No more hidden forex charges? Wise opens waitlist for travel card in India

Wise has opened the waitlist for its India travel card, promising real exchange rates, lower forex costs and fully digital multi-currency spending for overseas travellers.

If you are planning an overseas holiday, sending your child abroad for studies, or travelling for work, managing money outside India may soon get a lot cheaper and simpler. Wise, the global money movement company, has opened the waitlist for its much-anticipated Wise Travel Card in India, marking its formal entry into the Indian consumer forex and travel payments space.

 

The announcement was made in Mumbai at the Global Fintech festival, where UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also referenced Wise’s India launch as part of the broader UK–India fintech collaboration. The timing is significant: Indians spent nearly $17 billion on international travel last year, according to RBI data — yet a large portion of this spending continues to leak out through hidden forex markups, poor exchange rates and card fees.

 

A family visiting their daughter studying in London could lose over ₹17,500 to fees on a ₹5 lakh trip with traditional bank cards. The Wise card solves this. It will give Indian travellers the mid-market exchange rate - the one they see on Google - with only a small, transparent conversion fee with no other surprise charges.

 

 Widest currency range of any forex card in India covering everywhere you actually travel: hold and spend in 40+ currencies, from the destinations Indians visit most - the UAE, Thailand, Singapore, USA, and UK - to dozens more. Switch between any currency instantly within the Wise app.

 

Complete everything within the app - no branch visits, no paperwork: the entire account opening process happens digitally using digilocker and video KYC. All documents like PAN card, address proof, proof of travel (passport, air ticket, and visas) are verified digitally.

 

No need to guess which currency to load before your trip: smart conversion feature automatically uses the best rate available between currencies, even if you don't have the local currency. Whether you're paying for a hotel in Tokyo, or buying groceries in Dubai, the Wise card works it out for you.

 

Start spending before your physical card arrives at your doorstep: get instant access to digital cards while your physical card is being delivered. Request up to 3 digital cards on the app and use the card numbers for booking flights online or subscribing to international services before you travel.

 

Load money the same way you pay for everything else in India: top up via IMPS for instant transfers, or through NEFT and RTGS. Switch currencies, freeze or unfreeze your card, and track every transaction in real time through the Wise app.

 

"India is growing incredibly fast as a travel market, but the products we use when we're abroad haven't kept up with the needs of today's savvy Indian travelers. The payments experience abroad should be as seamless as paying in India, and that's why we've built the Wise card specifically for the Indian market," said Taneia Bhardwaj, South Asia Expansion Lead at Wise ".

 

Why most Indians overpay abroad

 

Whether it’s a family visiting a child studying in the UK or a couple vacationing in Europe, most travellers rely on:

 

• Traditional bank forex cards
• International debit or credit cards
• Airport currency exchanges

 

What many don’t realise is that these options often come with:

 

• Inflated exchange rates
• Hidden markups
• Extra foreign transaction fees

 

What the Wise Travel Card changes for Indian travellers

 

Wise is positioning its travel card as a transparent, app-driven alternative built specifically for Indian users. The key difference: you get the real mid-market exchange rate — the same rate you see on Google — with only a small, upfront conversion fee and no surprise charges later.

 

When and how can users apply?

 

For now, Wise has opened a waitlist for Indian customers. Those who sign up early will receive priority access when the card formally launches.

 

For frequent international travellers, students heading overseas, business travellers and families managing foreign education expenses, this could mean:

 

• Lower forex costs
• Better budgeting

 

And far fewer nasty surprises on bank statements after returning home