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Best travel money card for the USA

If you're not keen on taking cash along to your great American adventure, a travel money card is an excellent solution. You'll enjoy the convenience of a credit/debit card without being charged fees for foreign transactions, as a travel money card is loaded with your chosen foreign currency instead of sterling pounds.

So, how can you find the best travel money card when travelling to the USA?

Finding a travel money card USA

Lots of the UK's travel money providers, including the Post Office, Tesco Bank, Asda, Sainsburys, Debenhams and more, offer pre-paid currency cards that can be loaded with your chosen amount of dollars. If a provider offers a pre-paid travel card, you can be almost certain you can load it with US Dollars.

Best pre-paid travel money card for the USA

As the US Dollar is used by millions of individuals, there are lots of options for dollar-only travel money cards. The best of the bunch currently is the Caxton Prepaid Dollar Currency Card, which offers free transactions and withdrawals internationally.

You can load up to 15 currencies onto it, but it offers great rates on dollars. Another great option is the Revolut Dollar Currency Card, which also gives you access to cryptocurrency. However, you will incur fees if you use the card on Saturdays and Sundays, outside of the FX Market hours.

It's certainly wise to do your own research, though, as varying exchange rates will change how appealing each travel money card is and new products regularly become available.

What to look for in a travel money card for the USA

The first, and most important thing, to look for in any travel card is that transactions you make in the US won't incur a fee. If they do, you're no better off than using a sterling credit/debit card. Also, look out for hidden fees for things like activating the card, losing your card or for periods of inactivity.

Also check if the travel money card provider offers a lock-in exchange rate, which will keep the exchange rate on your dollars stable. Not all providers offer this, so if you're keen to keep the value of your dollars consistent throughout your trip, it's worth looking out for it.


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