Why should I get a travel card?
Key takeaways
It could help you avoid charges on withdrawals and purchases, or you could earn airline reward points before you jet off. Like with all credit cards, you should bear in mind the credit limit, interest rate and charges. That way you can spend more time enjoying the scenery and less time worrying about bills.
Travel cards are an easy, convenient and say way of buying foreign currency and taking it with you when you travel internationally. The traveling cards are in prepaid format and you will have to preload a card with one currency or multiple currencies depending on your travel.
Why should you establish an online account with the travel charge card vendor? Because it provides easy access to statements, payments, and mobile alerts.
A Travelcard gives you unlimited travel in the zones for which it is valid on National Rail services, London Underground and DLR. You can use it on all London Buses and, if valid in zones 3, 4, 5 or 6, on all London Trams. Travelcards can start on any day.
Credit Card | Best For |
---|---|
HDFC Bank Superia Credit Card | Travel and Dining Benefits |
Axis Bank Miles & More World Credit Card | Annual Rewards as Miles |
Axis Bank Titanium Smart Traveller Credit Card | For Travel Privileges |
Yatra SBI Card | Offers on travelling with Yatra |
Generally, travel credit cards allow you to earn rewards—usually in the form of points or miles—by making everyday purchases. You can use them like you would any other credit card. Some travel credit cards may only offer rewards for certain types of purchases—like gas, groceries or dining out.
- Load up to 15 currencies on the same card.
- No additional charges levied on PoS swipes.
- Better exchange rates than buying forex currency in cash.
- Reward points on every swipe.
- Exclusive discounts at select retail stores and restaurants worldwide.
- High daily withdrawal limit of USD 2000 or its equivalent amount.
Travel credit cards often come with annual fees, but they offer valuable benefits that can make them worth it. These perks come in handy long after you spend the card's sign-up bonus. Here's a look at the most valuable travel card benefits.
Your Travel Money Card is completely separate from your bank account so it's a safe and secure way to pay while you're abroad.
Which card has travel benefits?
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Best Travel Credit Card for Beginners.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best Premium Travel Rewards Card.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best Travel Credit Card for International Travel.
When you use your Visa Travel Money card you automatically benefit from an exchange rate that is generally more favorable than the rates you might obtain at exchange desks or hotels. The card is protected by a secret key or PIN—Personal Identification Number—to give you even more peace of mind.
Think of a travel money card as a debit card that uses local currency. Before you use a travel money card, you'll preload a set amount of a specific international currency onto the card at the day's exchange rate.
There are only a few downsides to using prepaid cards, but they are significant. Prepaid cards come with fees. Cardholders may have a lot of fees, including activation fees, transaction fees, ATM withdrawal fees, reloading fees, monthly fees, or inactivity fees.
Many prepaid cards set low daily or monthly ATM or cash withdrawal limits, so they can't use their prepaid card if your employees need to access more funds to make large transactions. It's also worth noting many prepaid cards change ATM withdrawal fees, which can get costly if employees withdraw money frequently.
Type | Day Anytime Price | Off-Peak Day Price |
---|---|---|
Adult Zones 1-2 | £8.10 | £8.10 |
Adult Zones 1-3 | £9.60 | £9.60 |
Adult Zones 1-4 | £11.70 | £11.70 |
Adult Zones 1-5 | £13.90 | £13.90 |
You only need to touch the yellow card reader at the start of your journey on buses and trams. You do not need to touch out. Day Travelcards are paper tickets that can be used at the gates at Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail stations, or shown to the driver on buses and tram services.
Our Day Travelcard (off-peak) can be used from 09.30, Monday to Friday, all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, on the day of validity and for any journey that starts before 04.30 the following day. Off-Peak Day Travelcards are valid during the evening (16:00 – 19:00) peak.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
- Rates & Fees. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
- Rates & Fees. Discover it® Cash Back.
- Rates & Fees. Bilt World Elite Mastercard®
- Rates & Fees. Credit One Bank Wander® Card.
- Rates & Fees. ...
- Chase Freedom Flex℠
- Rates & Fees.
As a general rule, a Travelcard is more expensive than an Oyster card or contactless payment card. The exception is if you make three or more journeys per day for six days or more within a seven day period. In this case, a seven day Travelcard works out cheaper than an Oyster or Contactless payment card.
Are all travel cards the same?
Not every card is the same, so be on the lookout for the fees that come with travel credit cards. Make sure you look into the annual fees and late fees on a card, as often these can be high to keep international spending fees manageable.
With most airlines, free flights generally start at 5,000 to 7,500 miles per one-way segment. So to book a round-trip flight, you typically need at least 10,000 to 15,000 miles. But prices that low tend to only be available on short hops, meaning flights of about an hour to an hour and a half.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® credit card awards 1.5% cash back for every $1 spent on all purchases. You also earn 5% cash back on travel purchases made through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and 3% cash back on dining purchases at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services, and drugstores.
P-Card administrators can restrict usage to a certain dollar threshold or to a list of pre-approved merchants, which is why P-Cards are typically used for goods and services instead of travel. Corporate or “travel” cards typically have less restrictions and function in much the same way as personal credit cards do.
You're best off having a range of spending options when you travel. Get a credit or debit card designed for overseas usage and place most of your spending on that. Also, take some cash with you, having compared prices online. Or consider putting most of your cash on a prepaid card for the extra protection.
References
- https://www.bankbazaar.com/credit-card/travel-credit-cards-in-india.html
- https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tickets-railcards-and-offers/ticket-types/oyster-contactless-and-travelcards/
- https://londonpass.com/en-us/london-transport/london-travelcard-prices
- https://www.thomascook.in/blog/what-are-travel-cards
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/au/credit-cards/what-is-a-travel-money-card
- https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/what-is-a-travel-credit-card/
- https://sr.visa.com/pay-with-visa/find-a-card/prepaid-cards/visa-travel-money.html
- https://creditcards.chase.com/cash-back-credit-cards/freedom/unlimited
- https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/credit-cards/articles/how-many-credit-card-miles-do-you-need-for-a-free-flight/
- https://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/oyster
- https://payhawk.com/blog/cons-of-prepaid-travel-cards
- https://mozo.com.au/credit-cards/guides/travel-credit-cards-vs-prepaid-travel-cards-what-s-the-difference
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/best/beginner-travel/
- https://quizlet.com/173708112/government-travel-card-101-version-203-flash-cards/
- https://www.oversight.com/blog/the-difference-between-p-cards-and-corporate-travel-cards-and-why-you-need-an-audit-tool-for-all
- https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/are-travel-cards-worth-it/
- https://www.travelsupermarket.com/en-gb/blog/travel-advice/cash-credit-cards-or-prepaid/
- https://monzo.com/blog/2019/10/22/how-to-save-money-in-london/
- https://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel-money/card
- https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/money-matters/shopping-and-travel/should-I-get-a-special-travel-credit-card-for-when-I-travel-abroad
- https://www.icicidirect.com/loans/travel-card
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/best/travel/
- https://www.tdecu.org/blog/pros-and-cons-of-prepaid-cards
- https://www.c2c-online.co.uk/help_centre/tickets/at-what-times-can-i-use-the-peak-and-off-peak-day-travelcards/