If there’s one thing that I wish someone told me before I went abroad, it’s that paying ATM fees is like flushing money down the toilet. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should pay those fees while traveling.
The secret? Get a debit card that reimburses ATM fees worldwide.
In 2024, there are only a handful of U.S. financial firms that offer ATM rebates without charging a monthly account maintenance fee. As long as you avoid those pesky ATM fees, withdrawing money from an ATM is the cheapest and easiest way of getting foreign currency abroad. Here are the best debit cards for travelers and digital nomads to help you save big money.
Compare Our Best Picks
| Unlimited ATM Fee Rebates | No account fee | No foreign transaction fee | Physical branch | APY | ||
 |
Charles Schwab | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 0.03% |
 |
Betterment | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | 0.00% |
 |
Fidelity | ✅ | ✅ | 1% | ✅ | 2.60% |
 |
USAA | $10/month | ✅ | 1% | ✅ | 0.01% |
 |
Needham Bank | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | MA only | 0.05% |
 |
E*TRADE | ✅ | waivable | 1% | ❌ | 3.00% |
Schwab Bank Visa® Platinum Debit Card
Excellent for customer service, physical locations
APY
0.03%
Benefits
unlimited ATM rebates, no foreign transaction fee, no account fee
Editor’s Take
People often tell me that I should do a better job of gatekeeping the Schwab card, just because it’s such an amazing tool for digital nomads and travelers. At the end of your statement cycle, Schwab will credit you for all ATM fees incurred worldwide. There is no minimum account balance, no monthly maintenance fee, and no foreign transaction fee. As a national brand, Charles Schwab also maintains physical bank branches throughout the United States.
We also like that Schwab provides above-and-beyond customer service. The support team is available by phone seven days a week. If you lose your card, we have heard anecdotes of Schwab overnighting a new debit card halfway around the world.
The only catch is that you will need to have a Schwab brokerage account if you want to apply for this investor checking card. However, the brokerage account is free to use, and you can open one at the same time that you apply for the investor checking account.
Pros & Cons
✅Unlimited ATM fee rebates.
✅No account fees or foreign transaction fees.
✅Physical locations and excellent customer service.
❌Yield on your balance is a low 0.03%.
❌Some travelers have reported getting denied when trying to open an account.
Betterment Visa® Debit Card
Excellent for ease of application
APY
0%
Benefits
unlimited ATM rebates, no foreign transaction fee, no account fee
Editor’s Take
The Betterment debit card is another great option with excellent benefits for digital nomads and travelers. With this card, you get unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide, and there is no account maintenance fee, minimum balance, or foreign transaction fee.
Betterment is a digital-only financial institution, so you can easily apply for the debit card online (my own application only took a few minutes to complete). Customer support by phone is available from Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM ET. The one major downside is that the Betterment card doesn’t pay any interest in your checking account balance, although low APY is common among debit cards that reimburse ATM fees.
Pros & Cons
✅Unlimited ATM fee rebates.
✅No account fees or foreign transaction fees.
✅Easy online application.
❌You don’t earn any interest on your account balance.
❌No customer service on weekends.
Fidelity Cash Management Card
Excellent for APY, physical locations
APY
2.60%
Benefits
unlimited ATM fee rebates, no account fee, physical locations
Editor’s Take
Fidelity’s cash management debit card is another popular choice for digital nomads. A cash management account functions similarly to a checking account, allowing you to write checks, pay bills online, and withdraw cash from ATMs. Benefits of the Fidelity program include unlimited ATM fee reimbursements worldwide, as well as no account fees or minimums. Customer service is available by phone seven days a week.
One major benefit of the Fidelity card is that you earn a 2.6% annual yield on your account balance, which is higher than most competitors on our list. The only downside of the Fidelity card is that you will incur a 1% fee on foreign transactions.
Pros & Cons
✅Unlimited ATM fee rebates.
✅No account fees.
✅2.6% APY.
❌1% foreign transaction fee.
❌Refunds of some ATM fees may not be automatic.
USAA Debit Card
Excellent for U.S. military, physical locations
APY
0.01%
Benefits
no account fee, physical locations
Editor’s Take
USAA is a financial services firm best known for providing insurance, loans, banking, and other products to current/former U.S. military members and their families (sidenote: I have had their auto insurance for many years, and have been very pleased with the service). Although USAA’s debit card doesn’t provide unlimited ATM fee rebates like the other providers on our list, it does offer up to $10 a month in reimbursements. For most international travelers, this should cover two withdrawals per month.
USAA also doesn’t charge any account maintenance fees, and there is no minimum balance. Physical USAA offices can be found throughout the United States, and customer support is available by phone seven days a week.
Pros & Cons
✅Up to $10/month in ATM fee rebates.
✅No account fees.
✅Physical locations and prompt customer service.
❌Only available to U.S. military and their families.
❌1% foreign transaction fee.
NB Debit Mastercard®
Excellent for Massachusetts residents
APY
0.05%
Benefits
unlimited ATM rebates, no foreign transaction fee, no account fee
Editor’s Take
Needham Bank is a small, Massachusetts-based institution that happens to offer one of the best debit cards for travelers. It is one of just three cards on our list (along with Betterment and Schwab) that offers unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide, with no foreign transaction or account maintenance fees. For those based in the Greater Boston area, you can also visit one of Needham Bank’s dozen branches in-person.
