Got a Halifax or Virgin Money travel credit or debit card you haven't recently used? Check it won't get automatically cancelled

It's also worth noting that direct debits from your bank account that you use to pay off the balance on your travel credit card(s) can sometimes be marked 'inactive' if a card hasn't been used in a 13 month period – so if you've not traveled for over a year, check the direct debit is still in place if you're planning to use your card again. 

If you don't already have a travel card, and you've got a holiday planned, check out our Travel credit cards guide for our top-picks, the cards to avoid, and how to check what your current card's charging.

Will my card provider close my account due to inactivity?

Specialist travel credit and debit cards give near-perfect exchange rates worldwide, as well as letting you spend and withdraw cash fee-free - though you'll often pay interest on the latter. Though if you've not used your card recently, it's worth checking to make sure you don't need to take any action to keep it active - though the providers we spoke to said they will always try to warn you first. 

The table below features all of the debit and credit providers we mention in our Travel cards guide. If your travel card provider isn't included, and you're concerned about your card being cancelled, get in touch with it and ask if you need to take any action to keep it active.

Note that many prepaid card providers also charge an inactivity fee if you don't use your card for a set amount of time - see our Prepaid card warning news story on this for more info. 

What are the best travel credit and debit cards to get right now?

If you're looking for a new travel credit card, there are currently two stand-out options:

• Barclaycard Rewards. This is our top pick as it charges no fees or interest on overseas spending. Also, with other travel credit cards that don't charge cash withdrawal fees, you'll usually pay daily interest on the withdrawal until you pay it off, but not with this one (as long as you repay the balance each month IN FULL).

  You also get access to a couple of perks – 0.25% cashback on almost all spending, plus five months of free access to Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple News+ and/or Apple TV+. Just diarise to cancel after the five months if you don't want to keep paying the subscription fee. This card charges 22.9% rep APR if not repaid each month IN FULL.

• Halifax Clarity. A long-term top pick as it has great feedback, no fees on overseas spending and low ATM interest. You won't get charged interest on spending abroad as long as you repay the balance IN FULL, but you will if you make cash withdrawals (5p-ish per £100/day) – so try to minimise these. This card charges 19.9% rep APR if not repaid each month IN FULL.

Though with travel credit cards, always follow the golden rule: "Set up a direct debit to repay in full every month, or the interest charges dwarf the cheap-currency gains."If you'd rather a debit card for use abroad, one option will actually pay you to use it:

• Chase's current account. This account gives fee-free spending and cash withdrawals worldwide, plus 1% cashback for 12 months. Chase is also a good option if you're unsure whether you'll get the account as it only does a 'soft' credit check to see if it wants you as a customer – so if you don't get it, other lenders won't be able to see you've applied and there'll be no permanent mark on your credit report. 

  Though as this account launched recently, it doesn't yet offer certain features, such as direct debits and Google Pay. You also need to activate the cashback – see how it works.

For more information on travel credit and debit cards, see our full guide.