Money & payments by country
Three fees stack on an overseas card purchase: your bank's foreign transaction fee, the ATM operator's fee, and dynamic currency conversion if you let the terminal bill you in Australian dollars. Together they quietly add 5 to 8 per cent. Two of the three are avoidable outright. Pick a destination to see which cards work there and what cash you still need.
Money & payments in 36 destinations
Prices are indicative, shown in AUD and refreshed from provider APIs where available. Always confirm the final price on the provider's site - it is the price that applies. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes what you pay. Partners are listed before providers who pay us nothing, as our terms set out; sorting by price ignores all of that and orders on the number alone. How we make money.
How these comparisons are made
Cards are compared on the three fees that actually cost travellers money - the FX margin, ATM fees and account fees - using each issuer's published rates. Jamie has personally spent on travel cards recommended here while overseas. Cash-versus-card guidance is researched per destination rather than copied between pages, because a card strategy that works in Stockholm fails in Osaka. Read the full editorial policy.
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Travel money questions, answered
The decisions that cost Australians the most, each answered in full - what the fees are, which card actually wins, and how much cash a country needs.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay in Australian dollars or the local currency overseas?
Always the local currency. Choosing Australian dollars triggers dynamic currency conversion, which hands the exchange rate to the merchant's payment processor. It is typically 3 to 7 per cent worse than the network rate, and your bank often charges its foreign transaction fee anyway.
Which Australian cards have no foreign transaction fee?
Wise, Revolut, ING Orange Everyday (with monthly conditions met), Macquarie Transaction, Up and HSBC Global Everyday all waive it. The per-country pages compare what each costs in that destination.
How much cash should I take?
It depends entirely on where you are going. Japan and Indonesia still run on cash outside the big cities; Singapore, Korea and the UK are close to cashless. Each destination page says which it is.
What is actually worth booking.
New destination guides and side-by-side comparisons for Australian travellers - which eSIM, which travel card, which insurance is worth paying for, and what to sort before you go. Prices in Australian dollars, a few emails a year.