[kazz]

Im going to South America soon, I will be there for a long time and am planning on going to most countries there.



I found a card here in aus called 28 degrees; it sound pretty awsome, you can use it at any ATM, shop etc, there are no fees; no overseas cash withdrawal fees, no annual fees, no currency transfer fees and the best of all, the rate of exchange is extremely competitive, not like the bullshit exchange rates you get for travelers cheques etc. Perhaps the best thing of all is that you can just go to an ATM like in your own country, simple and easy and not get ass raped in fees and currency conversions.


What have you guys found to be the best and most cost efficient way when traveling long term in a range of countries in regards to handling your money?

[Freddy_1]

Kazz i got the 28 degrees card as well, after looking at all the different options i thought it was the best one due to what you mentioned NO FEEs whatsoever and a competetive exchange rate which most other cards dont offer..also so far payments i have made through BPAY have been recieved the next working day.....Im leaving next week and travelling for the next few years so hopefully it works in most of the countries. Just make sure to transfer YOUR OWN money onto the card before you leave and while travelling or the interest rate will kill you especially if you have a high credit limit on the card.

[lurker]

Using my normal bank card to withdraw $$ at ATMs, or using my normal credit card to buy things. HSBC has a global bank account you can access anywhere; other banks have reciprocal agreements for free withdrawals. I could pull money out free from Commonwealth in Oz, Barclays in Europe, etc.

[AlbertoDelMuerto]

(03-26-2013 01:42 AM)lurker Wrote:  

Using my normal bank card to withdraw $$ at ATMs, or using my normal credit card to buy things. HSBC has a global bank account you can access anywhere; other banks have reciprocal agreements for free withdrawals. I could pull money out free from Commonwealth in Oz, Barclays in Europe, etc.

I think global bank accounts are only for people investing tons of money.

[texas]

Not sure if these are limited to US-based customers, but I use Capital One for a credit card and Chuck Schwab High-Yield Checking Acct for ATM withdrawals.

Cap One has no international fees (and you get airline miles for purchases) and the Schwab reimburses you for all ATM fees, domestic or international, so you don't rack up anything extra aside from normal spending while travelling.

I have had good customer service experience with both as well.

[InternationPlayboy]

That 28 degree card sounds like a good deal. My advice is to not carry cards on you unless you have back ups, and even then why go through the headache of having to cancel them (At least when traveling in a dangerous place). I go to the nearest bank and pull out the max amount of money I can pull out at one time (Avoiding extra ATM fees is reason for pulling out max). I then head directly back to where I'm staying and stash my money and card and only take out a little over what I think I'll need for the night.

[BigDave]

Here's an interesting alternative that lets you use a prepaid card abroad that can be loaded online from any VISA/MC without fees:

http://www.globalmillennial.com/?p=109

[Tail Gunner]

When using debit cards or prepaid money cards in South America, be aware that criminals taking scans of such cards is widespread.

Try to obtain a card with a chip.

[kazz]

Yeah the 28 degrees has a chip, my plan is to leave just a small amount of funds in the 28 degrees card, and leave the rest in a card i never carry out with me; that way if i get jumped, and/or taken to the closest atm and told to take all the funds out, i will not lose much.

Does any one know of a good card for Canadians? My buddy im traveling with is from there.

[Tail Gunner]

(03-27-2013 02:27 AM)kazz Wrote:  

Yeah the 28 degrees has a chip, my plan is to leave just a small amount of funds in the 28 degrees card, and leave the rest in a card i never carry out with me; that way if i get jumped, and/or taken to the closest atm and told to take all the funds out, i will not lose much.

Does any one know of a good card for Canadians? My buddy im traveling with is from there.

I am a little confused. Last night, I googled "28 degrees" and found that it was a MasterCard available only to Australian residents.

But you seem to indicate that it is a loadable money card. Do you have a web link? Do you know whether it is available to anyone?

If the card accepts your own money and is not based on credit, it might be available worldwide.

[TheBulldozer]

Does anyone know of an American card with a chip?

I bitched at my CC company last year about this, and will probably end up doing the same again. It's only a matter of time before my account is unnecessarily drained.

[Tail Gunner]

(03-27-2013 01:29 PM)MaleDefined Wrote:  

Does anyone know of an American card with a chip?

I bitched at my CC company last year about this, and will probably end up doing the same again. It's only a matter of time before my account is unnecessarily drained.

