What Is the Best Card to Use in the USA in 2026: Real Comparison

On a US$2,000 trip to the United States, the cheapest card currently available in Brazil charges R$0 in fees. In the default setup, the second cheapest charges about R$437. Your bank’s credit card charges over R$660. These are the numbers, and this article explains where they come from.

Most guides on “which card to use in the USA” list five options and say they all “cost around 4%.” That number is correct for the average, but wrong for what’s actually best in the market in 2026. There’s a category of card linked to a digital dollar balance that avoids IOF on purchases, avoids the issuer’s spread, and even avoids the exchange margin that Visa charges on all other options. The result: spending in the USA at zero cost.

Picnic is a technology platform operating globally since 2021 and offers, in Brazil and Europe, an international account with a Visa card in digital dollars. The data in this article was verified in May 2026.

Summary: the cheapest card for the USA in 2026

Values assume a trip with US$2,000 spent at American establishments, a reference exchange rate of approximately R$5.10 per dollar (May 2026), and the midpoint of the ranges disclosed by issuers. The following sections of the article explain, piece by piece, how each component factors in, and why the digital dollar option breaks the rule.

How the cost of a card changes when you spend in dollars

When a Brazilian uses their card in the USA, the final amount in reais is the sum of up to four components. Each has a different origin, and understanding this structure lets you choose a card that eliminates almost all of them.

1. IOF (Tax on Financial Operations)

Since July 2025, IOF has been unified at 3.5% for purchases abroad with credit, debit, and prepaid cards. The rule is in Decree 12,499/2025. It’s the main cost component in most cards.

There are two reduced rates worth mentioning:

• 1.1% for remittances to your own investment account abroad (the route Wise’s Rende+ Balance uses to reduce IOF on card purchases).
• 0% for the route used by Picnic. BCB Resolution No. 521/2025 classified certain digital dollar operations as exchange operations, and the application of IOF (3.5%) on transactions with cards in this category still depends on further regulation. Currently, IOF does not apply to these transactions.

For a complete treatment of the topic, see the guide on what is IOF.

2. Issuer Spread

This is the margin that the bank or fintech adds to the commercial dollar rate. It can range from 0% (Picnic) to over 4% (some traditional credit cards). It’s the most opaque part of the charge, because each issuer claims to use “the commercial exchange rate” and rarely publishes the margin separately. The concept is explained in detail in exchange spread.

3. Visa Network Fee (ISA fee)

The Visa network charges issuers 1% on every international transaction. Most issuers pass this cost on to the end customer. Some options, including Picnic, absorb this fee.

4. Visa Network Exchange Margin

Approximately 0.3% that Visa applies when there is automatic conversion between the card’s currency and the purchase currency. This is the game-changer in the US scenario: if the card and the merchant are in the same currency (both in USD), there is no conversion and this margin does not apply. That’s what happens with Picnic in the USA.

The difference between the cards in the table above is exactly how many of these four components you pay. For a more detailed explanation of the flow, it’s worth checking out the guide on how an international card works.

Comparison of the most used cards by Brazilians in the USA

Picnic: 0% total cost on purchases in the USA

The Picnic international account keeps your balance in digital dollars. When you use the Picnic Visa card at an American establishment, the debit happens in dollars, against a dollar balance. There’s no conversion, no IOF on the purchase (the balance is already in dollars), no issuer spread, and Picnic absorbs the 1% fee that Visa charges issuers.

The math:

• IOF on purchase: 0%
• Picnic fee: 0%
• Visa ISA fee: absorbed by Picnic
• Visa exchange margin: does not apply (no conversion)
• Total effective cost: 0%

On US$2,000 spent in the USA: R$0 in fees. The only way to spend less is to spend less.

Picnic also offers an international account with a European IBAN and dollar receipt via partner Noah, virtual cards, and payment via Apple Pay and Google Pay. The physical Visa card is shipped to Brazil with no delivery fee.

Ready to spend in the USA with zero fees? Order your Picnic card in a few minutes and have your Visa digital dollar card before your next trip.

