Best travel cards for Spain

Travel cards are one of the safest and most convenient ways to spend money when traveling outside the UK. Not only are they secure and reliable, but they can also help you stick to your budget during your trip. If you're planning a visit to Spain and weighing your payment options, a travel money card could be a great choice.

In this guide, we’ll help you find the best travel card for Spain by comparing their features, so you can choose the one that best suits your spending habits and needs.

We’ll also show you a cost-effective way to manage your spending in Spain. For international purchases, whether online or in person, you can rely on the Wise international debit card. You can even withdraw euros like a local for low fees* at the mid-market exchange rate.

Learn more about the Wise debit card

What is a travel card?¹

A travel card is a payment card that you can preload with foreign currencies and use during your holidays abroad. It can be used for both spending and for ATM withdrawals overseas. Travel credit cards also exist, but they’re slightly different. They don’t typically hold foreign currency, but they offer rewards and perks for travel-related expenses like booking tickets and accommodation.

Travel money cards have various benefits, but the most important one is safety. Since you’ll only add a certain amount of money to your card, your account funds are never in danger in case of theft. Also, since these cards are designed for travelling, their foreign transaction fees are usually lower than those of regular debit or credit cards.

A bonus perk is that you can only spend the amount you loaded, so staying on budget will probably be easier!

Best travel cards - a quick comparison

Let’s compare a few of the best travel cards for Spain and point out their differences:

FairFX currency card²

The FairFX currency card is a prepaid Mastercard that allows you to hold funds in 20 supported currencies, including euros. It has no monthly fees, card issuance fees or foreign transaction costs.

The card exists in both physical and virtual form, so you can also add it to your mobile wallet. It’s also easy to order - simply click 'Create Card' in the Cards section of their website. You'll need to have at least £50 in your balance.³

Since this is a Mastercard, you can use it anywhere Mastercard is accepted, which is essentially wherever cards are generally accepted. This makes it an excellent travel companion.

Travelex Travel Money Card⁴

Travelex’s contactless travel card is a great option for travelling to Spain, as it supports 22 major currencies. It offers free top-ups, ATM withdrawals and foreign transactions. You can use it at millions of stores and businesses worldwide, including in the UK.

This card has a £500 daily ATM withdrawal limit and a £3,000 spending limit. However, you can top it up in-store, online or via the Travelex Money app. The minimum load amount is £50.

You can order the Travelex Travel Money Card online and have it delivered to you or get it in any Travelex store. All you need is to be at least 18 years old and have a government-issued photo ID.⁵

Sainsbury's Bank Travel Money Card⁶

Sainsbury’s Bank offers a travel card that lets you store and use up to 15 currencies at once, including euros. You can collect it the same day from a local in-store bureau or have it delivered to your address within 8 days. For the first option, simply select 'order for collection' on their website, or choose 'order for delivery' if you want it sent to your address.

This travel card uses the Mastercard exchange rate, but Sainsbury’s Nectar members receive better rates. There are no foreign transaction or ATM fees, except those set by banks separately.

The dedicated Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card app lets you manage your finances on the go. And since the card detects your location and automatically selects the appropriate currency, you won’t have any extra hassle with that.

Post Office Travel Money Card⁷

The Post Office Travel Money Card is a contactless prepaid Mastercard designed primarily for use outside the UK. It’s a great way to secure local currency before travelling, such as euros in this case.

You can order the card in one of three ways: in-branch, on the official website or via the app. If you apply in person, you’ll receive the card the same day, while online methods take 2-3 working days.

If, at any point during your stay in Spain, you run out of funds on your card, you can easily top it up via the app or the official Post Office website. You can add up to £5,000 in one go.

Travel tips for Spain

Before you head off to Spain, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind.

Cash remains the most popular payment method in Spain, followed by credit cards. The share of cash payments is relatively high, especially compared to other European countries.⁸ However, if you're traveling through popular tourist areas, you'll likely be able to use cards throughout your trip.

There are over 20,000 ATMs in Spain and they’re easily located in bigger cities. In Spanish, they’re called ‘cajero’, but you might also see signs that say ‘caixer’ in Catalan.⁹

When it comes to safety, there are several precautions you can take to ensure an enjoyable trip. As pickpockets are always a threat, avoid loading too much money onto your travel card. Since most companies allow you to top up your card balance via their app or website at any time, there’s no need to keep large amounts of money on your card.

Travelling abroad? Choose the Wise Card

That concludes our guide to the best travel card for Spain. Take another look at the options and see if we’ve helped you find the perfect travel companion.

And if you want another option for spending abroad without worrying about exchange rates and hidden fees, the Wise international debit card could be a great solution.

You can use your Wise card for international payments in 150+ countries, including Spain. It automatically converts your pounds to the currency you need in your destination at the mid-market exchange rate with only a small, transparent currency conversion fee. Open a Wise account online, hold and exchange 40+ currencies and order the Wise card for a one-time fee of £7.

You also get two free ATM withdrawals to the value of 200 GBP each month. After that, there is a charge of 0.5 GBP per withdrawal. There’s also a 1.75% fee on any amount you withdraw above 200 GBP.

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

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Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 29-Nov-2024