Hello!
Everyone keeps talking about the Wise card for getting cash out at ATMs in Europe. I have a Chase Sapphire Preferred which has no foreign transaction fees. Is it worth getting a Wise card just for the ATM withdrawal rates? Or is the difference negligible for a 2 week trip? I don’t want to open another account if I don’t have to.
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I use a Revolut account when I travel (similar to Wise). They have good exchange rates and you don’t get charged bank fees for using ATM’s. With Revolut you can hold money in the local currency of where you’re travelling (exchange via the app from your account free on weekdays - but this has to be cash, not credit). Then when you use ATMs, because you’re already withdrawing in the local currency, Revolut/Wise usually don’t charge a fee (depending on how much you withdraw, there might be a limit), and at ‘proper bank’ ATMs (not the tourist box ones) you normally avoid ATM charges (but always check!).
That said, In Europe you can pretty much pay for everything by card, even tips in restaurants and small purchases, so you might not need cash at all. Or if you just wanted a little for back up and went to the ATM once, it might not make a huge difference and not worth it to open a new account. But be aware if you pay by card, always choose to pay in the local currency, not USD. If you choose USD you’re usually getting hit with worse exchange rates set by the terminal/merchant.
My Revolut account was totally worth it for me because I travel fairly often so use it in various countries and currencies, so still worth creating an account if you plan to use it for future travels!