to get a refund of your remaining balance.

Prepaid travel cards can also come with other costs, such as fees to load money onto the account, inactivity fees, ATM fees and even a fee to set up your account.

They don't provide rewards or perks. If you're a disciplined spender and can stick to your budget while traveling, a travel rewards credit card may give you a lot more value than a prepaid travel card. Not only do most travel credit cards charge no foreign transaction fees, but you could get access to rewards and other perks such as statement credits for select travel-related expenses, travel insurance protections , complimentary airport lounge access and more.

Most benefits aren't unique. There are some clear benefits of using a prepaid travel card when you're out of the country, but other products could offer the same benefits.

For example, both traditional debit and credit cards offer fraud protection, and you can also avoid debt by using your regular debit card. And while prepaid travel cards come with a built-in limit as to how much you can spend, it's possible to do the same thing with your checking account – you'll just need to make sure your overdraft protection is disabled to avoid nonsufficient funds charges.

You may run into limitations. If you're hoping to get a multicurrency card, you'll only be able to use it if you're visiting a country that uses an eligible currency.

"It's kind of limited in terms of the geography where it's viable," says Telep, "and it also is really only suitable for frequent international travelers or people who are on very extended international trips."

Should You Consider Using a Prepaid Travel Card?

Prepaid travel cards may sound appealing because they're geared toward travel use. But they don't always provide more than what you get from using your regular debit card and a travel rewards credit card.

And while a multicurrency prepaid travel card sounds like it can make your life easier, you'll pay a premium to preload the currency of your choice. Credit and debit cards may assess fees, but many of them are easier to avoid than on prepaid card fees.

Some prepaid cards charge high monthly fees, for example, which may feel unnecessary if you're only using it when you travel. If you're thinking about using a prepaid debit card when traveling overseas for the forced budgeting feature, avoid limiting your search to cards that brand themselves as prepaid travel cards. Instead, also consider general-purpose prepaid cards that allow for international ATM withdrawals and don't charge a lot of fees.

"Look for a card that has a fee structure that's not going to penalize you if you only use the card two or three times a year when you’re going on various vacation trips," says Telep.

You'll also want to make sure you don't run into limitations on how and when you can use your card while you're traveling.

"If I'm traveling abroad, I have to make sure that my prepaid card is going to work for both cash access and for purchases abroad," says Clark. "And you're always going to want to go with a Visa or Mastercard network because of the acceptance abroad."

Consider Using a Mix of Payment Methods

Instead of focusing your vacation spending on just one form of payment, consider using more than one. For example, a travel rewards credit card may be best for most purchases because you can avoid the foreign transaction fee and earn valuable rewards on each transaction. Then use a traditional or prepaid debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs, since credit card issuers will charge a cash advance fee on these transactions.

By having multiple payment options, you can judge which one is the best every time you need to make a purchase. It can also help if one of them gets stolen. While some credit cards and prepaid debit cards offer emergency cash and card replacement services, having a backup ready to go can be a major stress reliever.

Whatever you do, take some time to compare your options to make sure you're getting the most value out of your trip.

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Table of Contents

The Best Prepaid Cards for Travel in 2024

When you travel, it’s essential to have a dependable way to pay. Whether visiting Europe or going worldwide, you don’t want to be stuck in a foreign place without local money. This is where prepaid travel cards come into play.

These nifty pieces of plastic (or digital cards, as the case may be) can save you from many a travel mishap, including but not limited to ruinous foreign transaction fees and exchange rates .

But is it worth getting a prepaid travel card? The answer often leans towards ‘yes,’ especially if you’re keen on sidestepping some disadvantages of carrying cash or using your bank debit card abroad.

The best prepaid cards for travel in 2024

Key Takeaways

1. Revolut Standard Account

2. asda travel money card, 3. wise travel money card, 4. sainsbury’s travel money card, 5. easyfx currency card, the growth of multi-currency prepaid cards.

People travelling often need easy ways to pay in different currencies. This need has made multi-currency prepaid cards popular.

With these cards, you can have several currencies in one account, which is handy for those visiting multiple currency areas. It’s like having a mini-bank in your pocket, tailored to your travel money needs.

So, how do these multi-currency cards stack up against using a regular bank account for withdrawing cash and making international payments? Traditional bank accounts often charge hefty fees for foreign transactions and can offer less competitive exchange rates.

Moreover, you may face restrictions on daily withdraw cash limits when using a bank account abroad, adding another layer of inconvenience to your journey.

On the other hand, multi-currency prepaid cards offer many benefits that often outstrip what your existing bank account can provide.

These include low or zero foreign transaction fees, favourable exchange rates, and greater control over your spending abroad. These cards allow you to lock in exchange rates in advance, avoiding the volatility often associated with foreign currency transactions.

