Best Debit Cards for Digital Nomads

The three most important debit card features to have when traveling are (1) no foreign transaction fee, (2) no ATM withdrawal fees and (3) the ability to lock/unlock through phone.

You would be surprised how only a few cards have these features in the market.

In this blog post I will show you the only 2 debit cards in the US market that checks all the boxes.

Let’s get started.

Charles Schwab Debit Card

Although not a mainstream bank like Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or even Capital One, Charles Scwab has one of the best debit card products for digital nomads traveling internationally.

I never like carrying too much cash when traveling internationally. Also, using currency exchanges in airports can be an absolute ripoff. That’s why I prefer withdrawing small amounts of local currency, as needed, once I reach my destination.

In Bangladesh, I saved around $55 ATM fees. Using most other debit cards, I would have paid that fee. With Charles Scwab Debit Card, I get a rebate for all ATM fees on the 27th of the same month.

During my wedding day, I dropped my wallet carrying the Charles Scwab Debit Card. I had $1,500 in that Checking Account.

When I realized, I locked the card immediately through the mobile app. When I landed back in the US, through their awesome customer support I asked for a replacement card with a new PIN. The entire process took me 15 minutes only.

These are just two of many stories where having this debit card over others in the market saved me both headache and literal money.

Fidelity Debit Card

The Fidelity Debit Card has the same set of amazing features.

It’s a great choice if you are in the Fidelity investment ecosystem. I personally transitioned my checking account to Fidelity.

Whichever debit card you choose, I would recommend using the Checking Account for travel purposes only.

Don’t keep your life savings in that account. Instead, before hopping on your flight, transfer an appropriate amount to these accounts that you can freely use when traveling.

This way you have two benefits:

You don’t overspend

If you get robbed, you only lose what you can afford to

Quick Thoughts

Both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are great international travel debit cards. You can’t go wrong with either. Depending on which ecosystem you are already in, through investment brokerages or credit cards, I would recommend sticking to that for your travel debit card as well.