How to avoid ATM fees overseas
Three fees stack, and two are avoidable.
Use a card with no international withdrawal fee, decline the machine’s offer to convert to Australian dollars, and withdraw larger amounts less often from a bank’s own ATM rather than a standalone machine.
The ACCC costed one badly handled withdrawal at almost 9% of the cash taken out: the equivalent of AUD $100 in pounds cost about GBP 2 in ATM fees, roughly AUD $3.70, plus a 5.25% currency conversion fee.
What fees apply to an overseas ATM withdrawal?
Three, and they stack on the same transaction:
- Your Australian bank’s international withdrawal fee. Typically a flat charge of around $5, plus its foreign transaction fee on the amount. Avoidable: use an account that does not charge one.
- The local ATM operator’s fee. Set by whoever owns the machine, and often a flat amount rather than a percentage. Thailand charges a fixed 220 baht on foreign-card withdrawals no matter the size. Reducible: withdraw more, less often.
- Dynamic currency conversion. The machine’s offer to bill you in Australian dollars. Avoidable outright: decline it, every time.
Five ways to cut what a withdrawal costs
Use a card with no international withdrawal fee
The flat fee your Australian bank charges per overseas withdrawal, typically around $5, is avoidable outright by using an account that does not charge one. Set this up two to three weeks before you fly so the card arrives.
Decline the machine’s currency conversion
Choose to be charged in the local currency and let your card network set the rate. ATMs push this harder than shop terminals - the conversion is often pre-selected, and declining hides behind a button marked "continue without conversion".
Withdraw larger amounts, less often
Where the operator fee is flat, it is the same whether you take out $50 or $500. Four small withdrawals in Thailand cost four times what one larger one does, for exactly the same cash.
Use a machine attached to a bank branch
The standalone machines in convenience stores, hotel lobbies and airport arrivals halls charge the highest operator fees and push currency conversion hardest. A bank’s own ATM is generally cheaper and safer.
Check your daily limit before you fly
Two limits apply: your bank’s daily withdrawal cap and the machine’s own per-transaction limit, which is often lower overseas than at home. A cap set too low forces the repeat withdrawals that flat fees punish.
Which ATMs accept Australian cards?
In some countries this is the binding constraint rather than the fee. In Japan, 7-Eleven and Japan Post machines reliably accept Australian cards and many bank ATMs do not. Each destination page on this site says which machines work and what the local fee is.
See which ATMs work in your destination
Should you withdraw cash on a credit card?
No. A cash advance is a different product to a purchase. Interest usually starts from the moment you withdraw, with no interest-free period, often at a higher rate than the card’s purchase rate, and generally with a cash advance fee on top. Even a credit card with no foreign transaction fee is the wrong tool for an ATM. Which card to take for what.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I withdraw at once overseas?
Enough that the flat fees stop mattering, balanced against what you are comfortable carrying. Where the operator fee is fixed - Thailand's 220 baht, Cambodia's USD $4 to $6 - a withdrawal of $500 costs the same in fees as one of $50. Taking out several days of spending at a time, and leaving most of it in the accommodation safe, is usually the right trade.
Are airport ATMs worse than ones in the city?
Usually. Airport arrivals halls tend to carry standalone machines rather than bank ones, which charge the highest operator fees and push currency conversion hardest. Take out a small amount at the airport if you need it for transport, then use a bank branch machine once you are in town.
Do I get charged if an overseas withdrawal is declined?
Sometimes. Some Australian banks apply a fee to a declined international transaction, and some overseas operators charge a balance enquiry as a separate transaction. It is a small amount, but it is the reason not to work through four machines guessing. Check your daily limit and available balance in your banking app first.
What daily withdrawal limit should I set before I travel?
High enough to cover a few days of cash in one withdrawal, because that is how you avoid repeated flat fees. Two separate limits apply: your bank's daily cap, which you can usually change in the app, and the machine's own per-transaction limit, which is frequently lower overseas than what you are used to at home.
More on travel money
Start from the top: travel money cards by destination, or read the overview in travel money for Australians.
Last reviewed 3 September 2026. Account fees and conditions change without notice, and the accounts that waive a fee today may not tomorrow. Confirm anything that matters against the product disclosure statement and the sources below.
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