When people talk about the best credit cards, it is easy to focus on bonus points, cashback, and lounge access. But for many people, it really comes down to something much simpler: which card gives you the most value when you actually use it? Especially when you travel, the exchange rate, foreign transaction fees, and hidden charges are often more important than the perks.
Here, you can find the best cards for getting better exchange rates when you spend money at your destination. The focus is on cards that help reduce foreign transaction fees and unnecessary charges, so you get more for your money every time you pay abroad. For many travelers, this is what makes the biggest difference.
Best credit cards for exchange rates
- Wise Card — debit card with the mid-market rate and a low conversion fee.
- Revolut — debit card with competitive exchange rates, though some plans include weekend markups and package-based limits.
- Northmill — Swedish bank card with no foreign transaction fee and no annual fee.
- Rocker — 0% foreign transaction fee, with exchange rates set by Visa.
- bunq — multi-currency account/card with the real exchange rate and support for holding and spending in multiple currencies.
- N26 — no foreign transaction fees on card payments abroad, with Mastercard’s exchange rate used for foreign currency payments.
Should you exchange cash?
Exchanging cash is often significantly more expensive right away. You lose out through a worse exchange rate, which quickly increases the total cost. In general, you can lose more than 8% of the amount exchanged when converting from one currency to another.