Looking for an alternative? Discover swissmoney card

swissmoney now offers virtual MasterCard prepaid cards for online and in-store shopping. These cards connect to a digital wallet where users manage their digital assets.

With swissmoney, you can make purchases at any store using one card, whether with fiat or crypto:

  • No need for wire transfers; spend without limits
  • Get multiple cards for different spending needs
  • Use Google Pay or Apple Pay for contactless payments
  • Easily set, adjust, and control using an app
  • Open BTC, ETH, USDC, USDT, and TRX wallets

Users can easily spend even cryptocurrency using a virtual as it instantly converts it to Euros.

An Easier Way: swissmoney App

Top 5 cards in the UK

Navigating the world of spending abroad can be tricky. Many fees, exchange rates, and restrictions can take the biggest of your travel budget.

This guide gives you a comprehensive rundown of the top 6 prepaid travel cards designed to make your global expenditures as seamless, as possible.

Launched in 2015, Revolut has quickly become a market leader in digital banking services. The Revolut Standard Account has a prepaid card with accurate exchange rates, allowing you to spend over 150 currencies.

Over 150 currencies

Foreign ATM fee

2% after the first £200/month

Max daily ATM withdrawal

  • Real exchange rates
  • Robust mobile app features
  • Supports cryptocurrency
  • Monthly fee after a trial period
  • Limited customer support
  • No cash back or interest earnings

ASDA, one of the UK’s leading supermarket chains, also offers a prepaid travel money card designed for convenience. Load it before you travel and use it worldwide without worrying about exchange rate fluctuations.

16 supported currencies, including USD, EUR, and AUD

2% after the first €200/month

  • Vast network of reload locations
  • Straightforward user interface
  • Better rates for ASDA Rewards member
  • Less competitive exchange rate
  • Inactivity fee after non-use for 12 months unless the balance is zero
  • 2% fee for loading GPB

Formerly known as TransferWise, Wise is renowned for its transparent fee structure and actual exchange rate offers. The Wise Travel Money Card promises no hidden charges and has a user-friendly mobile app for easy management.

Over 40 currencies

Free up to £200/month, then 2%

  • Transparent fees
  • Real exchange rate
  • User-friendly mobile app
  • £7 fee for card delivery
  • No interest earnings
  • Conversion fees on some currencies

A supermarket giant in the UK, Sainsbury’s also offers its prepaid travel card as part of its vast financial product lineup. Known for reliability and ease of use, it’s a good pick for the occasional traveller.

15 supported currencies

  • Reload at Sainsbury’s locations
  • Simple fee structure
  • No fees for spending abroad in preloaded currencies
  • Inactivity fee after 18 months
  • High exchange rate of 5.75%
  • Limited online features

A disruptor in the traditional forex market, EasyFX offers a no-nonsense approach to spending abroad. Their prepaid currency card comes with competitive rates and an easy-to-use app.

14 supported currencies

£1,000 (max. £500 per withdrawal)

  • Zero foreign ATM fees
  • No load fees
  • Card blocking via the app
  • Inactivity fee after 12 months
  • £6 card replacement fee

Now that you have a solid overview of what each card offers, you can make an informed choice based on your travel habits, spending behaviour, and financial needs. Whether it’s low fees, multi-currency support, or daily withdraw cash limits, a card matches your criteria.

  • All information provided is dated 24 October 2024 and may have been updated since. Please check each platform’s official website for the latest information.

How to choose the cards for travel

When looking for prepaid currency cards, a few key factors should guide your decision. These cards are meant to make your travel experience smoother, but choosing the wrong one could lead to a headache of additional costs and limitations.

Foreign transaction fees

Check the charges for using your card in other countries. Some travel cards don’t charge extra fees, saving you money when shopping abroad.

ATM withdrawal fees

Cash is still king in many parts of the world, so you’ll likely need to make ATM withdrawals during your travels. Checking the fees associated with withdrawing cash from foreign ATMs is crucial.

Exchange rates

Always look for a card that offers competitive exchange rates. Some cards even allow you to lock in an exchange rate in advance, reducing your exposure to currency fluctuations.

Spending abroad options

Consider what kind of spending options the card offers. Can it be used for pre-authorized transactions like hotel bookings? Does it support contactless payments or mobile wallet features like Apple Pay and Google Pay?

These conveniences can be handy when spending money abroad.

Monthly fees

Some prepaid travel cards come with monthly fees that can quickly eat into your travel budget. Always be aware of recurring charges and whether they can be waived by maintaining a minimum balance or other means.

Rates can change your spending

Exchange rates change due to various reasons like the economy or global events. Small changes can affect how much local money you get. When you buy something or use an ATM to withdraw cash abroad, these rates can make you spend more or less.

