Temporary debit cardEach Friday, we feature a reader-submitted tip as our Travel Tip of the Day. This week’s tip comes from reader John M., who after a Europe trip says:

“I highly recommend getting a AAA debit card or something like it, whether you are a member or not, when you go overseas. Maybe banks offer this, too. In my case I withdrew $1,000 cash from my bank account and then drove to AAA and put the money on two different debit cards, $500 on each. That way I didn’t have to take my bank debit card. If your wallet gets lost or stolen no one can access your bank account and you can’t lose more than the remaining money on the card.

“I gave one of the cards to one of my travel companions (or you can leave one at the hotel), so we secured and split up the money that way. There are fees, but you can limit them by taking only one or two large withdrawals and it’s an easy way to get cash immediately at the airport as soon as you get to the new country. (As usual, you want to make sure the ATM is legitimate, but even if the machine steals your PIN, you can’t lose more than what’s on the card.)”

An interesting tip. Thanks, John!

Related: This Is What an ATM Skimmer Looks Like

 

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5 Comments On "Bring a Temporary Debit Card"
  1. Mary M. Morris|

    I like to do this, too, and use a card that Wal-mart/Amex have called Bluebird. You can put money on it at the store and use it overseas just like a credit or debit card.

  2. Ram Suntha|

    This card does have a 3% transaction fee.

  3. Steve|

    Hi Johnny. Do have any experience or thoughts about the TravelEx reloadable debit card? Tnx.

    1. Johnny Jet|

      i don’t have either. Sorry!

  4. Ian|

    I use Wise & Revolut for exactly these reasons – plus now they’ve started paying interest on USD balances.

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