If you have a credit card from the U.S., you are protected against its fraudulent use. It is important to have a chip in a debit card or a loadable money card obtained from an overseas bank where U.S. law does not apply, because you can be liable for the entire loss.

Quote:

This "liability shift" has been a "good incentive'" for merchants to adopt chip and PIN, says Bowerman. Such a shift isn't possible in the U.S. because of rules set up under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act of 1978, says Steven J. Murdoch, Ph.D., a security researcher at Cambridge University. This is probably good news for U.S. consumers: Murdoch says that since the standard was fully adopted, it's been next to impossible for British consumers to recover money stolen in fraud.

"The banks get to effectively make up their own rules, and the rule they've chosen is that if your PIN is used, then you must have been negligent about protecting your PIN, therefore you're liable for the fraud," says Murdoch.

And because the loser pays legal fees in the British system, Murdoch says, few consumers risk a lawsuit that can end up costing many times the amount they've lost to fraud.

https://origin.bankrate.com/finance/cred...ing-1.aspx

[lurker]

Not only that, but with a US credit card, you're often secondarily insured in a whole host of other activities as well - like damages incurred while renting a car in a foreign territory.

[Duke Castile]

I bank with USAA, they charge me 1% while I'm traveling but refund all ATM fees and it's no maintenance.

[kazz]

(03-27-2013 11:15 AM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 02:27 AM)kazz Wrote:  

Yeah the 28 degrees has a chip, my plan is to leave just a small amount of funds in the 28 degrees card, and leave the rest in a card i never carry out with me; that way if i get jumped, and/or taken to the closest atm and told to take all the funds out, i will not lose much.

Does any one know of a good card for Canadians? My buddy im traveling with is from there.

I am a little confused. Last night, I googled "28 degrees" and found that it was a MasterCard available only to Australian residents.

But you seem to indicate that it is a loadable money card. Do you have a web link? Do you know whether it is available to anyone?

If the card accepts your own money and is not based on credit, it might be available worldwide.

Thats right it is a master card Available in Australia, any credit card can be loaded with your own money to my knowledge.

[renotime]

(03-28-2013 07:00 AM)Fisto Wrote:  

I bank with USAA, they charge me 1% while I'm traveling but refund all ATM fees and it's no maintenance.

Don't you have to be former or current military for that?

[Tail Gunner]

(03-28-2013 09:49 PM)kazz Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 11:15 AM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 02:27 AM)kazz Wrote:  

Yeah the 28 degrees has a chip, my plan is to leave just a small amount of funds in the 28 degrees card, and leave the rest in a card i never carry out with me; that way if i get jumped, and/or taken to the closest atm and told to take all the funds out, i will not lose much.

Does any one know of a good card for Canadians? My buddy im traveling with is from there.

I am a little confused. Last night, I googled "28 degrees" and found that it was a MasterCard available only to Australian residents.

But you seem to indicate that it is a loadable money card. Do you have a web link? Do you know whether it is available to anyone?

If the card accepts your own money and is not based on credit, it might be available worldwide.

Thats right it is a master card Available in Australia, any credit card can be loaded with your own money to my knowledge.

A true culture shock moment. Not in the U.S. I never heard of such a thing.

If you could load funds onto a credit card, it would not be a credit card.

[Duke Castile]

(03-28-2013 11:12 PM)renotime Wrote:  

(03-28-2013 07:00 AM)Fisto Wrote:  

I bank with USAA, they charge me 1% while I'm traveling but refund all ATM fees and it's no maintenance.

Don't you have to be former or current military for that?

Yes. Or your one of your parents....I was in the Army.

[kazz]

(03-29-2013 02:15 AM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

(03-28-2013 09:49 PM)kazz Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 11:15 AM)Tail Gunner Wrote:  

(03-27-2013 02:27 AM)kazz Wrote:  

Yeah the 28 degrees has a chip, my plan is to leave just a small amount of funds in the 28 degrees card, and leave the rest in a card i never carry out with me; that way if i get jumped, and/or taken to the closest atm and told to take all the funds out, i will not lose much.

Does any one know of a good card for Canadians? My buddy im traveling with is from there.

I am a little confused. Last night, I googled "28 degrees" and found that it was a MasterCard available only to Australian residents.

But you seem to indicate that it is a loadable money card. Do you have a web link? Do you know whether it is available to anyone?

If the card accepts your own money and is not based on credit, it might be available worldwide.

Thats right it is a master card Available in Australia, any credit card can be loaded with your own money to my knowledge.

A true culture shock moment. Not in the U.S. I never heard of such a thing.