Be careful with on-the-spot currency change

Sometimes, shops offer to show your bill in your home currency. This is called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). While it sounds helpful, DCC can have higher rates and extra charges. It’s often better to pay in the local money.

Competitive exchange rate

One of the advantages of using a multi-currency prepaid card is that many offer competitive rates. Some even provide the interbank or “real” exchange rate, which can save a lot compared to traditional debit or credit cards.

However, be mindful that exthe change rate offered by prepaid travel cards can also vary, so it pays to compare rates across different cards.

Timing is everything

If you know you’ll be travelling shortly and your chosen prepaid travel card allows you to lock in the exchange rate, loading your card when favourable could be beneficial.

In summary, the exchange rate is crucial to managing your finances while travelling. Ignoring it could result in less spending money and an overall more costly trip.

So, when selecting a prepaid travel card, don’t just look at the fees; take a comprehensive view that includes the exchange rate.

How to avoid hidden charges

Travelling can be a fulfilling experience, but it can quickly turn sour if you’re hit with unexpected fees.

When using prepaid travel cards or your regular bank account to manage your finances overseas, you must be aware of the hidden costs that can eat into your travel budget. Let’s delve into how you can sidestep these stealthy expenses.

Be mindful of foreign exchange fees

When you’re spending abroad, it’s easy to overlook the foreign exchange fees that can accompany each transaction.

These fees are often a percentage of the amount paid and can add up quickly. To avoid these, opt for prepaid or multi-currency cards with low or no international transaction fees.

ATM withdrawal fees: they can drain your wallet

Withdrawing cash can be convenient but costly, especially abroad. Foreign ATM withdrawal fees can range from a fixed charge to a percentage of the amount withdrawn.

It’s crucial to look for cards that offer free or low-cost ATM withdrawals. Some cards even refund a certain number of foreign ATM fees each month, so read the fine print carefully.

Watch out for cross-border fees

Cross-border fees are additional charges levied for transactions made outside your home country.

They are separate from foreign transaction fees and can catch you off guard. Check your prepaid card’s terms and conditions to see if cross-border fees apply and how much they are.

Pre-authorised transactions can hold your money

Hotels and car rentals often place a pre-authorised hold on a certain amount as a security deposit. The problem is that this amount is ‘frozen’ and unavailable until the hold is released, which can take several days.

When using a prepaid travel card, ensure you have enough balance to cover your spending and any potential pre-authorised transactions to avoid declining your card.

Tips for keeping fees at bay

  • Always choose to pay in local currency : To avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion fee and poor exchange rate, always pay in the local currency rather than your home currency when given the choice.
  • Check for daily cash withdrawal limits : Some cards have a maximum daily limit on cash withdrawals, and exceeding this can result in additional fees.
  • Read the terms and conditions : Before obtaining any prepaid card, read the terms and conditions carefully. Make sure you understand all the information on fees.
  • Utilise mobile apps : Many prepaid travel cards have a mobile app that allows you to track your spending, view your balance, and even receive alerts for any additional fees charged.

Prioritise cards that align with your spending habits, and always be mindful of the fine print to keep your travel expenses in check.

What to do if your card expires or is lost

It’s worrying if you lose your card or it expires during a trip. Being without money abroad is tough, but there are clear steps to fix the problem and protect your bank account.

If your card expires

  • Check the expiry before you leave : Before you travel, always check the expiration date on your prepaid card to ensure it will remain valid throughout your trip.
  • Contact the card provider : Some prepaid card providers automatically send a replacement card before your existing one expires. If you haven’t received yours, contact the customer service team.
  • Virtual card : If your prepaid travel card expires while you’re still abroad, some providers offer a virtual card that can temporarily be used for online transactions until your physical card arrives.
  • Secondary card : Always consider having a secondary card from another provider or using your existing bank account as a backup. This ensures that you have an alternative method to access your funds.

If your card is lost or stolen

  • Immediate action : Contact your card provider to report it lost or stolen. This will prevent any unauthorised transactions and limit your liability for misuse.
  • Block the card : Many providers have a mobile app feature that allows you to temporarily block the card, preventing any further transactions until the situation is resolved.
  • Replacement card : Most providers offer expedited shipping for a replacement card, even when you’re abroad. Some might charge a fee for this service, so be aware.
  • Emergency cash services : Some prepaid cards have a feature that allows emergency cash withdrawals from affiliated local banks or cash services, keeping you afloat until your replacement card arrives.
  • Activate backup : If you’ve prepared well, you’ll have a secondary payment option like another prepaid travel card or a debit card linked to your existing bank account.

