Reply To: Alternative travel spending cards

[TooPoorToBeHere]

I had a lot of trouble with Uber in Brazil – every time I used it the payment (authorization?) at start of trip would work, then they wouldn’t be able to collect the payment and the app would nag me to go back and pay. The actual Uber service was/is amazingly good though – quick, cheap, and reliable. Extra props for the destroyed-looking ancient heap that turned up in the back of beyond with every panel dented, the entire boot taken up by a speaker, and a TV fitted in the dash which the driver watched throughout. Can’t think where the dents came from.

Curve stopped working and took several days to get re-enabled.

Revolut and Wise were solid and reliable. Revolut can be spotty and customer service isn’t always great but I was lucky this time. Wise have always been responsive and professional for me.

+1 for “eSIM and home SIM with data roaming disabled”. I also find it helps to use a card which gives the option of app notification/confirmation rather than always-SMS for transaction confirmation; I had times when I had Internet and could use apps, but no mobile signal so I couldn’t do SMS confirmation.

The way forward for places like Rio is a concealed/second wallet with a card and some BRL in it. My Brazilian friends were careful to make sure I took *some* BRL in my “normal” wallet when nipping to the supermarket at night; “if you give them something it’ll be fine but if you don’t have anything they might stab you”.