Best debit card to use in Colombia: Banks for travelers comparison

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!

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.

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!

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.