Protecting your bank account

  • Separate funds : It’s wise not to store all your funds in one place. Use your existing bank account as a backup and transfer money to your prepaid card as needed.
  • Two-factor authentication : Enable two-factor authentication on your existing bank account to add an extra layer of security.
  • Regular monitoring : Monitor your account activity and immediately report suspicious transactions to your bank.
  • Contact local authorities : If your card is stolen, you must file a report with the local police, as your bank may require this documentation.

While losing a card or dealing with its expiration can be stressful, especially when you’re far from home, knowing the steps to take can make the process far less daunting. Be proactive in your preparations and respond diligently to ensure you’re never stranded.

Selecting the right prepaid card for travel is a choice that can make or break your trip. With features like multi-currency support, cards like swissmoney and Revolut rise above the pack. Others like Wise and ASDA offer specialised perks for the frequent traveller.

In an ever more interconnected world, a multi-currency card is indispensable for hassle-free travel. By picking the right card, you save money and gain peace of mind, allowing you to focus on making the most of your journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the local cumulti-currencymy prepaid card.

Using a multi-currency card allows you to load multiple currencies, offering the flexibility to spend in the local currency of your travel destination. This usually means avoiding foreign exchange fees and enjoying a competitive exchange rate.

However, if your card does not support the local currency, you may incur foreign transaction fees, making it essential to check supported currencies before you travel.

Are there any credit card providers that offer prepaid travel cards?

Some credit card providers also offer prepaid travel cards as financial products. These cards often come with features similar to those of a regular credit or debit card, like reward points or cashback on foreign spending, but without the need for credit checks.

They can be an excellent option for those who want the benefits of a credit card without the risk of accumulating debt.

What are load fees, and how can they impact my travel budget?

Load fees are charges that some prepaid card providers impose when you load money onto your card. These fees can be fixed or a percentage of the total load amount.

While some cards offer free initial loads, subsequent top-ups may attract these fees. It’s crucial to factor in load fees when budgeting for your trip, as they can add up and impact your overall travel money available for spending.

  • A Guide to Using Nationwide Debit Card Abroad
  • The Best Place To Exchange Currency

Renata Pacheco

Renata is a seasoned financial market expert with over 30 years of experience in journalism and content creation, primarily focusing on the financial market. Throughout her extensive career, she has worked with leading financial institutions such as Citibank Brasil, Fiserv in Latin America, and other notable financial entities, further honing her expertise and credibility in the sector.

For more than six years, Renata has also been writing for the crypto market, collaborating with financial publications in Brazil, the US, and Europe. Her deep understanding and extensive knowledge make her a respected voice in the industry, appreciated for her ability to demystify complex financial concepts and market trends. This skill enables her to make financial insights accessible to a wide audience, from novice investors to seasoned professionals.

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A Tui Boeing 737 airplane takes off from the airport in Palma de Mallorca

'Tui took £260 off my prepaid card after I didn't use it for six years'

Woman urges holidaymakers to avoid travel firm’s cards after it insists it has right to take balance

A woman is urging holidaymakers to avoid Tui prepaid travel money cards after the firm took all of the near-€300 (£260) balance she held on her card because she hadn’t used it for a few years.

The holiday giant, which offers prepaid cards to help customers manage their holiday spending, told Sue Probyn that its terms and conditions allow it to remove all balances held on cards after six years have elapsed.

Probyn, a retired accountant who lives in Exeter, says she is astonished at the firm’s actions, and now faces a long-winded claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service to try to get her money back. She says she is bemused as to why Tui did not write to her warning her of its impending move. Instead it simply sent an email to an old email address that she does not use any more.

One consumer expert branded the account closure as very harsh, and it poses the question as to whether the term, buried in the firm’s terms and conditions, could be deemed to be unfair.

UK banks and building societies are not allowed to grab balances held in so-called dormant bank accounts until they have remained untouched for at least 15 years , and the customer is no longer contactable. Even then, the bank has to reunite the customer with their cash if they later emerge.

“Back in 2012 I loaded up the prepaid card with just over €600 and used some of the money during a visit to Austria the following March. I then mislaid my log-in details and eventually found them in March of this year. But when I looked at the account, my balance of €296 had been taken as an account breakage fee,” says Probyn.

The company told her that as the last transaction had been in March 2013, as per its terms it had emptied the account of the entire balance.

“They claimed they emailed me a month before to warn me this was going to happen, but they had an old email address and therefore I did not see it. I have complained that in my view it was unreasonable, but this has got nowhere. There must be lots of people with outstanding balances on cards – if feels as though my money has been stolen,” she says.

Probyn is just the latest pre-paid card user to be hit with unexpected charges that are often buried in the small print. Guardian Money has long warned users to be wary, and better still, to keep their money in their own bank account. Every year millions of pounds is lost as a result of cards not being used or simply being forgotten about. We have likened them to gift cards in the past.

