The Best Travel & International Cards for UK Students

If you take your standard Barclays, HSBC, or Lloyds debit card on holiday, you are going to be ripped off. Traditional UK high street banks typically charge a 2.75% to 2.99% "Non-Sterling Transaction Fee" on every purchase, plus a flat £1.50 to £2.00 fee every time you withdraw cash from a foreign ATM.

If you spend £1,000 abroad, you could be losing over £30 just in fees. For students traveling on a tight budget, this is unacceptable.

The UK has the best FinTech ecosystem in the world for travelers. You can completely avoid all foreign transaction fees by opening an app-based bank account.

1. Monzo: Monzo is the undisputed king of student travel. It offers zero fees on card spending anywhere in the world. It passes on the pure Mastercard exchange rate with zero markup. For cash, you can withdraw £200 for free every 30 days abroad (or unlimited in the EEA if it's your main account).

2. Starling Bank: Starling is arguably even better than Monzo for heavy cash users. They offer zero foreign transaction fees on spending AND unlimited free foreign ATM withdrawals. If you are traveling somewhere where cash is king, Starling is a must-have.

3. Chase UK: Chase recently entered the UK market and offers a killer feature: zero FX fees plus 1% cashback on all spending, even abroad. Using this card means you are actually making money on your foreign transactions.

Debit cards are great, but credit cards offer Section 75 protection (a UK law that makes the credit card company jointly liable if a retailer goes bust or rips you off).

1. Barclaycard Rewards: This is one of the very few traditional credit cards that offers zero foreign transaction fees and zero fees on cash withdrawals abroad (though cash withdrawals on credit cards are generally frowned upon, Barclaycard waives the usual interest penalty if paid in full).

2. Halifax Clarity: The legendary travel credit card. It has been the go-to for UK travelers for a decade. Zero non-sterling transaction fees and excellent customer service.

If you are moving abroad for an Erasmus year and need to pay rent in Euros, do not use your UK bank to do an international wire transfer.

Instead, use Revolut or Wise. Revolut allows you to convert up to £1,000 a month on their free tier at the interbank exchange rate during weekdays. Wise offers a multi-currency account with transparent, incredibly low fees for moving thousands of pounds at once.