The world is changing! And we do like it. Today, there are online banks that offer free debit card with no foreign transaction fees. A perfect deal to use abroad and especially when travelling to Colombia!
They’re the perfect solution for travelers who want to keep traditional bank charges to a minimum. We’ve tested them out on our various trips to Colombia, and we can tell you that we’re 100% behind the idea of using those banks for travelers!
These new no-fee debit cards are a revolution and a real alternative for all travelers, which it would be a real shame to overlook for three main reasons: it’s free, it’s practical and it saves you money!
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Send money abroad free of charge
Simple, fast and the first transfer is completely free, we recommend the Remilty platform for sending money to Colombia (or elsewhere). Particularly useful for paying a deposit, for example.
Exclusive 5% Off Discount For you
Best Travel insurance for Colombia
Since the difficulties we experienced during the Covid-19 period, it's more than advisable to take out travel insurance. Our partner offers the best rates and a 5% discount for blog readers!
No-fee debit cards: the best banks for travelers
Find the best traveller’s bank
For some years now, we’ve been seeing the arrival of what specialists call “Neobanks”, a fashionable term for new-generation banks that rely on 100% digital banking. Some are dedicated to entrepreneurs, others are more geared towards travelers like us!
Who are these no-fee debit cards for abroad?
These new-generation bank accounts are aimed at two types of public:
- Those who want a no-fee debit card abroad for their travels (in parallel with their main bank account)
- Those who want to take advantage of free online banking as their main account (and enjoy the benefits for travelers in the process)
For example, we fall into the first category. We have our personal accounts in traditional banks and we opened an N26 accound and a Revolut account to use it during our travels and to be able to pay without bank charges abroad.
The best banks for travelers
For us, the most interesting offer on the market today are N26 and Revolut, pioneering services dedicated to travelers
We’ve been using those online banks for several years now and can’t recommend it highly enough. The debit card and account management are free, so there’s no reason not to use it alongside your traditional bank account.
Which card to choose for travel?
Best travel bank
As you can see, these new debit cards dedicated to travel have really become indispensable tools. Every self-respecting traveler should use one of these cards, which offer real savings on bank charges.
Choosing a no-fee debit card
The most cautious among you will choose a totally free card. In the case of N26 and Revolut, these are entry-level “Standard” cards.
To help you choose, here’s a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each traveller’s bank.
Travel banks: Free debit cards abroad
N26 Standard
Benefits
- Free payments
- 1.7% low fee on withdrawal
- 100% free administration
- Serious German company
Disadvantages
- For European citizens only
- No free withdrawals
Revolut Standard
Benefits
- Free payments on week days
- 100% free administration
- $200 USD/month withdrawals no fee
- Switch currencies on the fly
- Credit by card
Disadvantages
- Small payment fees on week-ends
Choosing a debit card with no premium fees
Each of the banks we’ve recommended offers premium accounts with additional services that may be of interest to some of you.
From our point of view, it’s only worth choosing a premium account if you travel a lot, or intend to use it on a daily basis and/or make it your main bank account.
In which case, these accounts can be really interesting!
No-fee premium debit cards for travelers
N26 You
Additional benefits
- Unlimited free withdrawals
- Travel insurance
And much more..
Revolut Premium
Additional benefits
- Free withdrawals of $400/month
- Travel insurance
- Shopping insurance
- 1 free international transfer/month
And much more..
Our choice of no-fee debit cards
The best bank for travelers
We tested several debit cards for travelers, traveling with Revolut and N26.
So we were able to make an informed choice and advise you on the best compromise (because there’s never a perfect solution!)
Our choice for travel in Colombia
Since 2015, we’ve chosen to use both the n26 card and Revolut card.
After all these years and all these trips, we’ve never had any worries until now.
Now, each one has its beneficts. N26 is the the only one to offer a Card with embossed numbers. And in Colombia, as in many countries around the world, this is still very important!
For example, to rent a car, the agencies make old-fashioned bank prints on paper , so the card must have the numbers in relief, otherwise it’s impossible to rent a car.
On the other hand, Revolut’s currency switcher is a real deal when you want to save money on fees. And free withdrawals, even if there are limits, are a also great.
