Last updated: November 2025 Discover which prepaid or travel credit card best suits your travel plans, with up-to-date information on fees, deposits, and exchange rates.
A good credit card is essential if you travel a lot, not only to be able to pay a deposit at
TLDR – the short summary
Don't feel like reading everything? Here's a quick guide:
💡 Tip: Do you want to know why some maps don't work everywhere?
✅ bunq Easy Money / Travel Card – Best choice if you travel frequently or for extended periods outside the EU, rent cars, or need to make offline payments, for example, on a plane. No currency surcharge thanks to ZeroFX (which can save a lot of money, especially on longer trips). Works like a "real" credit card at all rental companies.
👉 Apply for bunq directly
(I.e. Wise Card Ideal for occasional travelers seeking low fees and transparency. Exchange rates and withdrawal fees are competitive, but significantly higher than Bunq's ZeroFX, plus you pay small fees per transaction. Less suitable for deposits.
👉 Apply for Direct Wise
(I.e. N26 Debit Card – Great all-round card with free payments in euros. Good alternative within Europe, but storage outside the EU and limited acceptance at
👉 Apply directly for N26
Which prepaid credit card is right for you?
The image and summary above shows at a glance the key differences between the most popular prepaid travel credit cards: the Bunq Travel Card, Wise Card and the N26 Debit CardAll three are ideal for travelers who don't want a traditional credit card, but are looking for security.
De bunq Easy Money / Travel Card is our favorite for long distance travel and
The bunq card is the most widely accepted prepaid credit card in the world. It is a full-fledged Mastercard credit card Even offline terminals in airplanes and elsewhere work with this card (we've tested this extensively ourselves). You can also rent a car with this card without any problems.
Tip:: the 'elite' subscription includes full continuous travel insurance.
- No BKR check
- Dutch bank
- Problem-free car rental abroad
- ZeroFX (abroad saves about 2-3% per transaction!)
- Works with Google and Apple Pay
💡Tip: After your long trip or world trip, you can cancel your subscription again on a monthly basis.
De Wise Card This is especially interesting for travelers who travel once or twice a year and value low entry fees. You exchange currency at the real market rate with only a small 0,5% surcharge. Perfect for backpackers or travelers who pay in different currencies annually, but don't do so regularly or for extended periods (traveling less than two consecutive months and/or annually).
WISE makes international payments easy. Opening a digital account is free, and you can pay, withdraw, or convert currency at a favorable rate (0,5% to 1,7%).
A physical WISE Mastercard, which also serves as a Prepaid Credit Card, costs 10 euros. This also allows you to withdraw from almost any ATM abroad.
- Requested quickly
- Can be used worldwide
- Very suitable for short trips
- Works with Apple and Google Pay
- Currency conversion costs 0,5 to 1,7%
- Car rental not possible
De N26 Debit Card Finally, it's a great choice within Europe. The card is free to use and works perfectly for everyday payments, although acceptance for deposits and offline terminals is limited, and exchanging foreign currencies is considerably more expensive than with Bunq and Wise.
N26 operates worldwide, but focuses primarily on the EU. It's a good option for people who travel regularly but don't often go outside the EU. One advantage of N26 is that you also get a free checking account.
RemarkN26 is currently working on agreements with car rental companies. It is now possible to rent a car with this card at 11 car rental companies.
- Free debit card payments within the EU
- Travel insurance option (Pro)
- Smartphone insurance option (Pro)
- Car rental possible from 11 rental companies
In short: If you travel frequently or for extended periods outside Europe, or rent cars, bunq is your best bet. If you want low costs, consider Wise. And if you stay within the EU, N26 is a good choice. So you'll always find the best prepaid credit card for your trip.
Concrete examples – save hundreds of euros when using your debit card
A little trick that many travelers overlook: the hidden costs at the pinna and payments abroad that can quickly add up. Consider fixed transaction fees of €3 to €10 per withdrawal outside the EU, combined with exchange rate surcharges (2% to often 5% or more). All these costs add up while you're enjoying your trip. In our comprehensive article about cash withdrawals and ATM withdrawals abroad, we'll show you concrete examples (screenshots of PIN transactions and cash withdrawals) you can see that you six recordings of €200 No reason can lose €100 to hidden costs.
Want to know how you can truly reduce these costs drastically—for example, by using smart prepaid credit cards, making the right choices at the ATM, or avoiding Dynamic Currency Conversion? Then read on in our full article: Withdrawing money and withdrawing money abroad | Everything you need to know.
Frequently asked questions about prepaid credit cards when traveling
Can I get a renting a car with a prepaid credit card?
That depends on the rental company. Most major international car rental companies (such as Hertz, Europcar, and Sixt) only accept actual credit cards for the deposit, as the amount is temporarily held instead of being debited. bunq Travel Card There's an exception: although it's a prepaid card, it's technically processed as a credit card everywhere. This (usually) doesn't work with Wise or N26. Want to be sure? Always check the rental company's deposit terms and conditions or take the card to the office beforehand for verification.
What is the difference between a debit, prepaid and credit card?
Credit card: the amount will only be debited later (with credit and interest).
Debit card: Payments are debited directly from your account.
Prepaid card: You first put money on it yourself and only use what you have loaded – in principle this works the same as a debit card, with the functions of a credit card.
Prepaid is often the safest choice for travel: no risk of debt, yet usable worldwide.
Can I apply for this credit card with a BKR registration?
Yes, that's possible! That's another huge advantage of a prepaid credit card over a regular credit card. There are no BKR checks when you apply for a prepaid credit card, because with this card, you don't have to borrow money and you can't overdraw. Prepaid credit cards also help you avoid any BKR registrations. With a prepaid credit card, you can never get an unexpected BKR registration because you're not borrowing money, but putting money on the card yourself. Unfortunately, this can still happen with a regular credit card, because you essentially borrow money with every payment and pay it back later.
Which prepaid credit card is the cheapest to use?
De Wise Card scores best on low costs with limited useYou pay the real exchange rate plus a small surcharge (around 0,5%), and there are no monthly fees.
De bunq Travel Card has the advantage of free withdrawals outside the EU within a certain limit, completely free with Pro and no currency surcharge (ZeroFX), which will be a lot cheaper for longer trips.
Which of the two is most advantageous therefore depends in advance on the length or regularity of your trip or trips.
Does a prepaid credit card also work offline, for example on an airplane or at toll booths?
Not all. Cards of bunq Works seamlessly offline (because it's considered a full-fledged credit card), while Wise and N26 offer less support. If you travel in countries with poor coverage, fly frequently, or use toll roads, bunq is the safest option.
Are prepaid credit cards safe?
Yes, provided you use them as intended. You can only spend money you've loaded yourself, so there's no risk of debt or credit abuse. Furthermore, with bunq and Wise, you can block payments directly in the app and receive real-time notifications for every transaction.