Banking expert Andrew Hagger, who runs the MoneyComms.co.uk website, says Tui’s stance appears very harsh. “I’d want to know why the company didn’t write to the customer before the six-year deadline. They would have had her address. To just send out an email and to take €300 because they had not heard back is extreme in my view,” he adds.

Despite this, Tui remains unrepentant. “We can confirm that the terms and conditions do state that if the Tui single currency card is not used within six years of the last transaction, the funds will be removed as a breakage charge. Ms Probyn did accept the terms and conditions when she applied for the card. We did email her to inform her before the funds were removed, but she had not notified us that there had been changes to her personal details,” says a spokeswoman.

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Best no annual fee travel credit cards of April 2024

Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.  

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.  

Travel rewards cards are a lot like gyms. The best ones may come with tons of added benefits (saunas, yoga class, etc.) but they also cost a lot, usually with a big financial commitment upfront. 

As a result, whether you’re considering a Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card (with its $95 annual fee) or a CrossFit membership, you probably have the same question on your mind: will I really use it enough to justify paying for it? 

While there aren’t any free gyms we know of, there thankfully are plenty of no-annual-fee travel rewards cards that require essentially zero commitment. And just like an ab roller or a Richard Simmons DVD, you can simply use them a few times, forget about them, and put them in a drawer until beach season. Or, you can stick with it and make them part of your daily routine—whatever works for you.

You’re also far more likely to see “instant results” with these cards, too. From 100,000-point welcome bonuses to rewards for paying rent, free travel insurance to 3X on gas, these cards offer way more than you’d expect for a fee of $0 per year. 

The best no-annual-fee travel cards for April 2024

Best overall: bilt mastercard, best for hotel rewards: ihg one rewards traveler credit card, best for airline rewards: united gateway℠ card, best for travel earnings: wells fargo autograph℠ card, best for flat-rate earnings: capital one ventureone rewards credit card.

The Bilt Mastercard allows you to earn points from paying rent and transfer them 1:1 to well over a dozen different travel partners including United MileagePlus and Marriott Bonvoy. Toss in some surprisingly robust travel insurance and you have our unconventional—yet logical—choice for the best overall no-annual-fee travel card of 2024.

Bilt Mastercard®

See Rates and Fees

Special feature

prepaid travel card tui

Rewards Rates

  • 1x Earn 1X points on rent payments without the transaction fee, up to 100,000 points each calendar year
  • 1x Earn 3X points on dining
  • 2x Earn 2X points on travel
  • 1x Earn 1X points on other purchases
  • Use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points.
  • Select Learn More to learn about product features, terms and conditions.
  • Uniquely earns points on rent
  • Rent Day bonus every first of the month offers double points (excluding rent)
  • Robust travel transfer partners
  • Cash redemption rate is poor
  • No traditional welcome bonus
  • Travel perks: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Protection, Trip Delay Reimbursement, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
  • See this page for details
  • Foreign Transaction Fee: None

Why we like this card: As mentioned, the Bilt Mastercard’s most compelling feature is that it allows you to pay rent with a credit card—even if your landlord doesn’t take plastic—and avoid the transaction fee paying rent by credit card would typically incur. Then, as long as you complete five transactions each month, you’ll trigger 1X rewards on your rent payments. 

Note that rewards on rent are capped at 100,000 points per year.

In terms of earning potential, if you pay the median ~$2,000 rent in the U.S., you could earn approximately 24,000 points per year which can be used to book travel in Bilt’s portal at a value of 1.25 cents per point or transferred to any of Bilt’s airline or hotel partners at a 1:1 ratio. In other words, you could likely earn a domestic flight with United or a weekend stay at Hyatt, all for simply paying rent on time.

The Bilt card also provides trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement, and primary rental car insurance (terms apply)—perks you wouldn’t typically find on a no-annual-fee credit card.

If you’re looking for a hotel rewards card that offers the most free nights for no annual fee, wait until you read about the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card. With a six-figure welcome bonus, up to 17X on stays and other compelling rewards, it’s currently the gold standard for no-fee hotel rewards.

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card

Intro bonus.

  • 17x Earn up to 17X points when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts 
  • 3x Earn 3X points on dining, utilities, internet, cable, and phone services, select streaming services, and at gas stations
  • 2x Earn 2X points on all other purchases
  • Generous welcome bonus not typically seen in a $0 annual fee card
  • Travel protections that are unusual for a no-annual-fee card
  • Fourth night free on award bookings
  • Limited redemption options outside of IHG
  • IHG points are worth less than some other rewards currencies
  • Silver status granted with the card has limited benefit
  • Additional perks: Trip cancelation/interruption insurance, auto rental collision damage waiver, purchase protection, ability to spend to Gold status
  • Foreign transaction fee:None

Why we like this card: We like calling the IHG One Rewards Traveler card the “Liam Hemsworth” of travel rewards cards because it lives in the shadow of its big brother—the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card —but still delivers plenty of quality and substance in its own right (with no annual fee, to boot). 

