When you travel abroad, every swipe of your card can come with hidden costs. Most people don’t realize that the way you choose to pay — local currency, your home currency, or cash — makes a big difference. Let’s break it down and do a quick comparison.
What drives the cost of foreign payments?
When you pay abroad, the total cost depends on:
FX rate used
Is it the wholesale Visa rate, or a marked-up merchant rate?
Issuer fee
Banks often add 2–3% on top.
Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)
When a merchant “helps” by charging in your home currency, but hides a 3–7% markup.
Cash spreads
Money changers at airports often charge 6–12% more.
Comparison at a glance
| Payment Method | FX Base | Extra Cost | Effective Cost vs Interbank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Bank Credit Card | Visa/Mastercard rate | 2–3% | ⚠️ Higher |
| DCC (Home Currency) | Merchant’s rate | 3–7%+ | ❌ Worst |
| Airport Money Changer | Bureau rate | 6–12% | ❌ Very costly |
This is exactly why we introduced LookCard. We built LookCard because global payments should be fair, transparent, and borderless.
- All payments are processed at the Visa FX rate
- On top, we charge only 0.5% transaction fee — far lower than traditional banks.
- That means:
- No DCC traps.
- No risky airport exchanges
- No 2–3% bank markups.
Real-world example
Imagine you spend THB 10,000 in Bangkok.
Visa settlement rate: 1 USD = 31.43 THB
Base cost: USD 318.13
LookCard (0.5%) → $319.72
Bank Card (3%) → $327.67
DCC (5%) → $334.04
Airport Cash (~8%) → $343.58
👉 One meal, hotel, or shopping trip can already save you $8–24. Multiply this across an entire trip, and the savings become significant.
Why Visa FX rate is reliable
- FX rate – close to interbank.
- Applied at settlement – usually within 1–3 days.
- Transparent and trackable
This means you avoid hidden surprises that come with DCC or tourist exchange counters.
Final Takeaway
With LookCard, you enjoy the fairness of Visa’s FX rate and only pay a minimal fee. Compared to other alternatives, this is typically the cheapest and most transparent way to spend abroad.
👉 Ready to unlock smarter payments?
Apply and Activate your LookCard today and keep more money for your journey.
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