South Africans are ditching cash for digital wallets and the benefits of the move to digital are especially attractive when you’re travelling outside the republic. Your smartphone helps you to pay quickly and easily on the go, while giving you better visibility into costs and spending.
TCL offers some travel money tips for Android users:
Set up Google Pay before you leave
Google Pay is a handy digital wallet where you can store most South African debit and credit cards. Once you’ve put a card onto Google Pay, you can use it to make contactless payments in most countries where the digital wallet is accepted. You can tap and pay on transport systems like the locals. Always test your setup with a small local transaction before you depart to make sure it works. Also, keep your plastic card nearby in case you want to make a payment at a retailer or restaurant that can’t accept Google Pay.
Minimise transaction and conversion fees
When travelling, international fees can quickly add up. Some banks offer global accounts where you can save in foreign currencies and transact with a global card with lower transaction fees. If you don’t have a global account, be sure to select the option to pay or draw money in local currency rather than rand when at points of sale or ATMs overseas. This avoids bad exchange rates.
Get a global travel card
Many South African banks offer prepaid travel debit cards. You can load them up with multiple currencies before you start your journey. You can usually manage the cards and top them up with more money direct from your bank’s Android app. The best part? Not worrying that the rand will get weaker while you’re travelling. Plus, the fees at the point of sale or ATM will generally be a bit lower.
Stay secure
Digital payments are safer than carrying cash, but you still need to stay alert. Be sure that you have your phone locked with biometrics or a secure PIN, so that no one else can access to your digital wallet or digital banking apps. You should also enable Find My Device to track your phone if it is lost or stolen. Avoid public Wi-Fi for banking – use a VPN or stick to mobile data for sensitive transactions.
Don’t forget these useful apps
There are a lot of apps that can help you manage your money while you’re travelling. Xe shows live exchange rates so you can instantly see how much you’re really paying. It’s useful for checking the rand-to-euro/dollar/pound rate before accepting a rate at a foreign ATM or shop.
Shyft by Standard Bank offers a range of international management tools. You can order multi-currency Shyft Mastercard debit cards to use while travelling overseas and save up to on card fees. You can use your physical Shyft forex card to withdraw local currency from any Mastercard supported ATM in the country you’re visiting.
About TCL Mobile
TCL Mobile specialises in the research, development and manufacturing of smartphones, tablets and connected devices. On a mission to deliver 5G for all, TCL Mobile helps its customers ‘Inspire Greatness’ in their lives through industry leading technology and solutions.