What payment card do you use for overseas subscription payments?

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Forums › Finance and wealth management › What payment card do you use for overseas subscription payments?

Castlvaniafan

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#315256 26-Jun-2024 10:37

I want to sign up to things like Protonmail and Bitwarden, but that's a subscription which will charge over time. I believe my ANZ debit card carries an international fee along with a conversion fee. Curious what you New Zealanders use for overseas stuff like this? Thanks!

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#3253406 26-Jun-2024 10:40

Depends on the subscription being signed up for and the amount of control you want.

I use my Amex card for most but where I need finer grain control - I'll use Revolut which allows for virtual pre-pay Visa cards that can be used online.
Topped up via the app first. Allows the card to be easily frozen etc.

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robjg63

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#3253436 26-Jun-2024 11:57

Try a Wise card (www.wise.com).

Its a debit card (Visa), so you can just load a balance on it (Direct debit from your existing bank) and know that it cant be mined as a bottomless pit if somehow the details got compromised.

Though hopefully that wont happen.

The good thing with Wise, is they are very light on transaction fees and currency exchange.

If you were using it on overseas transactions it just applies their very favorable exchange rate and the job is done.

If you wanted, once you have loaded some NZ dollars on it, is create a 'wallet' in the overseas currency you will be using (say USD).

You can then move X amount of NZD into that USD wallet and you will get a very good exchange rate compared to your bank and other currency exchange sites.

Once the money is in there, if you are using your card on an overseas site, just let it make the transaction in USD, and the money comes out of the USD wallet as if it were a 'local' transaction.

If the USD wallet ran dry, but there was still some money in the NZD part, it knows to start using the NZD balance to let the transaction work - it just applies an on the fly currency conversion.

Wife and I used our Wise card on holiday in europe recently. I loaded our holiday money onto the card (in NZD).

I created a wallet in Euros and waited until the exchange rate was a little more favorable and moved the money into the Euro wallet.

It tells you what the conversion and fee will be and you click ok.

When we used the card in Europe it just took the transactions as a local 'Euro' transcation from the Euro wallet - and no additional fees. I think at one vendor it asked if I wanted it in NZD or Euros - and I just pressed the 'Euro' button.

Set up the Wise app on your phone and it can ping you each time a transaction happens - so you can keep an eye on it.

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Castlvaniafan

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#3253437 26-Jun-2024 12:00

Excellent, I'll get that card. I've heard of it before .

robjg63

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#3253443 26-Jun-2024 12:12

Castlvaniafan:

Excellent, I'll get that card. I've heard of it before .

It really was great for travelling too - Used paywave all over Spain, France and Italy without any problems at all.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

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#3253487 26-Jun-2024 14:24

robjg63:

Try a Wise card (www.wise.com).

For those getting a Wise card, please remember our Wise Affiliate link. And thanks.

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michaelmurfy

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#3253499 26-Jun-2024 14:45

I actually really like Revolut (https://www.revolut.com/) as you can create unlimited virtual cards and even have a single use card. I've found this a little better than Wise personally.

Not sure if this gives me anything but you're welcome to use my link to sign up: https://revolut.com/referral/?referral-code=michaeldszy

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openmedia

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#3253503 26-Jun-2024 14:56

robjg63:

It really was great for travelling too - Used paywave all over Spain, France and Italy without any problems at all.

Even for Aliexpress you can save by choosing USD and using your Wise Card. I actually use a Wise virtual card for all those transactions.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

TinyTim

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#3253572 26-Jun-2024 18:34

I did have a problem with a Wise card in that your registered address uses suburb, not city, so when the website I was signing up for tried to match the city field the payment failed. It would depend on whether or not the merchant checks the address.

qwertee

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#3253584 26-Jun-2024 19:27

Wise user here.
I see on my app a feature that allows you to create digital cards. (I havent used it though), This might be suitable for the op.

robjg63's write up is great

I use a physical card when travelling and also use Wise to send money abroad. (very attractive transaction fees)

thanks

cokemaster

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#3253662 26-Jun-2024 21:04

In NZ: Westpac’s low rate Mastercard has a nil foreign currency fee (and a nil annual fee) which may make it an option. Ironically their Mastercard debit card charges a foreign currency fee and annual fee of $10 from memory.

I’ve used wise myself and can testify that they’re excellent. I wouldn’t bother with any of the ‘travel cards’ that banks or agencies try to peddle.

There are quite a few options (eg. HSBC, UBank, ING, AMP etc) across the ditch although many of the main banks charge 3% for foreign currency compared to ~2% from the same banks in NZ.

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Lolmil116

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#3253669 26-Jun-2024 22:19

Do any of these cards work for subscribing to a peacock, Hulu, etc.. that need a USA credit card?

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cokemaster

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#3253670 26-Jun-2024 22:44

I believe the cards all appear as NZ issued, even if preloaded with USD.
(You can look at the card bins online)

Personally, I’ve found gift cards the way to go

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openmedia

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#3253696 27-Jun-2024 06:59

cokemaster: I believe the cards all appear as NZ issued, even if preloaded with USD.
(You can look at the card bins online)

Personally, I’ve found gift cards the way to go

Looks like the WISE cards are tagged as issued in the UK

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Reanalyse

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#3256923 6-Jul-2024 15:12

michaelmurfy:

I actually really like Revolut (https://www.revolut.com/) as you can create unlimited virtual cards and even have a single use card. I've found this a little better than Wise personally.

Not sure if this gives me anything but you're welcome to use my link to sign up: https://revolut.com/referral/?referral-code=michaeldszy

Can this be used with Discovery+ where they want to know card issuing postcode, and need it to be USA based ?

steve2222

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#3257258 8-Jul-2024 09:26

qwertee:

Wise user here.
I see on my app a feature that allows you to create digital cards. (I havent used it though), This might be suitable for the op.

robjg63's write up is great

I use a physical card when travelling and also use Wise to send money abroad. (very attractive transaction fees)

thanks

Do you have the link directly to Rob's write up?

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