DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

It used to be true that the best way to spend money in a foreign country was via credit card, because the credit companies offered fair exchange rates, and the cards themselves avoided the risks of carrying cash, not to mention the problems associated with exchanging cash at storefronts whose reputations for fairness are not known. But over the past few years, credit companies and the card-issuing banks alike have begun adding sizeable fees for foreign-currency transactions, or in some cases, for any foreign transactions (even when no currency conversion is required).

The fees vary widely, so if you’re planning a trip, it pays to call your various card providers to ask what their fees are. For example, here’s what I learned:

The $10 minimum fee on my platinum Visa was a real shock. But even beyond that, there’s a 3x difference in transaction fees just for the cards I carry.

The following article is dated, but its conclusions still seem relevant: Abroad, not all plastic is created equal