Comparison of the best banks for travellers
the best no-fee debit card abroad
To take things a step further, we’ve looked at each offer in detail to try and highlight the differences, advantages and disadvantages.
| N26 Standard | REVOLUT Standard | |
|---|---|---|
| GENERAL | ||
| FREE ACCOUNT | Yes | Yes |
| BANK GUARANTEED | Yes (German license) | Yes (Lithuanian license) |
| Systematic authorization CARD MODEL | Mastercard Debit (Embossed digits) | Mastercard Debit |
| ACCOUNT OPENING | Free | Free |
| CB DELIVERY CHARGES | $10 | $6 |
| MANAGEMENT INTERFACE | Mobile application and Computer | Mobile application |
| ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT FEE | Unconditional free | Unconditional free |
| CUSTOMER SERVICE | LiveChat 7/7 days | LiveChat 7/7 days |
| OPERATION | ||
| CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT | By bank transfer | By bank transfer or by credit card |
| FOREIGN PAYMENT CHARGES | Free of charge | Free of charge on week days only (small fees on week-ends) |
| EMBOSSED | Yes | No |
| FOREIGN WITHDRAWAL CHARGES (excluding ATM fees) | 1.7% of amount | Free up to $200/month, then 2% of amount |
| CHARGES ON WITHDRAWALS IN EURO ZONE | Free up to 5 withdrawals/month then $2 per withdrawal | Free up to $200/month then 2% of amount |
| WITHDRAWAL LIMIT | $2500/day | $2800/day |
| SPENDING LIMIT | $20000/month | $7000 over 4 days |
| RATES APPLIED | Mastercard rate | Interbank rate |
| 3D SECURE | Yes | Yes |
| CLOSE ACCOUNT | Free | Free |
| ON-THE-FLY CURRENCY CONVERSION | No | Yes |
| APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY, SAMSUNG PAY | Yes | Yes |
| FOREIGN TRANSFERS | Partnership with Wise for reduced fees | Reduced charges depending on currency |
| TRAVEL INSURANCE | No | No |
| PREMIUM ACCOUNTS | ||
| N26 You $9.90/month | Revolut Premium $7.99/month | |
| INTERNATIONAL WITHDRAWALS | Free unlimited | Free up to 400/month then 2% of amount |
| TRAVEL INSURANCE | Yes (Allianz) | Yes (White Horse) |
| INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFERS | Partnership with Wise for low-cost transfers | 1 free international transfer/month |
| ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT | Free with no conditions | Free with no conditions |
Tax declaration
N26 and Revolut are bank accounts you must declare them on your income tax return. This is just a formality that has no impact on the amount of tax you pay, but it can be a compulsory step depending on your country of residence. Ask your customer service for details.
We do it every year, it takes 2 minutes more, the time it takes to find the online “tutorials” and copy the bank’s address…
Hello,
Great article!
I’m also going to Colombia soon for about 1 month and I was wondering what was the best solution for me. And then I came across your article
It’s pretty clear but I’m still undecided
1) I make a “Remitly” transfer to myself for cash
2) I make a “Remitly” transfer to myself with cash but I accompany it with one of these bank cards
I’m not too sure about the second solution, because I’m wondering if it’s really worth opening a bank account for a 1-month trip
I don’t think I’ll be withdrawing that often after all
thanks in any case for this article
Hi, we don’t send each other money, we prefer to use our N26 card as we travel: we find it really convenient. We use this card on all our trips, whether to Colombia, Europe or elsewhere in the world, so if you’re used to traveling even once a year, it’s clearly a good idea (especially as it’s free).
Bonjour tout d’abord je tenais à vous remercier votre blog et génial si un autre mot plus fort pouvez le remplacer sa serait sans hésiter merci pour tout!
your energy, passion, love and sincerity
it’s a real tool for us simple reader travelers in any case for my part I made my first trip with every advice followed by you and everything went well 🤲
Otherwise had you seen all the controversy on n26 it scares me what do you think of the blow?