For starters, you can get a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, potentially worth around $500 to $700 in IHG redemption. 

Plus, enjoy up to 17X points when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts, instant Silver Elite status and a handy bonus where you redeem points for three consecutive nights and get the fourth night in your stay free. So, if you book a three-night stay using your welcome bonus, you’ll essentially be getting a complimentary four-night stay at a nice IHG property for no annual fee. The IHG One Rewards program could be very rewarding for the right traveler.

Check out our full review of the IHG One Rewards Traveler .

As a no-annual-fee airline card, the United Gateway℠ Card currently edges out its rival the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card by offering a more generous welcome bonus and travel insurance that the Delta card does not provide. If you fly occasionally and would like to earn miles, but aren’t willing to make the commitment of $95 or more for a mid-tier airline card with more perks, the Gateway is a strong choice. 

United Gateway℠ Card

  • 2x 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, including tickets, Economy Plus, in-flight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, baggage service charges and other United purchases.
  • 2x 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit.
  • 1x 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • No annual fee or foreign transaction fee
  • Reward bonus categories outside of United Airlines
  • Robust travel protections for a no-annual-fee card
  • No baggage or expanded award availability benefits like with other United cards
  • Subject to Chase 5/24 rule.
  • United perks: 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Gateway Card
  • Other perks: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance, Purchase Protection, Extended Warranty
  • Foreign transaction fee: None

Why we like this card: The United Gateway card offers 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting plus 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Considering a United Mile is worth roughly around 1.2 cents these days, effectively earning 2.4 cents back on everyday purchases is a solid value proposition. 

You’ll also get a welcome bonus of 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. And, you can save with a discount of 25% back on United in-flight and Club Premium drink purchases. 

New cardholders will enjoy a 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months, after 21.99%–28.99% variable applies.

If the United Gateway card has a small lead on the Delta Skymiles Blue Amex at this point, it soars ahead (pun intended) when you look at the included travel and shopping protections. Both cards offer secondary rental car insurance, but only the Gateway includes trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty protection. 

So, if you’re seeking a no-annual-fee card you can use to rack up miles—and you either tend to fly United most of the time or you’re at minimum not devoted to a competing airline—the United Gateway is the card to beat.

Check out our full review of the United Gateway Card for more info.

To view rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card, see this page  

With a generous welcome bonus in exchange for an attainable spend amount, 3X on travel, and a fancy name, you’d think the Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card would command an annual fee of at least $95. But it doesn’t, making it a superb candidate for general travel use.

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Intro bonus.

  • 3X 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans
  • 1X 1X points on other purchases
  • No annual fee
  • 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (that's a $200 cash redemption value)
  • Points transfer to partners
  • Car rental insurance is secondary
  • No travel insurance
  • Transfer partners are limited
  • Additional perks: Cell Phone Protection: Provides up to $600 in cell phone protection when you pay your monthly cell bill with your Wells Fargo Autograph card. Coverage is subject to a $25 deductible and limited to two claims every 12-month period.
  • Foreign transaction fee: N/A

Why we like this card: The Wells Fargo Autograph offers unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans and even your landline bill too if you have one, plus 1X points on other purchases—all without charging an annual fee. And, to make traveling a little cheaper/less stressful, you’ll also get $600 worth of cell phone protection (minus a $25 deductible) as long as you pay your phone bill with this card and secondary rental car insurance. 

Cardholders can transfer points at a 1:1 ratio to Wells Fargo’s first wave of transfer partners including Air France‑KLM Flying Blue, Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, AerClub, and Iberia Plus and 1:2 to Choice Privileges. 

But even if you aren’t a member of those loyalty programs, earning 3X on dining, travel, gas, and more is hard to pass up. You can redeem points at a value of 1 cent each to offset past purchases on your account, meaning you can wield the Autograph either as a no-annual-fee travel card or as a cash-back card effectively earning unlimited 3% back in a wide swath of useful categories. 

Check out our full review of the Wells Fargo Autograph .

Sometimes, you just want a card that offers a little more than 1X on every purchase—without having to worry about what this quarter’s rotating rewards are, or whether a specific merchant qualifies as “groceries” for the purposes of your card’s rewards. If you value simplicity and the lack of an annual fee in your travel card, you’ll probably be a fan of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card and its straightforward rewards program.

