Anyone who travels far away with their free debit card will quickly reach their limits. Picking up a rental car or checking into the hotel can be a problem and ultimately expensive. A “real” second card usually helps.
Attention: If it says Mastercard or Visa, it doesn’t automatically mean a credit card. In addition to the Girocard, most banks only offer a free debit card with your account – and that is not a real credit card, as many citizens believe. Holidaymakers are usually not aware of the difference. Until they realize abroad that their fake version won’t get them very far. Picking up your booked rental car at Dubai Airport, for example, can be a shock. Debit card? Not accepted, bad luck. If another car rental company takes pity on you at the counter next door, you may have to rebook twice as much – and the security deposit will also be immediately deducted from your checking account. Same game in the hotel. Debit card? It does not work. Do you still have an alternative? “Vacationers should take care of the right mix of cards for abroad in good time,” advises Sascha Straub, financial expert at the Bavarian Consumer Center. Otherwise there could be expensive surprises when traveling. What is important: