BakersDozen Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Dd is headed to Paris for the spring semester and is asking my advice on credit cards. I have no clue. Any input from those with experience with this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Like what kind of advice? Whether or not to get a credit card? Or how to get one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) Not France specific, I used to use this card when I traveled a lot. (https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred?CELL=6PH5) It has no foreign transaction fee. I had no trouble using this card, though the times I spent significant time in a foreign country I would just look into using a local banking system. Some banks are international so that's a bonus if it's a bank that operates both in your origin country and the visiting country. Then the bank can even help you out to set up something that you could easily use in the visiting country. Whether having a CC is good is highly dependent on the location. Things like whether CC are widely accepted, how dangerous is it to carry large amounts of cash around, etc. Edited January 7 by Clarita add link for card 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 19 minutes ago, Alice said: Like what kind of advice? Whether or not to get a credit card? Or how to get one? Dd needs a credit card but is not sure which one is best. She knows how to get one but the fees and foreign aspect are new to her (and me). So before I steer her in a completely wrong direction, I came to the Hive. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Make sure you let the CC company know he'll be in france so they don't lock it. And be very certain to have all computer passwords etc etc etc. secured so your browser/whatever/regular-ISP doesn't think something hinky is going on. Dh screwed up my computer (i think he was trying to remotely access his, which is fine - but it has to be set up correctly. and it wasn't.) . . . words cannot express how much trouble it caused. I ended up on the phone with 1dd to get it straightened out. (she decided the expense of the phone call was worth not having to do a back and forth over email.) I still had issues after returning as it thought I was in Austria. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 When my daughter went to Europe we got her a credit card that we could also access if we needed to help her with money. I’d just go into the bank and explain what’s going on. I’m sure they can make a recommendation. Our credit union was very helpful. She didn’t stay as long as your daughter will but the functionality is the same. I wish I could remember the details but this was some time ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Does the study abroad program or the uni make suggestions about this? Our Dd is an authorized signer on my cc and used it in Italy, Switzerland, and France with no issues. She was also able to use her regular debit card, issued through our credit union, with no problems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 We usually live outside the US and we sometimes use the chase sapphire cc preferred (mentioned above) or the Amazon prime card in countries where credit cards are normal because neither card has foreign transaction fees. We use debit cards and ATMs more often though, both in cash-based countries and in countries where it’s easy to use credit cards. Our bank reimburses ATM fees so that works well for us, as long as we make sure to not use ATMs in touristy areas that have bad exchange rates. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) CC or debit card? Look for cards that have no foreign transaction fees and no foreign ATM fees. Charles Schwab is a pretty common one but I'm sure you can find lists when you google. Also, in general the advice is to go visa/mastercard not discover in Europe. I haven't been everywhere but visa/mastercard are more widely accepted. And then just a bit of personal opinion, but I would go with a major bank that has a good app and good security. The last thing you need is a card that is constantly getting hacked and replaced. She'll be able to load her cards on the wallet of her phone and will generally only need the physical card for ATM transactions. Edited January 7 by PeterPan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 https://www.nerdwallet.com/best/credit-cards/no-foreign-transaction-fee 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 1 hour ago, Clarita said: cash Yeah, cash is less and less necessary in europe. Some places have laws that cab drivers *must* carry card readers, which means you can report them if they don't. So cabbies can demand cash, but it's technically against the law in some places. Not sure about France as we had a car for our brief time there. Travel safety for ATMs is to use the machine in/at a bank. I violated that one time and did get just about pickpocketed. Got away from them but it was a dumb move on my part. So yeah, spending money over there is pretty easy. I'd actually be cautious about the cc thing just in the sense that one could easily end up spending more than one intended. But yeah, throw the cards in the wallet of the phone for contactless payment, easy peasy. Almost everyone will have contactless payment at this point or at least they did everywhere we went. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberia Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 My dd20 is doing study abroad in Japan this year. She got a Wise card and it has been wonderful. You get the card for a $9 fee, and then you put money onto it from your bank account or a credit card. Then you can convert your money into many different currencies with a very small conversion fee. I have used it to convert to Japanese yen for my daughter, and I also used it for Euros. They mail you a physical card, and you download an app on your phone to make deposits and conversions. It has worked really well in Japan, according to dd. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Tiberia said: currencies If the card has no foreign transaction fees you don't need to do anything with currencies. It just does it all for you for free. So if I'm in a country and I use their ATM, the ATM asks how much you want (200 pounds, 150 euros, whatever), and you tell it yes please and out they pop. The card company does the conversion using the current rates and it's all just done for you, easy peasy. If you're checking out at dinner, the credit card machine will ask you which currency you want to use (whether you want it to convert or use their currency) and you just tell it to use their currency. I was told you get the best rate by letting the cc company do the conversion at current rates in the moment. Everywhere I went, zero issues, just easy peasy. So I've seen people talking about getting their money into currencies, but I'm not sure why you'd hassle with this. The Charles Schwab debit card will do all the conversions for you at current rates. Ok, now it *is* true that some people took advantage of when the euros were lower and stocked up. But I think that was cash? If you're just wanting to transfer your money and spend it, a card with no foreign transaction fees handles it all seamlessly. Edited January 7 by PeterPan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiberia Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Also, the Wise card is a Visa debit card, so it’s accepted just about everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Just now, Tiberia said: Visa debit card, The Charles Schwab debit card has no foreign transaction fees, no fees, no minimums and it's visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 I'm forwarding every response to dd - thanks, everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) I think the main thing to consider is that the card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. (Many do not, but double check.) Our Capitol One card has no transaction fees, and we added our dd onto the account as an authorized card user when she went abroad alone the first time. That was very easy to do. She also brought her debit card which generally worked, but there were a few situations when it did not. She could also use her debit card in ATM machines to get actual currency. Edited April 18 by J-rap 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 She wants to have a credit card and a debit card. The debit card can be used at ATM machines to get Euros; she wants to check with her bank to see what the out-of-network fee is for using an ATM machine and if there is a foreign transaction fee. Usually the fee structure is such that it is better to make one 400 euro transaction than four separate 100 euro transactions. She wants to find a visa or mastercard that has zero foreign transaction fees. (I suggest that if her debit card is Visa branded that she get a Mastercard brand CC and vice versa). When she goes into an establishment in Paris the card reader may ask if she wants the transaction in Euros or dollars--she wants to choose EUROS--she will get a better exchange rate that way. She wants to be careful NOT to use her credit card for a cash advance. Even if there is no foreign transaction fee and no interest charged if credit charges are paid fully each month, the cash advance will usually begin incurring interest immediately and is usually higher than the interest rate charged on purchases. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 31 minutes ago, Bootsie said: She wants to have a credit card and a debit card. The debit card can be used at ATM machines to get Euros; she wants to check with her bank to see what the out-of-network fee is for using an ATM machine and if there is a foreign transaction fee. Usually the fee structure is such that it is better to make one 400 euro transaction than four separate 100 euro transactions. This is the reason a local account is nice. If you do it through a bank that is also located in your location of origin then they may be able to set up an account for you in that foreign country. You do one big transaction to put a bunch of money into the foreign account, then you can use the ATMs without worrying about the fees. Then when you get back you do one big transaction back. 1 hour ago, PeterPan said: So I've seen people talking about getting their money into currencies, but I'm not sure why you'd hassle with this. I mean people make money doing currency exchange, it's the same general principle. Some people travel so much that they know which exchange places have cheap rates or depending on when they update and what direction the currency is going then you could time it... Seriously though for the rest of us the CC doing it for us is good enough. You're getting a fair rate it's fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Just now, Clarita said: This is the reason a local account is nice. If you do it through a bank that is also located in your location of origin then they may be able to set up an account for you in that foreign country. You do one big transaction to put a bunch of money into the foreign account, then you can use the ATMs without worrying about the fees. Then when you get back you do one big transaction back. IME it is very difficult for a US citizen to open a bank account in Europe. It is sometimes possible for students who have a student visa and a European address to do so. I don't know about France, but in some other European countries, it is common to have a number of fees associated with an account, making impractical to open a small account for a short period of time, even if it is possible as a US citizen to do so. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmyboys Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 I would do the chase mentioned above. I haven’t been to France in awhile, but where I am in Europe I use my chase card on Apple Pay for pretty much everything (cash for the local produce market and to pay my tennis coach, and maybe a little cash to tip occasionally). I also have a capital one card, but I have had bad experiences with that one locking me out because of their fraud detection system. My debit card from my bank has worked fine for the atm and it does reimburse the atm fees. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 We were in France this past month—we did not pay for anything with paper/coin money at all. We paid with a tap to pay credit card—not everyone had a insert to pay credit card machine. Note that with a US based bank you may still have to sign even with a tap/insert transaction. It came up a few times. More importantly, take a smart phone and if she isnt using an international calling plan, get a digital sim from a company like airolo. We used our phone daily to access tourist places, cheap flights, etc. It really is feasible to fly somewhere for the weekend very inexpensively….it was generally much cheaper than traveling by train. Our one hiccup was with websites that required two factor authentication to sign in when I didnt have a cellular plan that could access international calls. (Dh had his work phone with cheaper international calls. My phone was dual sim but with cellular turned off my primary line because I didnt have an international calling plan.) I had to reset my accounts to access them and that was a PITA I hadnt anticipated. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 8 hours ago, J-rap said: I think the main thing to consider is that the card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. (Many do not, but double check.) Our Capitol One card has no transaction fees, and we added our dd onto the account as an authorized card user when she went abroad alone the first time. That was very easy to do. She also brought her debit card which generally worked, but there was a few situations when it did not. She could also use her debit card in ATM machines to get actual currency. This is exactly what I did when DS did study abroad--added him as an authorized user to my Capitol One card, and he had his debit card. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 10 hours ago, BakersDozen said: Dd needs a credit card but is not sure which one is best. She knows how to get one but the fees and foreign aspect are new to her (and me). So before I steer her in a completely wrong direction, I came to the Hive. 🙂 I got a Capital One Venture card when my dd was in France twice. It was the perfect thing. No foreign transaction fees. The way the rewards schedule work is very user-friendly too. This is still my favorite card and it’s the one I use internationally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) My daughter traveled in a few countries in Europe as an authorized signer on my Bank of America card. It was fine. She also took an ATM card attached to a savings account in which she kept a low balance, and used it for cash only - not purchases. I don't remember if she paid any foreign transaction fees so I am not recommending any particular card, except to repeat what someone said upthread about using a card from a well-established FI. I'm mainly posting to say - advise your daughter to have two sources for funds/purchasing, and that the card she uses can be replaced quickly while traveling if necessary. I worked for a bank that would not overnight a debit card and was a big hassle for anyone needing to replace a card while away from home. I felt bad for people who lost their card and needed a replacement right away, and we couldn't provide it. (I was also dubious that anyone really traveled with only one card, but maybe people do. Anyway, it's not a good idea.) Also, if she doesn't do this already, she should set up transaction alerts so she knows if her card is being used improperly. This has nothing to do with traveling, but I'm always surprised by people who don't get alerts and are surprised by transactions when they get their monthly statement. Edited January 7 by marbel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 14 minutes ago, marbel said: My daughter traveled in a few countries in Europe as an authorized signer on my Bank of America card. It was fine. She also took an ATM card attached to a savings account in which she kept a low balance, I agree with your post, but wanted to jump off this part. My 14yod was on Germany for 2 weeks last spring. She couldn't get her atm card to work at all. I was surprised because I have never had persistent problems with that when I've traveled. In the final analysis I decided that it was most likely because she only had a savings account and not a checking account. At home she very rarely uses it, and the credit union allows atm withdrawals from savings. I think the German network couldn't support that. 🤷🏼♀️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that Visa and Mastercard are more readily accepted than American Express or Discover. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 12 hours ago, Bootsie said: She wants to have a credit card and a debit card. The debit card can be used at ATM machines to get Euros I don’t know about Europe but I could draw money with my credit card in Asia as there is an option to do cash withdrawals. Google search says that’s possible in Paris. OP can add her daughter as a authorized user so that she can help pay. Just let the bank know before hand the period of time she will be in Paris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 1 hour ago, Arcadia said: I don’t know about Europe but I could draw money with my credit card in Asia as there is an option to do cash withdrawals. Google search says that’s possible in Paris. OP can add her daughter as a authorized user so that she can help pay. Just let the bank know before hand the period of time she will be in Paris. For most credit cards, you can withdraw cash from European ATMs BUT it is considered a cash advance and has a very high interest rate associated with it. It is nice to know that it can be done in an emergency, but it is usually best avoided, if possible, because of the high fees. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 21 minutes ago, Bootsie said: For most credit cards, you can withdraw cash from European ATMs BUT it is considered a cash advance and has a very high interest rate associated with it. It is nice to know that it can be done in an emergency, but it is usually best avoided, if possible, because of the high fees. I pay the cash advance when my credit card statement comes so I have never paid any interest on those cash advances Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Arcadia said: I pay the cash advance when my credit card statement comes so I have never paid any interest on those cash advances If you don't mind, what card do you have? I have never found a card that does not start charging interest immediately on a cash advance, even if other charges don't accrue interest if you pay before the due date. And, many that I have seen also have a 5% transaction fee on top of that (even though there is no foreign transaction fee). This is for my MC which has no FX fees (and is great for making purchases in Europe). But, even though interest is not charged on purchases if I pay my balance by due date, the interest on cash advances is 29.99% beginning on the transaction date (even if bill is paid on due date) AND there is a 5% (minimum $10) transaction fee on all cash advances. Edited January 7 by Bootsie 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 17 minutes ago, Bootsie said: If you don't mind, what card do you have? I have never found a card that does not start charging interest immediately on a cash advance, even if other charges don't accrue interest if you pay before the due date. All were Visa cards and issued by asian banks. They do earn on the exchange rate but they would earn anyway if I had used my debit card with the same banks. I guess another thing to look out for is exchange rates. Wells Fargo consistently have worse exchange rates than Citibank for us so we change our currencies at Citibank since we change a few thousand in cash typically per family trip. Some other banks may have better rates than Citibank. The Costco Citibank Visa does charge a service fee for cash advance as you said so I won’t recommend using that for cash. I don’t use my Costco visa for cash advance anyway but this is what it says so I assume there is interest charged. ” The variable APR for cash advances is 29.99%. Variable penalty APR is up to 29.99% and applies if you pay late or your payment is returned. Minimum interest charge - $0.50.” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 2 hours ago, Bootsie said: cash advances Have you thought about a debit card? Charles Schwab has a debit card with no fx fees. You put the money in the account, use the atm when you get there, super easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 This is the amazon visa card: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16070413011 Note that there are other travel related benefits that come with the card, in addition to the no foreign service fees. Chase sapphire is great, but you have to have minimal income ($30k minimum) and a solid credit score rating (700+); not every college student is going to fall into the qualifying category on their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 It is easy to add a student as an authorized signer on your cc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I have ZERO experience with this, but my understanding is that Google Pay and Apple Pay are now very common ways for tourists to pay, avoiding the use of regular credit cards. I do second @marbel's advice to have at least 2 ways to pay. It's common to have problems! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 The Paris metro navigo is supported by apple pay, but I wouldnt rely on it exclusively. I think she needs a cc as backup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorilou Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 My daughter is attending university abroad. I added her as an authorized user to my Chase Sapphire card. That is what is tied to her Apple Pay. She also has a Wise account which she primarily uses - it's like an online bank. She adds money to it from her US bank account, then moves it to her GBP wallet or Euro wallet as needed. She has a physical debit card for it. It has worked really well for her. Ditto to the above posters - always choose to pay in local currency. Your bank or credit card gives the best exchange rate! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosla Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 (edited) Does anyone use a skylightpaycard? I read about it and it seems to be a good option both, for everyday use and for traveling. Btw, you can add cash to this card at certain retailers, such as Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS. Maybe this info will be useful to the OP. Edited April 18 by Rosla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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