Forex Card Vs Credit Card or Cash: Which is the Best for Travelling Abroad

If you are travelling abroad, you already know that you must carry foreign exchange along to pay for your expenses during your trip. But how should you carry your foreign exchange? What’s the best and cheapest way to pay? Forex Card or cash? Which is better when it comes to Forex Card or Credit Card? Or should you pay with a Debit Card?

• Cash
  
  Cash is the default option. It’s the most liquid and convenient way to pay. But cash comes with problems. If you are travelling to multiple countries, you must carry multiple currencies. It’s not easy to carry lots of cash, and you must be extra careful with it. If lose it or it is stolen, you have no way to recover it. So, carry some cash for convenience and emergencies, but don’t carry all the forex you need in cash.

• Forex Card
  
  This is the most popular way for travellers to carry currency nowadays. It’s widely accepted and almost as good as cash. And, when you need, you can withdraw local currency from an ATM. With a card like the HDFC Bank Regalia ForexPlus Card, you can spend on your travels across the world with a single card without paying any cross-currency charges. A forex card has many benefits it is safer – you can block it if you lose it, and you also get insurance bundled with the card. Besides theft, you are also protected against forex fluctuations, because the rates are locked in the moment you load the card.
  
  Read more about why a ForexPlus card makes a great travel companion.

• Credit and Debit Cards
  
  Keep these as your back-up options in case you run out of cash or have exhausted your Forex Card and are unable to reload it. Credit and Debit Cards are accepted around the world and are a convenient way to pay, but your payments and withdrawals will attract conversion charges.

• Traveller's Cheque
  
  TCs were once a popular way of carrying currency but are no longer as popular as cards because they are not as seamless and convenient as cash or cards. TCs are also a more expensive option than cards. You can opt for TCs only if you are travelling to places where the use of cards or ATMs is not prevalent.
  
  Ideally, you should carry most of your foreign currency on a Forex Card that meets your needs. Keep a percentage of it in cash. And use Credit and Debit Cards as back up.
  
  Looking to apply for a ForexPlus Card from HDFC Bank? Click here to get started.

* Terms & conditions apply. Credit Card, Debit Card and ForexPlus Card approvals are at sole discretion of HDFC Bank Ltd