Hi! Thank you very much for your comment, which makes us very happy! 🙂 We’re delighted if our blog helped you travel to Colombia 🙂
To answer your question about N26, we don’t know exactly what controversy you’re talking about, but for our part we’ve never had any problems. We only use N26 when we travel, so a few months a year, we put in the travel budget and that’s it. We’ve been using it for 6 years now without any problems. If you don’t feel comfortable with N26, you can use Revolut, which is also very good, or even Boursorama, which is French, but be careful to use the card every month.
Hello,
Having a foreign card with reduced fees is worth it
It’s also worth avoiding the high local withdrawal fees
Use the ATM Héro application to find free ATMs worldwide
Users can update the application themselves
Michel.
Hello,
Would Boursorama’s Ultim account be worth including in your comparison?
Best regards,
Michel.
Hello,
I’m interested in the N26 card.
As a resident of Belgium, I regularly send money to Colombian friends and I’m planning an upcoming trip to that country
Practically speaking, is it possible with this card to make transfers to a Colombian bank account free of charge? If so, what exchange rate is applied? Can I change (on a date of my choice) the money available in Colombian pesos? Is it possible to withdraw (without the card) cash from a bank?
Thank you and bravo for your site which is a mine of information
Serge
Hello Serge, at the moment Colombia is not on the list of countries to which you can make a transfer with an N26 account. This will surely change one day, but for the moment the ideal solution is Azimo, which we talk about here: Sending money to Colombia Very easy to use, this is a solution for making transfers to Colombia with very low charges, or even no charges at all for the first ones.
For the second question, no, with n26 you can’t change the currency in real time in the application, as is possible on Revolut with other currencies, but not with the Colombian peso either.
For the last question, with n26 you can withdraw cash from an ATM but not from a bank counter without the card. If you’re thinking of sending money to a bank in Colombia, Azimo also allows you to do this, for example by sending it to a bancolombia where you can withdraw the money in cash.
Don’t hesitate if you have any further questions!
Your blog is absolutely incredible, thank you so much… it’s a mine of information and it’s helping me prepare my future trip to Colombia of a month and a half. can’t wait!
Hello and thank you very much for your message, which goes straight to our hearts! We’re delighted to be able to help you plan your trip to Colombia 🙂
Hi, have you ever had any problems with N26? With the systematic authorization request for example? Or places that refused mastercard payments? I’ve also seen that support leaves something to be desired according to some comments, have you ever needed it?
PS: I’ve just discovered your blog and I love it! Very clear, well done, ect, perfect to help me organize my future trip to Colombia 🙂
Thanks for your message, and glad to know that our blog helps you as much as possible, that’s our idea 😉 As for N26, no, we’ve never had any problems with payments, Mastercards are as common as Visas, the authorization request can be a problem when you need to make a bank imprint, which is never the case in Colombia, and as for assistance, we haven’t really needed to access it, but when we’ve asked questions via the app’s chat, we’ve had a quick response. As with all services, there are always problems, people who aren’t happy, but overall I think the service is good. In any case, as long as we don’t have any problems, we’ll continue to recommend it, given the benefits it represents. 🙂
Hello
Our Visa cards were stolen in Santiago, Chile!
We immediately ordered a Revolut online, which arrived within 3 days at our hotel in Colombia and worked immediately, allowing us to continue our trip with peace of mind (delivery cost €19.90 via DHL)
I don’t know if N26 offers this service: please check
Hi Carole, that’s a good point for Revolut! Unfortunately, N26 only offers this solution in the EU at the moment. As a general rule, we advise you to keep your means of payment, whether CB or cash, as separate as possible in different places, bags and people, in order to reduce the risk of losing everything at once in the event of theft.
Hello,
I discovered your blog with great pleasure and I come back to it very often to prepare our next family trip as my wife is from Cali.
About N26, I was very close to taking it but in “Le Monde” of May 3, there is an article on the setbacks of N26 and Revolut in terms of transaction security with severe admonitions from the German banking security agency. There have been a lot of complaints about this over the past few months. So stay tuned!
Thanks again for your blog and all the great tips.
See you soon!
Hi Erwann, thanks for your message! 🙂 Yes we’ve seen these articles go by, there are and always will be problems with banks in general, that said, we use N26 mainly to travel in addition to a classic bank account. We credit money there from time to time, we’ve never had any problems, nor any feedback from readers on the subject, and the advantages are really enormous, so we’re not about to stop using it! 😉
Hello,
First of all, thank you for your sharing. I’ve read a lot of your site, which is full of good advice and interesting content.
