Wise card - can you get it sent to Thailand?

[scubascuba3]

Do you tell them you now live in Thailand?

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Do you tell them you now live in Thailand?

Getting any card sent to Thailand is a challenge. If you have a Thai account you can’t get a WISE card at the moment. If you tell them you live in Thailand you may well be refused as “

Our cards aren't available in Thailand

Join our waitlist to be the first to hear when our cards become available.”

[nickmondo]

15 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Getting any card sent to Thailand is a challenge. If you have a Thai account you can’t get a WISE card at the moment. If you tell them you live in Thailand you may well be refused as “

Our cards aren't available in Thailand

Join our waitlist to be the first to hear when our cards become available.”

You register with a UK address.  You get the card sent to your UK address.  then get the card sent to Thailand.  very simple.

[Gsxrnz]

I am registered with Wise in my country. An unauthorised online transaction was attempted by some scammer, and Wise blocked the transaction.  I was advised by email and message by Wise. 

 

I cancelled the card on the Wise app and requested a new card to be sent to my Thai address - no problems at all. It arrived in three days as I opted to pay about 750 baht for DHL courier, as opposed to free by post.

 

You have to activate the card at an ATM, and then it's good to use as normal across the counter.

 

As an aside, I've also opened a Wise Digital card which I will use for all subscriptions and online purchases from now on. Saves the hassle of getting a new card next time it happens.

 

This was all within the last month.

[Korat Kiwi]

18 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

I am registered with Wise in my country. An unauthorised online transaction was attempted by some scammer, and Wise blocked the transaction.  I was advised by email and message by Wise. 

 

I cancelled the card on the Wise app and requested a new card to be sent to my Thai address - no problems at all. It arrived in three days as I opted to pay about 750 baht for DHL courier, as opposed to free by post.

 

You have to activate the card at an ATM, and then it's good to use as normal across the counter.

 

As an aside, I've also opened a Wise Digital card which I will use for all subscriptions and online purchases from now on. Saves the hassle of getting a new card next time it happens.

 

This was all within the last month.

So you can have both the debit card and a virtual card? 

 

Now that sounds interesting.  I currently have the debit card, which has been great.  I like the virtual card security and replacement aspects so if I can have both it would be fantastic. 

 

I'd only use the debit card for ATM withdrawals. 

[Gsxrnz]

8 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

So you can have both the debit card and a virtual card? 

 

Now that sounds interesting.  I currently have the debit card, which has been great.  I like the virtual card security and replacement aspects so if I can have both it would be fantastic. 

 

I'd only use the debit card for ATM withdrawals. 

Yep, that's how it works. Just hit the "Cards" option and you'll see where to request the digital card. It only exists as a number, no plastic. 

 

It's still a hassle to change all your subscriptions etc if compromised, but at least the plastic card in your wallet remains safe.

Edited July 27 by Gsxrnz

[degodasilva]

27 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

So you can have both the debit card and a virtual card? 

 

Now that sounds interesting.  I currently have the debit card, which has been great.  I like the virtual card security and replacement aspects so if I can have both it would be fantastic. 

 

I'd only use the debit card for ATM withdrawals. 

I'm interested in having the Wise card.

 

So what are the advantages of using one here over other 'foreign' cards?

 

Also, as ATMs here will still charge you for using a non Thai card, is it not better to just use Wise to transfer money from outside of Thailand into your Thai bank account (assuming you have one)? 

[novacova]

Personally have no use for a Wise card. Have a Visa card from a US bank and one from a Thai bank .

[Korat Kiwi]

18 minutes ago, degodasilva said:

I'm interested in having the Wise card.

 

So what are the advantages of using one here over other 'foreign' cards?

 

Also, as ATMs here will still charge you for using a non Thai card, is it not better to just use Wise to transfer money from outside of Thailand into your Thai bank account (assuming you have one)? 

I find the Wise card (In general) gives better exchange rates and less fees if any. 

 

I put money onto it in my home country currency (NZD) and can change that to any other currency via the online app.  All these currencies are 'held' on the card which you can see. 

 

So if you are say in the Philippines, you could open a Php account on your card and transfer funds to it.  Therefore when you pay for something in the Phils no extra fees. 

 

And yes you do have to pay the ATM fee when using ATMs

[degodasilva]

4 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

I find the Wise card (In general) gives better exchange rates and less fees if any. 

 

I put money onto it in my home country currency (NZD) and can change that to any other currency via the online app.  All these currencies are 'held' on the card which you can see. 

 

So if you are say in the Philippines, you could open a Php account on your card and transfer funds to it.  Therefore when you pay for something in the Phils no extra fees. 

 

And yes you do have to pay the ATM fee when using ATMs

 

Gotcha.

 

Thanks for the summary. 

[atpeace]

23 minutes ago, Korat Kiwi said:

I find the Wise card (In general) gives better exchange rates and less fees if any. 

 

I put money onto it in my home country currency (NZD) and can change that to any other currency via the online app.  All these currencies are 'held' on the card which you can see. 

 

So if you are say in the Philippines, you could open a Php account on your card and transfer funds to it.  Therefore when you pay for something in the Phils no extra fees. 