Wise: good option, especially with Rende+ Balance

The Wise card is a multi-currency debit card. The main balance can be in reais, dollars, or any of the 40+ supported currencies. The IOF and spread charged depend on which balance is used for the purchase.

Default setup (balance in reais):

• IOF: 3.5% on the converted amount
• Exchange: commercial rate, no margin on the rate, but with a service fee starting at 0.78%
• Annual fee: none
• ATM withdrawal: 1 free withdrawal per month, then R$20 per withdrawal

On US$2,000 in the USA, the effective standard cost is around 4.3%, about R$420 to R$520 depending on the service fee applied on the day. Source: Wise card fees, verified in May 2026.

Setup with Rende+ Balance:

Wise offers an alternative route where the balance in reais is routed through an investment fund (Rende+), which makes the operation fall under the 1.1% IOF rate (remittance for investment). The total cost drops to about 1.9%.

It’s worth noting that Rende+ requires the balance to be in the form of fund shares, not as an immediately available balance in the strict sense. The full analysis of the Picnic vs Wise trade-off, with the math for multi-country scenarios, is in Picnic or Wise: which international card is cheaper in 2026.

“Global” / digital “international” cards from Brazilian banks

Digital and traditional banks have “Global” versions of their cards (C6 Global, Inter Global, Bradesco Global, Itaú Global, among others). In general:

• IOF: 3.5%
• Issuer spread: between 0.4% and 2% depending on the bank
• Visa ISA fee: passed on to the customer
• Annual fee: varies (some with no annual fee, others US$10–60/year)

On US$2,000 in the USA, the total cost is between R$500 and R$660 (3.5% IOF + 0.4–2% spread + 1% Visa ISA). These are reasonable options compared to traditional credit cards, but the IOF and spread charged on purchases keep the cost several times higher than Picnic.

Traditional bank credit card (regular Mastercard / Visa credit)

The standard category from Brazilian banks (Itaú, Bradesco, Santander, Nubank Ultravioleta, BB Americas, etc.).

• IOF: 3.5%
• Issuer spread: between 1% and 4% depending on the product
• Visa ISA fee or Mastercard equivalent: passed on
• Annual fee: varies
• Network exchange margin (~0.3%): applied when there is automatic conversion

On US$2,000 in the USA, the total cost is between R$520 and R$890. The advantage is the credit term (you only pay on the bill) and the points programs. The disadvantage is everything else.

Traditional prepaid cards (Visa Travel Money and similar)

USD cards sold at exchange houses and banks before the trip. You buy the USD balance in reais (with IOF and spread embedded at the time of purchase) and use it in the USA with no conversion.

• IOF on balance purchase: 3.5%
• Partner spread: varies by exchange house, usually 1–3%
• Service fee: some partners charge a fixed issuance and remaining balance fee
• Annual fee: none, but there is an issuance cost

The total effective cost, even without conversion at the time of purchase in the USA, is higher than Picnic because IOF and spread were charged when loading the balance. On US$2,000, total cost between R$460 and R$770.

The real math: US$2,000 on a 7-day trip to the USA

A concrete scenario. 7-day itinerary in Orlando, with accommodation prepaid in reais, and US$2,000 spent during the trip split between parks, meals, supermarket, and some Black Friday shopping.

Reference exchange rate: R$5.10 per dollar (May 2026). Equivalent in reais before fees: R$10,200.

The difference between Picnic and the bank’s credit card is R$663, close to a hotel night in Orlando, or a few extra tickets for the family. The difference between Picnic and Wise default is R$437, enough for a dinner out.

Want to pay US$0 in fees on your next trip? Picnic is the only card in Brazil today where this statement is true for spending in dollars. See how to order your card.

Decision by travel profile

Short trip only to the USA

Picnic. The math is too asymmetrical to consider another option. For 100% dollar purchases, any other card charges between R$437 and R$663 more for the same spending.

