Before you order any card, you should always make sure they accept the currency you need.

Whether you're dealing with Euros, US dollars, or Hungarian Forints, many prepaid travel cards allow you to load a wide range of popular global currencies. Our top recommended cards currently support anywhere from 10 to over 50 different currencies.

Consider your travel destinations, both current and future, when selecting a card. It’s wise to review the individual card offerings to ensure they suit your needs, especially if you're headed to a location with a less common currency.

If you can't find a card that supports your desired currency, you might need to load your card with British Pounds and let it handle the currency conversion when you make purchases. Just keep in mind that in this case, you won't have control over the exchange rate; instead, you'll get the rate applicable at the time of your transaction.

When you're traveling, it's quite common for an ATM or shop to give you the option to be charged in pounds, or the local currency. This practice is known as dynamic currency conversion. It's always best to choose the local currency for payment, to guarantee the MAstercard exchange rate, and not the local bank's rate, which is often much lower.

As we picked our top recommendations for this guide, we made sure to consider factors like competitive exchange rates and low fees. So, with any card featured here, always choose to pay in the local currency.

Prepaid cards have more fees than credit or debit cards. We always take fees and charges into consideration when we add cards to our website. We always try to select the best cards with low, or zero fees, but there are some cards where this is unavoidable and here are a list of charges you should look at when ordering any prepaid cards.

Application and replacement fees. Some cards charge £5 to £10 to open an account or to have a card delivered, these fees are displayed prominently on their websites so you can spot them easily. However, some companies have been known to charge a replacement fee, and set the expiry date to only one year after opening. After 12 months, you'll have to pay about £5 to keep using the card and any funds you have on it.

Transaction fees. Be aware that some cards can apply charges for regular retail purchases or ATM withdrawals, with these fees significantly increasing when using the card abroad.

Spending. This charge can either be a fixed fee per transaction or a percentage of the purchase amount. If you find yourself making many small purchases, a percentage fee is better. If you generally make fewer, larger purchases, opting for a fixed fee may be better.

Withdrawing cash. Expect around £1.50 to £2.50 per withdrawal. You should also check the cards for any loading and transaction limits. If you are planning on withdrawing larger amounts, avoid cards with low daily limits, such as £50 or £100.

Inactivity charges. To encourage regular use, prepaid providers often impose penalties for inactivity. If the card hasn’t been used for 12 months, this charge is usually around £2 per month.

To steer clear of this fee, make sure to use your card frequently for smaller transactions. Additionally, avoid loading excessive funds onto the card, as most providers charge a fee for refunds.

Charges for topping up your prepaid card with a credit card. If you use a credit card to top up your prepaid card, you might encounter hidden charges, which can catch you off guard.

When purchasing currency from a prepaid card, keep in mind that it is treated as a cash withdrawal. This could lead to various fees being applied, such as cash withdrawal fees, interest, or even charges from the money changer for using a credit card.

To avoid these additional costs when topping up your prepaid card, make sure to use a debit card instead. Debit cards are not subject to these fees, so it's a smarter choice in this situation.

While these cards say they are accepted wherever you see the Mastercard or Visa logos, it's important to keep in mind that there are some significant exceptions. Most car rental companies do not accept prepaid cards. Even if they do, they often require a credit card for excess deposit authorization, so it's wise to have an alternative card handy.

The same issue applies in a lot of petrol stations where there is a pre-charge applied on the card in order to begin the fuel pump. Prepaid cards are not credit cards, and will not always approve the pre-payment attempted by the petrol station, so again, make sure you have back-up cards available.

You should contact the provider of your prepaid card as soon as possible to get it blocked, that way you shouldn't lose out on any money. You may have to pay up to £10 for a replacement card.

Pay special attention if your prepaid card is contactless as it could be used for small, fraudulent transactions, so always alert your card provider as soon as possible. If you have travel insurance, you will need to report any theft to the local police in order to get a crime reference number to submit your claim for any losses.

Money on prepaid cards is classed as 'electronic money', and all prepaid card providers are required to hold your money in a bank account guaranteed by their own operating finances.

Provided the travel card company is following the rules, if it were to go bust, the bank or building society where your money is held will still have it, and you'll be able to get it back using a few different options.

The slight risk comes if the bank or building society goes bust, because your cash is NOT protected in this case. Always try and find out which bank the provider uses, so you can then understand the risk.

Think of your travel card as somewhere to keep cash short-term or immediate spending requirements, rather than as a place to keep money for long periods of time.