Curve: The Ideal Travel Card
When you embark on a trip abroad by train, a dedicated travel card with free withdrawals, no exchange fees and real exchange rates can be a major asset.
After all, why would you use your standard bank card? Many of these cards charge foreign transaction fees, charge you for every withdrawal in a currency other than your own, and can even apply slightly inflated exchange rates on top. Sure, for a single ATM withdrawal or card payment, it may only be a small amount, but if you are a frequent traveller, it all adds up.
This is why I use a Curve travel card when travelling abroad by train. The Curve travel card is one of my favourite travel resources, as it offers many more benefits besides significant savings on fees. Let me show you why.
reasons to get a Curve travel card
The main reason to get a Curve travel card is to save on foreign currency withdrawal and transaction fees. Curve helps you save up to 3% compared with most traditional banks, as your payments abroad are charged according to the real market exchange rates of the day, rather than inflated ones. Moreover, you can also benefit from free ATM withdrawals abroad.
Another great benefit is 1% cashback on foreign currency spending. If you live in the UK, you can even get up to 20% cashback through brand offers in the Curve app.
The app is extremely easy to use and comes with a whole range of other benefits. It provides instant notifications and card controls, and with just one tap, you can instantly freeze your card if it gets swallowed by an ATM or is lost. You can also easily dispute purchases through the app, including cases of fraud or undelivered goods. Consumer protection really is done well by Curve.
Different plans, options
Curve offers several plans, from a free option to paid plans with additional features and benefits. This means you can choose the plan that best fits the way you travel and how much you want to get out of your travel card. Even the free plan can be useful if your main goal is to avoid unnecessary exchange fees and save on ATM withdrawals abroad.
Through Curve, you can choose a virtual card that works through the easy-to-use app, or opt for a physical Curve Mastercard.
You can connect your existing debit and credit cards to Curve through the app and use your virtual or physical Curve Mastercard for spending abroad, or even for your everyday purchases at home. When you spend abroad, Curve converts the foreign currency using real market exchange rates and charges the equivalent amount in your own currency to the card you have selected in the app. You can also choose which of your linked cards ultimately pays for a transaction, giving you considerably more flexibility than using your bank card directly.
In other words, your spending will still be charged to your usual bank account or credit card, but Curve handles the transaction and currency conversion in between, giving you access to better exchange rates and fee-free transactions and withdrawals.
Check out the different plans and travel card options available from Curve and sign up for a free or paid plan today!