Multi-country trip (USA + Europe, USA + Asia)

Picnic’s cost in non-USD currencies is approximately 0.3%, which is the exchange margin applied by the Visa network and paid by every Visa card on the planet. Still, it’s the lowest charge in the Brazilian market in this category.

Wise has the advantage of holding native balances in dozens of currencies (you can buy EUR or GBP before the trip and spend with no conversion). On a multi-country trip, it’s worth doing the math considering the USD leg and the legs in other currencies. The detailed comparison is in Picnic or Wise. If your destination is only Europe, see the specific guide on the best card to use in Europe, where the euro cost is detailed piece by piece.

Large purchases in USD (Black Friday, electronics, Disney Store)

Picnic, no doubt. On a single US$3,000 purchase of an electronic product, the difference compared to Wise default reaches R$650. For a traditional credit card, it’s around R$1,000.

Disney trip with the family (scattered spending over 10 days)

Picnic as the main card, and a Brazilian credit card as a backup for specific situations (machine issues, airport lounge). Picnic does not have lounge benefits, and this is one of the points covered in our article on disadvantages of the Picnic card.

Freelancer or remote worker going to the USA

Picnic. Besides being the cheapest card to spend, with Picnic you receive in dollars with American banking details via partner Noah, without needing to go through Wise or Payoneer. The full analysis of the fit for this audience is in who is the Picnic card for.

Things nobody tells you about using cards in the USA

Always pay in USD, never in BRL

The cashier in the USA may offer to let you pay “in reais,” known as Dynamic Currency Conversion. Don’t accept it. The conversion done by the merchant uses a much worse rate than your card, and adds an extra margin that always makes the purchase more expensive. The rule is simple: always pay in USD everywhere, and let the card do the conversion (or, in Picnic’s case, skip it because you don’t need it).

ATMs in the USA

Cash withdrawals have separate rules. In general, the issuer charges a fee per withdrawal and the ATM operator charges another. Picnic supports withdrawals on the Visa network, subject to network costs and per-operation limits; it’s worth checking the limit and direct cost in the app before your trip. For everyday spending in the USA, the Picnic card solves almost everything without needing cash.

Picnic is not a credit card

Picnic operates as a debit card linked to your balance. There’s no credit limit, no installment payments, and no traditional points accumulation. For travel, this is a positive: you only spend what you have, with no surprises when the bill comes. This trade-off is part of the honest analysis of the disadvantages of the Picnic card.

And for spending in Brazil when you return?

You can use the card in Brazil without issue; there will just be the Visa conversion of approximately 0.3%. Since Picnic keeps your balance in USD, spending in reais goes through Visa’s exchange rate on the day, with this small conversion cost in the reverse operation (dollar to reais). No IOF, no Picnic fee, no monthly fee.

Final summary

For dollar purchases in the USA, Picnic is the only card issued to Brazilians in 2026 that charges 0% total cost. Wise comes next, with about 1.9% via the Rende+ route or 4.3% via the default route. “Global” cards from digital banks range from 4.9% to 6.5%. Traditional credit cards range from 5% to almost 9%, with the advantage of the billing period and points.

The choice between them depends on your travel profile: for a trip with mostly dollar spending, Picnic’s math is too asymmetrical to consider another option. For a multi-country trip with significant spending in euros, yen, or pounds, it’s worth comparing with Wise in detail.

Before your next trip to the USA, take the amount you plan to spend and multiply it by 4%. That’s the average cost if you use your bank’s standard card. It’s almost always enough for a hotel night or a few extra meals. Order your Picnic card and keep that amount in your pocket, not on your bill.

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Picnic is a technology platform that lets users independently interact with USDC, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, on public blockchains. USDC is not legal tender in Brazil.

Displayed exchange rates vary with market conditions. The final applicable amount is the one shown on the transaction confirmation screen. Cryptoassets involve risks, including volatility and loss of peg.

Picnic does not custody user assets and is neither a financial institution nor a virtual asset service provider. Sending and receiving U.S. dollar payments through a U.S. account is offered in partnership with Noah Savings Inc. Terms and conditions apply.

Information verified in April 2026.