Alex Manea
Being a digital nomad is one of the most desirable and exciting working arrangements available. You can work remotely from your computer on anything from programming and data analysis to copywriting and music production, all while traveling the world. But when it comes to managing your money it can be really difficult. So, in this article, we'll be exploring some of the best debit cards for digital nomads.
Being a digital nomad is a very liberating circumstance, but it comes with a significant problem – withdrawing and spending money abroad is expensive. International ATM withdrawals often come with outrageous fees, and POS purchases lead to outrageous exchange rates.
Don't worry, though, because there are international debit cards for digital nomads that you can use in Europe, and we will be exploring the best available options throughout this article.
Digital banking is generally a lot cheaper to use when living in Europe as a digital nomad. Many digital banks have become available in recent years, and we're going to be looking at which ones have the lowest fees and the best benefits for someone who travels a lot. If you're unsure about digital banks, head to our analysis of digital banks vs normal banks on our blog to get more information before continuing.
Revolut offers many different digital finance services that are great for digital nomads.
You can use Revolut as an eWallet for spending across your digital nomad trips, while the Revolut card allows you to withdraw money from almost any ATM in Europe.
Revolut is really simple to use, but you'll have to set up your account first. You're going to need to verify your ID, wait for your Revolut card to arrive, and set up a PIN code to ensure it's secure. Lastly, you'll need to fund your Revolut account, and you'll be good to go!
Revolut has 2 memberships that target digital nomads. These have the following benefits:
While Revolut is perhaps the best option for digital nomads, Wise is a good alternative. Wise works similarly to Revolut – you set up and fund a digital eWallet, receive a physical card, and you can then enjoy various international payment benefits across many different countries.
Much like Revolut, Wise is optimized to be used with Euros, but 50 other European and non-European currencies are also supported. The service is optimized to be used by UK residents, but you can also sign up from over 30 other countries.
Three of the top benefits of the Wise include:
Make sure that you visit the Wise website to check out the list of all supported countries. If your country is not listed, you, unfortunately, will not be able to benefit from the service.
Next up on our list of the best digital nomad service providers is Bunq, a digital bank specializing in ensuring that you never get tricked into paying anything other than the real-time exchange rate.
Bunq claims that, on average, you will save to 3% in payment fees per trip, including credit card fees, as it is powered by Mastercard.
It's a particularly great option if you are concerned about security, as your Bunq card can be frozen just like at a regular bank if it ever gets stolen or lost.
You can use Bunq in 30 different countries, including the UK, so you won't have to worry about the frustrations of Brexit.
In addition to these benefits, you can expect the following from Bunq:
The last service that we would suggest checking out as a digital nomad is N26, a premium digital finance option that facilitates payment through a contactless card, direct debit, and SEPA transfer.
N26 stands out from other options listed due to its range of digital nomad benefits, such as travel insurance and discounts integrated within a mobile application.
There's even more good news for digital nomads – the N26 mobile app includes a feature that allows you to budget your balance across 10 sub-accounts. Not only that, but you will also have 24/7 customer support and discounts on many other services essential to digital nomads.
These benefits make N26 an excellent option for digital nomads, but there's a slight catch – it costs €9.90 per month. However, this can quickly be made up for within a few trips by the following additional benefits:
In conclusion, being a digital nomad doesn't have to result in financial strain on your finances. Various options will make international expenditure significantly less frustrating, but the four we have listed include the most benefits from any other service we have come across.
Digital nomads come with many different needs, so always investigate each and every digital bank service to find the best one for your circumstances.
To find out which service provider is best suited for you, check out our digital bank comparison tool.
