Paying Abroad the Smart Way: Why We Travel with Amex and Revolut

Paying abroad sounds like a side issue – right up until your card gets declined at a hotel desk or in a taxi. We travel a lot, from the US and Mexico through much of Europe to Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Dubai and South Africa. Along the way we’ve settled on a fixed setup: American Express as our main card and Revolut as our backup. Here’s why, and what to watch out for when it comes to exchange rates, cash and emergencies.

A quick, honest note first: this isn’t financial or legal advice. It’s our own approach combined with researched facts. Terms change regularly and differ between card types and plans, so always check the current conditions of your own card.

Why should you never travel with just one card?

Our most important rule: never rely on a single credit card. There are simply too many reasons why one card might let you down:

• The merchant doesn’t accept that card network.
• The terminal or ATM has a technical problem.
• Your bank blocks an unusual payment as a precaution.
• The card is lost, stolen or swallowed by an ATM.

With a second card on a different network, you can still pay in all of these situations. Just make sure you keep the two cards apart – one in your wallet, say, and one in the room safe or your carry-on. A backup doesn’t help much if it disappears with the same bag.

Why is American Express our main card?

American Express is our main card, and we recommend it wholeheartedly. According to Amex, its cards are accepted at millions of locations worldwide – from supermarkets and restaurants to airlines, car rental companies and petrol stations. What an Amex costs and what it includes depends heavily on the specific card, and there are very different versions. It’s best to compare them directly with American Express.

If you’d like to take a look: See the American Express cards^* (Werbelink). This is our personal referral link – if you apply through it, we may receive a bonus.

Where is Amex less likely to be accepted?

We’ll be straight with you: Amex doesn’t work everywhere. It’s most widely accepted in the US – if you’re planning a week in New York, for example, you’re well covered with Amex. Elsewhere, it’s more of a mixed picture.

According to the German travel site reisetopia, acceptance is limited mainly in parts of Africa, Asia and South America, and you may still run into the occasional problem in Europe too. Smaller shops, market stalls, cafés and taxis in particular don’t always take Amex. It’s not a fixed rule by country – it comes down to the individual merchant. Amex itself says its acceptance network keeps growing.

That’s exactly why we carry Revolut as well.

Revolut as a backup card: what do you need to know?

Revolut is the ideal complement for us because its cards run on Visa or Mastercard – the networks that work in the vast majority of shops. According to Revolut, you can’t choose which network your physical card uses; the app shows you when you order it.

The key terms of the free Standard plan for customers in Germany (as of October 2026, according to Revolut):

What	Revolut Standard (Germany)
Monthly price	free
ATM withdrawals without a Revolut fee	up to 5 withdrawals or €200 per rolling month (whichever comes first)
Withdrawals beyond that	2% of the amount, minimum €1
Currency exchange on weekdays	no markup within the €1,000 monthly fair usage limit, a fee above it
Currency exchange at weekends	1% markup (Friday 5 pm to Sunday 6 pm US Eastern Time)

The paid plans (Plus, Premium, Metal, Ultra) come with different prices and limits – on Premium, Metal and Ultra, for example, Revolut says exchanges don’t count towards the fair usage limit. Prices were adjusted in 2026, so check the current fee overview or the app for exact figures. Terms also differ depending on the country you live in.

Handy: you can exchange money into the local currency in the app ahead of time. If you’d like to try Revolut: Open a free Revolut account^* (Werbelink). This is also our personal referral link, and we may receive a bonus for it.

What is dynamic currency conversion – and why pay in the local currency?

Almost everyone who travels outside the eurozone knows this trap: the card terminal or ATM asks whether you’d like to pay in euros or in the local currency. It’s called dynamic currency conversion, or DCC.

It sounds convenient, but it’s usually more expensive. If you pick euros, it’s not your bank doing the conversion but the merchant or ATM operator – at their own rate. According to Finanztip, this can cost up to 10% more. So our rule is simple:

• Always choose the local currency – baht, yen, pesos or dollars rather than euros.
• At ATMs, look for options like “without conversion” or “decline conversion”.
• In restaurants, ask before you hand over or tap your card if you’re unsure.

Inside the eurozone, DCC doesn’t come into play because everything is charged in euros anyway.

Withdrawing cash: what fees should you expect?

Card payments are taken for granted in many places, but in some countries you’ll still need cash – for markets, street food, tips or boat trips. Whether it’s a month in Bali or island hopping in the Philippines, a small amount of local currency makes life easier.

Up to three costs can add up when you withdraw cash:

1. Your card provider’s fee: with Revolut Standard, for example, 5 withdrawals or €200 a month are free, then you pay 2% (minimum €1). With other cards, including many credit cards, cash can be considerably more expensive – check your card’s fee schedule.
2. The ATM operator’s fee: the ATM operator may charge its own fee on top – even if the withdrawal is free with your card provider. Read the on-screen notes before you confirm. Withdrawing larger amounts less often means paying fixed fees less often.
3. The exchange rate: the same rule applies as when paying – decline the ATM’s conversion.

Tip: If you’ll need money from Revolut over the weekend, exchange some into the local currency during the week. That way you avoid the 1% weekend markup on exchanges on the Standard plan.

Apple Pay and Google Pay: is paying by phone worth it?

According to American Express, Amex cards issued in Germany can be added to both Apple Pay and Google Pay. Check before you travel whether your backup card works with your wallet too. Paying by phone can be handy on the road:

• Your physical card can stay in the safe more often.
• Contactless payments are quick, especially on public transport or at kiosks.
• You hand your card over less often.

Don’t rely on it alone, though. Not every terminal accepts contactless payments, and a flat battery or a lost phone can quickly become a problem.

Card lost or blocked: what to do in an emergency

If a card is lost or stolen, every minute counts. Here’s what to do:

• Lock it immediately: according to the providers, you can temporarily block an Amex card in the Amex app and freeze a Revolut card in the Revolut app. Only cancel it permanently once you’re sure it’s gone.
• Contact your provider: save your card providers’ contact numbers on your phone before you travel, and write them down on paper too. The number is also on the back of the card – which doesn’t help much once the card is gone.
• Request a replacement: according to American Express Germany, if your card is permanently lost you’ll usually receive a free replacement within three working days. If you’re abroad, check where it can be sent.
• Use your backup card: this is exactly why you kept it separately.
• Report a theft: if your card was stolen, go to the police and ask for a written confirmation.

Our card setup at a glance

This is how we split our travel payments – use it as a starting point for your own setup:

Role	What	What for
Main card	American Express	Hotels, restaurants, flights, car rental and anywhere Amex is accepted
Backup card	Revolut (Visa or Mastercard)	Where Amex doesn’t work, foreign-currency payments, cash from ATMs
Cash	a small amount in local currency	Markets, tips, small shops, taxis
Emergency	backup card stored separately, contact numbers saved	Loss, theft or a blocked card

Whether Amex and Revolut are right for you depends on where you travel, how often you withdraw cash and which benefits matter to you. For us, the Amex and Revolut combination has proven its worth. If you want to read up: compare Amex cards^* (Werbelink) and open Revolut as your backup card^* (Werbelink) – both are our referral links.

Still looking for your next trip? You’ll find every place we’ve visited on our destinations page.