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

prepaid travel card tui

Reward Rates

  • 5x Earn 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • 1.25x Earn 1.25x miles on every other purchase
  • Flexible travel rewards
  • No foreign transaction fee
  • Maximizing Capital One Miles requires a learning curve
  • Cash redemption value is limited
  • The VentureOne offers travel accident insurance, rental car coverage, extended warranty protection, exclusive access to events through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment

Why we like this card: The Capital One VentureOne Rewards offers 1.25X miles per dollar spent on everyday purchases and 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. That’s pretty much all that you have to remember. You can also get a nice welcome bonus of 20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, which is a solid payout for a very attainable spending target. 

Capital One Miles can be transferred to well over a dozen airline and hotel partners, most at a 1:1 rate. Partners include Air Canada’s Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Choice Privileges, Virgin Red, and Wyndham Rewards, among others. Other ways to book travel include redeeming miles through Capital One’s portal or making the purchase directly, paying with your card like normal, then using miles for a statement credit to cover the transaction. 

The Venture One also offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months (after that, the variable APR will be 29.99%). There’s an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account during the first 15 months that your account is open , then 4% per transfer for any promotional APR offered after. 

Come to think of it, provided you have the excellent credit needed to apply, the VentureOne could make a great travel companion for a grad student given its simplicity, lengthy intro APR period and low spending threshold required to trigger the welcome bonus.

Check out our full review of the Capital One VentureOne Rewards .

Frequently asked questions

Which card is best for international transactions without extra charges.

Zero foreign transaction fees is actually a common benefit among travel rewards cards, including many with no annual fee. For example, neither the Bilt Mastercard nor the United Gateway card charges a foreign currency conversion fee. 

What is the best travel credit card for a young person? 

If you’re still paying rent, the Bilt Mastercard is an excellent choice since it can generate points from rent payments which can then be transferred 1:1 to well over a dozen airline and hotel partners. If you’d prefer a card with a welcome bonus, which the Bilt card lacks, the IHG One Rewards Traveler card currently offers a massive welcome bonus for a no-annual-fee card—potentially worth hundreds of dollars toward a future IHG hotel stay. 

Is a travel card with an annual fee worth it?

Using a travel rewards card with an annual fee can be worth it as long as you’re extracting enough points and benefits to justify paying the fee each year. If you travel infrequently or just want one less fee to worry about, consider one of the no-annual-fee cards on our list above. But, the best perks and protections are typically available on cards with annual fees.

For example, the Capital One Venture X card offers a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel. If you use that every year, you’ve gone a long way toward offsetting the $395 annual fee. You also get 10,000 bonus miles, worth at least $100 toward travel, every year starting on your account anniversary.

Methodology

To bring you our top picks for the best travel rewards cards with no annual fee, the Fortune Recommends surveyed more than a dozen cards currently available from today’s top issuers. From there, we ranked each one based on the following core categories and weights:

  • Welcome bonus (10%): Some cards—even those with no annual fee—offer welcome bonuses that you can earn once you make enough purchases within a certain time frame, such as spending $1,000 within three months of account opening.
  • Travel earnings (25%): These are the point rewards you’d earn by making travel-related purchases (e.g. 3X on hotels, 2X on airfare).
  • Car rental insurance (15%): Many, but not all travel-centric rewards cards include an auto rental collision damage waiver, which allows you to decline a portion of the rental company’s insurance and save potentially up to $30 per day. We gave extra consideration to if a card offers primary rental car insurance versus secondary, because primary kicks in immediately in a covered scenario—whereas secondary only applies after your own, personal insurance. 
  • Travel insurance benefits (15%): Some travel rewards cards automatically apply trip cancellation/interruption insurance, lost/delayed luggage reimbursement and even travel accident insurance on travel bookings made using the card.
  • Gas earning (5%): Since road trips remain a common form of travel, whether or not a card offers points rewards at the pump factored into our rankings.
  • Dining earning (10%): If a no-annual-fee travel rewards card offered 2X or more on restaurant purchases it favored well in this category.

The remaining 20% was based on the card’s main focus: hotel, airline or general travel rewards. 

  • For general travel—points transferrable to partners (20%): Points are literally worth more if you can transfer them to certain partners, so a card’s ability to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners factored into our rankings.
  • For hotel rewards—free award night with booking (20%): Some hotel rewards cards offer a BOGO-like perk where if you redeem a certain number of nights with points you get an extra tacked on for free.
  • For airline rewards—ability to spend towards status (20%): Most airline rewards cards allow you to earn miles, but not all of them count those miles towards your next loyalty status. If a card treated them as “qualifying miles,” it fared better in this category.

Lastly, just keep in mind that virtually every aspect of a travel rewards card—from the rewards to the welcome bonus and fee structure—is subject to change, which could impact how many miles or points you earn. 

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.  

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.  

EDITORIAL DISCLOSURE : The advice, opinions, or rankings contained in this article are solely those of the Fortune Recommends ™ editorial team. This content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of our affiliate partners or other third parties.

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IMAGES

  1. TUI Travel Money

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  2. Top 5 Prepaid Travel Cards in 2023

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COMMENTS

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  2. Travel Money card

    If you have a Multi-Currency Travel Money Card, you can view your balance by logging on to MyAccount or the Travel Money Card app. If you have a Single Currency card - please call our customer service team on 0203 1300 133. Calls from UK landlines cost the standard rate, but calls from mobiles may be higher. Check with your network provider.

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    How can I contact TUI Travel Money Card Customer services? You can contact customer services by either calling +44 (0)203 130 0133 or email [email protected]. Call us on 0203 451 2688 or visit one of our expert Travel Advisors find your nearest TUI Store. To top.

  4. TUI Travel Money

    TUI's prepaid currency card is free to purchase and can be loaded with 13 currencies. These include the euro, Turkish lira, Thai baht, Mexican peso, Bulgarian lev, UAE dirham and US, Canadian and Australian dollar. When you load it, you pay the currency exchange rate at that time, so you don't suffer from fluctuating rates.

  5. ‎TUI Travel Money on the App Store

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  6. Tui travel money: Foreign Currency Rates & Fees explained

    Travel Money Card - Tui's fees for this card vary .¹² Initial loading and topping up with a debit card are free, as are purchases made with the Tui card, but credit card top-ups are charged at 2% or 3%. Fees for ATM withdrawals vary by country, but average around USD 3. If you don't use your card for two years, the same fee is deducted monthly.

  7. ‎TUI Travel Money on the App Store

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  8. TUI Travel Money Review 2024

    TUI has options for getting your travel money including cash for collection or delivery, and the prepaid TUI Travel Money Card. There are usually no upfront fees to pay when you get TUI travel money, but there are costs which are bundled into the exchange rates used. If you choose the travel money card you'll also run into some other charges ...

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  10. Best prepaid travel money cards

    The best multi-currency prepaid cards. Multi-currency prepaid cards allow you to load a variety of major currencies in one place. We've analysed the main providers of multi-currency prepaid cards including the type of currency offered, load fees (loading money onto the card), fees for withdrawing cash, and inactivity fees that could catch you out.

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  13. Top 5 Prepaid Travel Cards in 2024

    Best prepaid travel cards to use in 2024. Claire Millard. Writer. Ileana Ionescu. Reviewer. Last updated. 11 May 2023. This is the most comprehensive comparison of the prepaid travel cards available to UK travellers. We've picked the best all-round prepaid travel card, Wise, plus four other highly recommended cards to look at in detail.

  14. Prepaid travel money cards: Lock in the best rates

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  18. Are Prepaid Travel Cards a Good Idea?

    General prepaid debit cards typically charge foreign transaction fees on purchases made in a foreign currency. And though many travel credit cards waive that fee, prepaid travel cards don't. That ...

  19. Multi-currency travel money card

    The card will automatically transfer your Euros into the currency needed for purchases in a different country. There's a 3% charge if this is done automatically. To avoid this charge we recommend that you always have enough of the correct currency loaded onto your card, or transfer money across from other balances via MyAccount as these ...

  20. The Best Prepaid Cards for Travel in 2024

    2. ASDA Travel Money Card. ASDA, one of the UK's leading supermarket chains, also offers a prepaid travel money card designed for convenience. Load it before you travel and use it worldwide without worrying about exchange rate fluctuations.

  21. Prepaid Travel Card by Mastercard

    Prepaid Travel Card by Mastercard | Reloadable Travel Cards. MASTERCARD BENEFIT INQUIRIES. Within the U.S.: 1-800-Mastercard (1-800-627-8372) | Outside the U.S.: Mastercard Global Service Phone Numbers. Availability of insurance benefits on your card may vary by card issuer. Please refer to your issuing financial institution for complete ...

  22. Travel Money Card Terms and Conditions

    Website - www.tui.co.uk or www.tuitravelmoney.co.uk. Working Day - Our working days are Monday to Friday but does not include bank or public holidays in England. You, your - The Cardholder. ZAR - South African Rand. 2. Scope of this agreement. 2.1 Your Card is an e-money prepaid card.

  23. 'Tui took £260 off my prepaid card after I didn't use it for six years

    A woman is urging holidaymakers to avoid Tui prepaid travel money cards after the firm took all of the near-€300 (£260) balance she held on her card because she hadn't used it for a few years ...

  24. Best no-annual-fee travel cards of 2024

    Why we like this card: We like calling the IHG One Rewards Traveler card the "Liam Hemsworth" of travel rewards cards because it lives in the shadow of its big brother—the IHG One Rewards ...