 

And yes you do have to pay the ATM fee when using ATMs

As well as a Wise fee for ATM withdrawals over $200 monthly.   I am going to order the card today and this is perfect timing.  Just added funds yesterday to Wise so I could use the card which I never have used prior.  It has been on my account but forgot about it until last week.  Wish Shopee would accept it but Lazada is always an option.

Edited July 27 by atpeace

[scubascuba3]

40 minutes ago, novacova said:

Personally have no use for a Wise card. Have a Visa card from a US bank and one from a Thai bank .

Normal visa mastercards tend to have a poorer exchange rate, commission also, 2%+ isn't unusual. Even my UK Clarity mastercard with 0% commission doesn't seem to be as good as Wise transfers

[sandyf]

56 minutes ago, degodasilva said:

 

So what are the advantages of using one here over other 'foreign' cards?

You can hold THB in your account that has been exchanged at the Wise rate a time of your choosing so when you use the card you are spending Thai baht.

With foreign cards the transaction will be converted at an exchange rate determined by the card issuer at the time, and in some cases like the UK, there is also a Non Sterling Transaction Fee on top.

I have found it much more useful than my UK bank card, a real godsend when travelling. I went to Germany a few weeks back, just loaded the card with some Euros and used contactless, saves a great deal of the hassle with physical currency.

You have to bear in mind however it is a debit card as opposed to a credit card.

[Upnotover]

2 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

So you can have both the debit card and a virtual card? 

 

Now that sounds interesting.  I currently have the debit card, which has been great.  I like the virtual card security and replacement aspects so if I can have both it would be fantastic. 

 

I'd only use the debit card for ATM withdrawals. 

You can also add the virtual card to google wallet so it can be used it for physical payments if you wish.

[Ms Tigger]

Forgive my ignorance, but is a digital card on your phone, like (for example) google pay?

Also can you pay by Google pay etc these days, I think there's more and more people using it in UK rather than a card.

Thank you.

[Mang Gon]

4 hours ago, novacova said:

Personally have no use for a Wise card. Have a Visa card from a US bank and one from a Thai bank .

Yes. I used Wise for a time.

I wouldn't recommend it.

[sandyf]

34 minutes ago, Ms Tigger said:

Forgive my ignorance, but is a digital card on your phone, like (for example) google pay?

Also can you pay by Google pay etc these days, I think there's more and more people using it in UK rather than a card.

Thank you.

Google has 2 different facilities, Google Pay and Google Wallet. I don't know much about the wallet but believe it can make your phone act like a card like in contactless payments.

I use Google Pay and that requires a card, you add the card to your account and when making a transaction Google will confirm the payment without the vendor seeing the card details.

[daejung]

15 hours ago, degodasilva said:

I'm interested in having the Wise card.

 

So what are the advantages of using one here over other 'foreign' cards?

 

Also, as ATMs here will still charge you for using a non Thai card, is it not better to just use Wise to transfer money from outside of Thailand into your Thai bank account (assuming you have one)? 

When using my Wise card, 2 cases  :

1- If I already have bahts in what they call a "balance", I am debited in THB with no fees ar all

2- If I only have Euros in my balance in EUR, they convert the expense in Euro with a tiny conversion fee. The exchange rate is the real one, whereas Visa and Mastercard have their own exchange rates which are less favourable and my HSBC bank charges 2,90 %  on top !

 

I use it to pay AirBnb in Thailand in THB (AirBnb fees are higher when paying in a different currency than the host). I cannot use my Bangkok Bank debit card, a credit card is required. Wise is not a credit card but it works

 

I generally don't use my Wise card to pay in bahts. I prefer to use my Bangkok Bank debit card and to make transfers from France to Thailand with Wise.

I leave Euros on my Wise "Balance" and get an automatic conversion from Euro to THB when the desired exchange rate is met in the market.

[Ms Tigger]

On 7/27/2024 at 7:34 AM, sandyf said:

Google has 2 different facilities, Google Pay and Google Wallet. I don't know much about the wallet but believe it can make your phone act like a card like in contactless payments.

I use Google Pay and that requires a card, you add the card to your account and when making a transaction Google will confirm the payment without the vendor seeing the card details.

Thanks for that, so is that method of paying widely acceptable in Thailand now? I presume you can add the wise card to Google pay?

Thank you.

[scubascuba3]

31 minutes ago, Ms Tigger said:

Thanks for that, so is that method of paying widely acceptable in Thailand now? I presume you can add the wise card to Google pay?

Thank you.

No, Google pay not widely accepted at all, everyone using their Thai bank apps or truemoneywallet app mostly

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Ms Tigger said:

Thanks for that, so is that method of paying widely acceptable in Thailand now? I presume you can add the wise card to Google pay?

Thank you.

I only use Google pay for online purchases. I haven't followed up on Google Wallet as you need a phone with NFC capability to use contactless.

If you have the right kind of phone and you have a Wise card from an appropriate country you should be able to add the card to the Wallet and set the phone up for contactless payments which are becoming fairly common in Thailand.

Wise do not issue cards for Thailand but my Wise card is listed here.

https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/12059326?hl=th&co=GENIE.CountryCode%3DGB&sjid=3074098620453221720-AP