If you could load funds onto a credit card, it would not be a credit card.

Ok, did not realize this. One thing though when you 'pre-load' your credit card that money is not protected from fraud etc. Other than that you can pretty much use it the same as a debit card. The way these guys make there money is that there are many people that run out of money or whatever and have to get a cash advance on credit, in that case they hit you with a big interest rate, as soon as you get the money out. You do get 55 days interest free on purchases though.

[Steve9]

(03-25-2013 10:58 PM)kazz Wrote:  

I found a card here in aus called 28 degrees; it sound pretty awsome, you can use it at any ATM, shop etc, there are no fees; no overseas cash withdrawal fees, no annual fees, no currency transfer fees and the best of all, the rate of exchange is extremely competitive, not like the bullshit exchange rates you get for travelers cheques etc. Perhaps the best thing of all is that you can just go to an ATM like in your own country, simple and easy and not get ass raped in fees and currency conversions.


What have you guys found to be the best and most cost efficient way when traveling long term in a range of countries in regards to handling your money?

Bad news for 28 Degrees card holders - from next month the bastards are going to start charging 3% on cash advances.

Quote:

As of January 1, 2014, a cash advance fee of 3% of the cash advance or $4 (whichever is greater) will be charged to the account on each occasion on which you obtain a cash advance or make a cash equivalent transaction (except that if the cash advance is made by a direct transfer to a bank account nominated by you, this fee will not exceed $30 for that transaction).

http://www.28degreescard.com.au/faqs/cas...e-fee.html

[Tenerife]

Is there something like this 28 degrees card in the United states? I've been getting terrible atm fees abroad and need an international card without fees. Any americans solve this problem?

[texas]

Tenerife,

The Charles Schwab high-yield investor checking account hooks you up with a debit card that reimburses all ATM fees worldwide at the end of the month. It's free and there is no need to actually use their investing services to get the card/account. They have great customer service and even priority-shipped a replacement debit card to a friend who lost his in Bangkok within two days.

http://www.schwab.com/public/schwab/bank...ng_account

On the credit card front, more cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees are coming out. I was using the Capital One and getting travel points, but switched to the Bank of America travel card because CapOne told me they couldn't give me a new card with the EMV security chip. The Bank of America card arrived with the chip without even asking and it has the same travel rewards as the CapOne.

https://www.managerewardsonline.bankofam...wards-_-NA

If you don't mind carrying two cards, those two should cover you as the debit gets the withdrawal fees reimbursed and the credit has no foreign transaction fees.

I set up two Schwab accounts and keep the bulk of my money in one and around $500USD in the other. I carry the card that is linked to the account with $500USD that way in case I would ever get jacked, the most they could take out is that amount. Whenever I am at a secure internet point I just transfer money from the account that holds more money into the one linked to the card I carry.

[Corroncho]

(02-22-2014 01:19 PM)Tenerife Wrote:  

Is there something like this 28 degrees card in the United states? I've been getting terrible atm fees abroad and need an international card without fees. Any americans solve this problem?

In addition to Charles Schwab, as Texas pointed out, Fidelity has a no-fee worldwide ATM card. Fidelity is known more an an online broker, but they do offer a conventional checking account with this no-fee ATM. I've been using it in Colombia for the past three years without any problems.

[paninaro]

(02-22-2014 02:24 PM)texas Wrote:  

On the credit card front, more cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees are coming out. I was using the Capital One and getting travel points, but switched to the Bank of America travel card because CapOne told me they couldn't give me a new card with the EMV security chip.

Similar situation here. I got a CapOne card just for use abroad due to no transaction fees, then lately I get a letter from AmEx that my AmEx card is dropping foreign transaction fees. Also my Visa card (not from CapOne) has done the same.

I guess CapOne put enough of a scare into the other companies so now few charge such a fee.

As for ATM withrdrawal fees, if it's a fixed fee like $3-5, I say don't worry too much about it -- just withdraw a big chunk of money at once, so it's effectively only a 1% "tax" on cash withdrawal.

[svenski7]

I used my United Airlines Visa:
-No foreign transaction fees
-Free car insurance on rentals
-Enough miles when signing up to get a free round trip flight
-Up to $1000 cash advance in cash my ATM card stops working
-No liability for fraudulent activity

I checked on my primary credit union debit card and they said NO WAY can I use it in Mexico, not even if I told them my plans in advance. My other credit union told me it wasn't a problem. Just be sure to check.