Pros & Cons
✅Unlimited ATM fee rebates.
✅No account fees or foreign transaction fees.
✅Physical locations in Boston area.
❌Yield on your balance is a low 0.05%.
❌Customer service is not available on Sundays
E*TRADE Max-Rate Checking Debit Card
Excellent for APY
APY
3.00%
Benefits
unlimited ATM rebates
Editor’s Take
E*TRADE’s Max-Rate Checking accounts (serviced by Morgan Stanley) offer unlimited ATM fee rebates worldwide. Although there is a $15 monthly account fee, this charge is waived as long as you maintain a $5,000 balance. In exchange, you can earn an annual yield of 3% on your money – the highest among the cards on our list.
Pros & Cons
✅Unlimited ATM fee rebates.
✅3% APY.
✅No fees for wire transfers, stop payments, and other services.
❌Must maintain $5,000 balance to avoid account fee.
❌1% foreign transaction fee.
Guide to Choosing a Travel Debit Card
Whether you’re embarking on a new digital nomad life or just a short trip, selecting the right travel debit card can significantly impact how much the experience costs. Here’s a guide to help you make an informed decision.
Debit card fees to know
ATM Fees
When you withdraw cash from an ATM abroad, you often need to pay two fees.
The first fee is from your bank for withdrawing money from an out-of-network ATM, and the second fee is from the ATM operator. According to Bankrate, the average ATM fee in the U.S. (between the ATM operator and your bank’s surcharge) amounts to almost $5 USD. If you’re regularly withdrawing cash while traveling abroad, these fees can quickly add up.
Getting around ATM fees
There are two ways to avoid paying these fees. One is to only use ATMs that are in your bank’s network. Many big U.S. banks maintain partnerships with banks in other countries, which allows you to use ATMs overseas without incurring fees. However, you are responsible for locating these in-network ATMs on your own.
The second option – which is what this article is about – is much easier. Get a debit card from a bank that doesn’t charge to withdraw money from an out-of-network ATM, and will reimburse you for the other bank’s fee. Many banks offer nationwide ATM rebates, but few will reimburse international ATM fees. Confirm that the card will work overseas before you commit to using it for travel.
Foreign transaction fees
Many debit card issuers charge a foreign transaction fee when you use your card to make purchases abroad or make withdrawals in a foreign currency. This fee is typically a small percentage of the transaction amount, usually between 1-3%. The best debit cards for digital nomads, including those on this list, waive these fees.
Account maintenance fees
Nowadays, it has become common for banks and financial institutions to charge monthly account fees. These fees can vary widely depending on the type of account, the bank, and the customer’s account balance; sometimes, the fee is waived if you maintain a minimum monthly balance. Most of the debit cards on our list do not levy account maintenance fees or require a minimum deposit.
Annual percentage yield
Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is the effective interest rate on your account balance. It gives you a clear picture of how much interest you’ll earn on the money sitting in your account, in percentage terms, over the course of a year.
Most debit cards that reimburse ATM fees offer little or no yield on your account balance. A few, such as Fidelity and E*TRADE, provide an APY in the low single digits. Consider keeping a smaller amount of money in your travel debit account, while retaining the bulk of your cash savings in a separate account that offers a higher APY.
FAQs
Are there any options for non-U.S. citizens?
U.S. citizens and residents enjoy debit and credit cards with the best benefits in the world. As far as we’re aware, no overseas financial institution offers ATM fee rebates worldwide like the six American cards on our list.
Non-U.S. citizens that reside in the U.S. usually don’t have a problem opening bank accounts. But for those residing overseas, it can be difficult to access the U.S. financial system and its smorgasbord of perk-heavy debit and credit cards. Under U.S. federal law, you must provide a U.S. residential address before you can open an account.
The best bet for most non-U.S. residents is to utilize a card that doesn’t impose an ATM use surcharge and stick to ATM operators that charge low or zero fees for withdrawal. Canadian debit cards WealthSimple Cash and EQ Bank don’t charge ATM fees, and the Wise Visa Debit Card allows two free withdrawals per month of up to $350.
How do you find ATMs that don’t charge withdrawal fees?
If your debit card doesn’t offer ATM fee reimbursements, then you should check out the ATM Fee Saver app. This free tool provides a database of ATMs in over 50 countries, along with their withdrawal fees. Sometimes, it is possible to find an operator that doesn’t charge fees. You should also look into whether your bank maintains an ATM partnership with overseas institutions.
Why did my debit card get declined at an international ATM?
Your bank might have temporarily blocked your card as a security measure to prevent fraudulent activity, especially if you’re traveling in a foreign country. Make sure that you alert your card issuer to your travel plans, which often solves the problem of a non-functional card. Keep in mind that your bank may have set a daily limit on how much cash you can withdraw from ATMs, especially when traveling abroad.
Is it safe to use a debit card overseas?
Under U.S. Electronic Fund Transfer Act, you are entitled to seek a refund in the event of a fraudulent withdrawal. As long as you report the fraudulent activity promptly, your losses are generally limited to $50. Consider limiting the amount of money that you keep in your travel bank account. (Author’s note: I keep a spare travel debit card from a second bank in my apartment/hotel, in the event that my primary card is lost or stolen.)