The world is referred to as a Global Village, and boundaries between countries are becoming imaginary due to technology and, most importantly, ease of traveling. International travel keeps increasing every year, and so do the transactions that take place globally. While using credit cards to make payments internationally is the norm, debit cards are not far behind. So, what are the best debit cards for travel?
Credit cards are, no doubt, the most popular mode of transaction for payments that are made during travel, especially international travel. However, given the increasing market of international travel, banks and companies have started rolling out debit cards for travel as well. In this article, we analyze the best debit cards for travel and the benefits of using these cards.
Planning a trip with your family or traveling abroad on a business visit? Continue reading to select the best international debit card!
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Top 5 Best Debit Cards For Travel
Let us now look at the top 5 best debit cards for travel.
HDFC EasyShop Platinum Debit Card (Visa)
HDFC credit cards are known to be highly rewarding. Their debit cards are not far behind! The Platinum debit card is specifically made for those who travel often. It comes with an annual fee of ₹750 plus 18% GST. This fee is waived off for Preferred/Imperia account holders.
Travel-specific benefits
- The card provides two complimentary visits per quarter to any of the Clipper lounges at domestic Airports.
- A death cover of up to ₹ ten lakhs for Air, road, or rail accidents.
- Provision of reward points for claiming discounts on air tickets and hotel bookings.
Points and Rewards
- Every purchase of ₹200 made towards restaurants, entertainment, or groceries offers a cashback point.
- Every purchase of ₹100 made towards telecom and utilities offers a single cashback point.
- The Fuel surcharge is waive off with this card.
- The card offers 5% cash back on travel-related transactions made on Cleartrip, MakeMyTrip, IRCTC, and Redbus.
Shortcomings
- Only Imperia account holders can avail lounge access facility.
- There is no provision for international lounge access.
Visit: HDFC EasyShop Platinum Debit Card (Visa)
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HDFC Bank Millenia Debit Card (MasterCard)
This is one of the best debit cards for travel A premium HDFC debit card, this card is a step higher than its Platinum counterpart. It comes at an annual fee of ₹500 plus 18% GST. Customers with Classic, Preferred, or Imperia do not have to pay the annual fee.
Travel-specific benefits
- Every cardholder gets four complimentary airport lounge access per year in domestic airports.
- Travel-specific transactions made at popular portals such as Cleartrip, MakeMyTrip, IRCTC, and Redbus yield a 5% cashback.
Points and rewards
- Purchases made online yield a 2.5% cashback, while purchases towards shopping through PayZapp and SmartBuy yield a 5% cashback. All offline purchases yield a 1% cashback.
- Customers part of the Classic, Preferred, or Imperia class stand a chance to use the card without paying the annual fee.
Shortcomings
- There is no provision for international lounge access.
- Cashback comes with an upper limit of ₹400 per month.
Visit: HDFC Bank Millenia Debit Card (MasterCard)
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Axis Bank Burgundy Debit Card (Visa)
An international transaction debit card, this card is exclusively made to attract customers owning the Burgundy account and the best debit cards for travel. Non-Burgundy account holders need to pay an annual fee of ₹1500 plus 18% GST to avail of all benefits.
Travel-specific benefits
- Every cardholder gets four complimentary airport lounge access per quarter in domestic airports.
Points and rewards
- The card offers ten reward points on purchases made internationally in the range of ₹200 or above. This comes with a 1% reward rate.
- A domestic purchase of ₹200 or above yields three reward points with a 0.3% reward rate.
- The card provides a “Buy one get one” movie ticket offer at BookMyShow with an upper limit of six tickets of ₹500 a month and four tickets of ₹1000 a month, respectively.
Shortcomings
- There is no provision for international lounge access.
- To become eligible for a Burgundy account, the cardholder must have a very high net relationship value of ₹ five crores.
Visit: Axis Bank Burgundy Debit Card (Visa)
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JetPrivilege HDFC Bank Signature Debit Card (Visa)
Probably the best debit card for travel, this card offers the bliss of InterMiles, which can be used for availing discounts on air tickets. The card charges no fees annually.
Travel-specific benefits
- Every cardholder gets two complimentary airport lounge access per quarter at domestic airports.
Points and rewards
- The card offers four InterMiles for every ₹150 spent on international shopping, online purchases, and flight bookings made on InterMiles.com.
- There is a provision of two InterMiles on every ₹150 spent on hotel bookings and travel-related purchases.
- The card provides a “Buy one get one” movie ticket offers at BookMyShow with an upper limit of six tickets of ₹500 a month and four tickets of ₹1000 a month, respectively.
Shortcomings
- There is no provision for international lounge access.
- To become eligible for a Burgundy account, the cardholder must have a very high net relationship value of ₹ five crores.
Visit: JetPrivilege HDFC Bank Signature Debit Card (Visa)
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Yes Bank First World Debit Card (MasterCard)
A holistic card, it comes with travel benefits and perks related to lifestyle and entertainment. Its all-around performance is the main reason for its entry onto the list of best debit cards for travel. It comes with an annual fee of ₹ 2,499 plus 18% GST, offered exclusively to Yes First Customers.
Travel-specific benefits
- Every cardholder gets three complimentary airport lounge access per quarter at domestic airports.
Points and rewards
- Every domestic purchase above ₹ 200 rewards a single point with a 0.125% reward rate.
- An international purchase of a similar value yields four reward points with a 0.5 % reward rate.
- A flat discount of ₹250 is offered on BookMyShow every month.
Shortcomings
- There is no provision for international lounge access.
- To become a Yes First Customer, the cardholder must have a very high net relationship value of ₹ 30 lakhs.
- The annual fee is reasonably high.
Visit: Yes Bank First World Debit Card (MasterCard)
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FAQ’S
Are debit cards better than credit cards for travel purposes?
The only reason why debit cards are better off than credit cards when it comes to traveling is that they are cheaper and have lesser requirements for application. The perks offered by a debit card, however, are not as much as that of a credit card.
Which debit card is best for international transactions?
There is no single best debit card. However, it is advised that a user chooses a debit card with the lowest annual fee, low foreign currency markup, and maximum benefits in terms of rewards and points.
Do networks matter when choosing international debit cards?
Unlike credit cards, one must choose the network of their debit card appropriately. When it comes to international travel, it has been found that cards operating on a MasterCard network have greater benefits than those on a Visa network. Compare variants of all networks and purchase a card.
Are debit cards cost-effective?
The annual fee charged by debit cards is reasonably lesser than that of credit cards. However, to avail of benefits equivalent to that of a basic credit card, one might have to choose a debit card with a high annual fee. Best debit cards for travel are considerably costlier.
Conclusion
Thus, we conclude our list of best debit cards for travel. Of the many debit cards on offer, these seem to be the ones with minimum investment and maximum return. While planning your travel, make sure you plan on purchasing the right debit as well!
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