Your Money, Your Rules with YouTrip

With all the technology out there that allows you to pay, transfer, and receive money without cash, you’d be forgiven if you wish you could do the same overseas. Unfortunately, existing credit options outside our borders have been riddled with limitations or extra costs. Cash has its own problems as well - large stacks of notes were prone to theft and could not be re-exchanged easily - and travellers had to settle for the lesser evil.

Until today.

YouTrip, a collaboration between EzLink and Mastercard, allows you to pay freely in over 150 countries with no transaction fees. Zero. It sounded too good to be true, which was why I had to try it out for myself.

Signing Up for YouTrip

Registering for YouTrip was a free and simple process. I downloaded the app directly from the Play Store, but if you’re reading this from your computer, punch in your number on the YouTrip website and you will receive a link to download the app on your smartphone.

Once you’re in the app, you’ll be asked to submit photos of your NRIC or FIN, before indicating the name you’d like displayed on your YouTrip card. You’d then be asked to key in your personal details for verification purposes, as well as your residential address. (Good news for Singaporeans - if you sign up using your SingPass, you get to skip this step!)

One final step before you submit your details, exclusive to CheapTickets.sg readers - enter the promo code CHEAPTICKETSSG when prompted and you’ll get an extra $5 after your first top-up. You can’t say no to free money!

That’s all you have to do - I was done within 5 minutes, and received my card within two weeks.

Getting the Card Ready

Armed with my brand new YouTrip card, I opened the app on my phone and keyed in the Y-number on my card, bringing the activation full circle.

The next part is getting your credit into the card. This part is effortless as well - just link another credit or debit card to your YouTrip app and select the amount you wish to deposit. I got very excited and threw in a bit more than I should, but putting in any amount would get you an instant $5 in credit if you used the promo code CHEAPTICKETSSG previously.

Now that both my app and card were linked, I was ready to spend to my heart’s content!

How Does YouTrip Help You Save Money?

Now that your YouTrip card is ready to roll, there are several ways you can cut expenses with it.

0% Foreign Transaction Fees

Stuck at a boutique store overseas, holding on to the last luxury purse in stock but not the cash needed to buy it? Just whip out your YouTrip Mastercard and pay via contactless or Chip and Magnetic Stripe payment, and enjoy 0% foreign transaction fees and no markups on current exchange rates!

This applies to shopping on e-commerce websites as well. I spend way too much time scouring the Internet for local restaurant deals, and checking out with YouTrip means I save even more. Remember to check out using the merchant’s local currency to avoid extra charges on their end!

For cash-only establishments, YouTrip allows for cash withdrawals overseas from ATMs on a Mastercard, Cirrus, or Maestro network. Each withdrawal costs a flat fee of S$5, or the foreign currency equivalent, so pay with your card whenever you can!

Get the Best Exchange Rates - and Keep Them!

Say a particular currency takes a tumble tomorrow, and you’re looking to travel there sometime later in the year. Rather than praying for the favourable exchange rate to stay that way, why not lock it in now?

YouTrip lets you store competitive rates conveniently on the app. Simply select your currencies, choose how much you’d like to convert, and you’re set for your next holiday! You can lock in exchange rates between 10 popular currencies, including the US dollar, Euro, and sterling pound - take full advantage, and never worry about poor exchange rates busting your budget anymore!

Stay in Control of Your Expenses

Exchange rates matter, but not as much as your personal budgeting. Happy campers heading off to their next travel destination often return with little to smile about simply because they’ve spent way too much, and this usually happens when travellers cannot effectively track their spending. With YouTrip, this is now a problem of the past, as all transactions show up immediately on the app.

What if you decide to scrimp and save overseas, but someone decides to steal your card to spend it all instead? YouTrip has your back - you can lock and secure your account with just one click on your smartphone. No more sweating over long response times on the phone when you realize your card has disappeared!

With so many benefits packed into one convenient app and card, YouTrip is changing the way we work here and across the border. Join the new cashless revolution today, and remember to earn a quick five bucks in the process with the CHEAPTICKETSSG promo code!

Want to stay on top of the latest holiday deals? Don’t forget to follow the official SG Travel Hacks Telegram group for the inside scoop on flight deals and steals, and subscribe to our newsletter below!