For my experience with money in Colombia, I didn’t join another bank, I simply told my French bank that I was going to Colombia and I opted for a “gold” or “premium” card to cover me for the duration of the trip in case of fraud.
I wanted to share a good tip, after several withdrawals and with several cards from different French banks, I noticed that the Colombian bank “BBVA” didn’t take any commission
Voila, a little tip shared
Have a nice day!
Hi Melissande and thank you for your comment and the BBVA bank tip 🙂
Compared to a N26 with no fees, taking a Gold card doesn’t prevent you from being charged for using your CB abroad, so you should see these fees appear on your bank account when you return. Having said that, it may be worthwhile taking out a Gold card for insurance purposes, even if it doesn’t cover as much as a real travel insurance policy, although it remains to be seen how much your bank will charge for a Gold card. It all adds up 😉
Hello,
I have a small question about Révolut: apparently the application takes the phone number into account, is that right (but I may have misunderstood when I asked…)?
When you change your sim card for another to be used abroad, does the fact that the phone number is no longer the same pose a problem?
When you went abroad and changed your sim card, did you have any problems with the application?
Have a nice evening,
Stéphanie
No worries there, we had a local SIM in our phone and used our N26 and Revolut with no problems. 🙂
How much commission do you get for all this ointment?
Thank you for your message,
To answer your question transparently, first of all you should know that we received no remuneration for writing this article. In fact, we don’t accept payment for articles and this allows us to maintain our editorial independence. On our blog, we only write about experiences that we’ve had, that we’ve enjoyed and that we’d like to put forward, because we think they’re worthwhile and will help travellers, quite simply.
We’re very careful about the quality of the content on our site, and the seriousness of the information we give our readers, and I think that if you’ve read our blog you’ll have noticed that, in any case we’ve had a lot of positive feedback on this subject. The subject of new travel cards is one on which many readers had asked us for our opinion, and we were quite curious to test these services during our trips to Colombia (and elsewhere). That’s what we did, and since from our point of view it’s a great plan, we had to talk about it on the blog so that everyone could take advantage of it 😉
That said, we don’t hide the fact that we earn a small fee when a reader decides, like us, to take the plunge and use these services. It’s called affiliation, and it’s the business model we’ve chosen, which allows us to retain total control over our editorial choices. For example, this is also the case for hotel links to the Booking site: if a reader books a hotel from our blog, we earn a small commission.
Once again, it’s important to understand that we’re not trying to hide anything – on the contrary. At the moment we both have full-time jobs alongside the blog. So we devote ourselves to the blog in the evenings and at weekends, but we do hope that one day (not for the moment, clearly the remuneration is not at all sufficient at the moment) we’ll manage to get one of us to devote himself entirely to the blog and be able to pay himself properly for this work. It’s a gamble on the future.
Finally, it’s important to understand that affiliation is a system that doesn’t charge the reader any more than if he’d gone directly to the official site – the price is unchanged – but it’s beneficial for us and allows us to continue working hard in the hope that this work will pay off one day!
I hope this answers your question,
With pleasure,
Samuel
Thanks for your opinion,
There are more and more similar solutions on the market today. However, if N26 and Revolut are in the spotlight, it’s also because they’re good products that have proved their worth, with more than 2 million users worldwide in each case today…
For our part, we only talk about the things we’ve tested. In this case, it’s these two cards, and we’ve been entirely satisfied with them, so that’s why we recommend them.
From what I’ve read in the news about CZAM, it’s that they’re struggling to find new subscribers, the services aren’t as good as N26 and Revolut, and that’s understandable given the lead they have… I see from what you say that CZAM charges for its account management, which is not the case with N26 or Revolut, not to mention all the other advantages I won’t re-list here. In any case, CZAM doesn’t really convince us to switch brands 😉 To be seen in the future!
By the way, N26 won’t be affected by Brexit as it’s a German bank, and apparently Revolut is going to get accreditation from the ECB to become a real bank based in Europe, so there too Brexit won’t have any effect 😉
Of course, everyone is free to choose the solution that suits them best.