Why the Wise Card Isn’t Your Best Option (Despite What YouTubers Say)
/How to Choose Travel Cards That Outperforms Wise - A Simple Two‑Card Strategy Beats It
You have been lied to by sponsored and affiliated YouTubers for years. Most of the glowing Wise reviews you see on YouTube are affiliate‑driven — creators get paid when you sign up, so of course they make it sound perfect. Those glorious testimonies, mid‑market rates, low fees, global acceptance… but when you actually run the numbers, especially in real travel scenarios, Wise quietly becomes one of the more expensive options.
Today, I will give you a simple, real‑life example, assuming you are travelling to Malaysia and spending $500 CAD cash and $500 CAD on a no‑FX‑fee credit card. All calculations use today’s live Visa, MasterCard, and Wise rates (as of Jan 25, 2026).
The Wise Reality
Wise loves to promote the “mid‑market rate,” but they rarely highlight the fees required to access it. Converting $1,000 CAD to MYR in the Wise app shows a fee of roughly 0.60%, or $6.00 CAD gone instantly.
Then comes the ATM problem. Wise Canada only gives you $350 CAD of free withdrawals per month. The remaining $150 triggers a 1.75% fee plus a $1.50 flat charge. That’s another $4.13 CAD.
Total cost: $10.00 CAD — just to use your own money.
The Killer Combo That Beats Wise
Now compare that to a simple two‑card setup:
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + EQ Bank Card (Find similar cards in your country;, for example, a credit card and a bank card with no FX fee)
Spending ($500):
The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite charges zero FX fees and uses the Visa network rate. Today, Visa shows 2.9005 MYR per CAD, while the mid‑market rate is 2.91. The Tiny spread is 0.3%.
Cash ($500):
EQ Bank charges no international ATM fees, no withdrawal limits, and no penalties. You simply get the MasterCard network rate — with no surprises. (The local foreign ATM will change you an ATM fee for both Wise and no FX bank card. We will ignore this fee for to keep things simple.)
Total cost for the entire $1,000 trip: about $3.25 CAD which comes from the tiny tiny 0.3% spread.
The Final Blow
Wise costs over three times more than this two‑card combo for the exact same trip. And the gap widens when you factor in perks: The Scotia Passport Visa Infinite includes six free airport lounge passes and full travel insurance. Wise gives you… a plastic card and a bill.
The Verdict
Wise is fine as a backup. But as your primary travel card? You’re paying for hype — and for YouTubers’ affiliate commissions. You deserve a setup that actually saves money on the ground, not just in sponsored videos.
