If you’re going abroad, or spending on foreign websites, getting the right plastic could save you a small fortune. Pick up a specialist travel credit or debit card and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you’re getting the best exchange rate possible for any currency in the world.
I’ve been covering travel and banking for over 10 years, here’s my guide to the best credit cards, debit, and prepay cards for foreign travel.
Quick summary
The best debit cards to use abroad
- Trading 212 debit card – 0.5% cashback, top exchange rates, and 3.8% AER on deposits
- Monzo – Unlimited fee free ATM withdrawals . Free £10 with our link
- Currensea – Generous ATM limits, works with your existing bank – £10 cashback with our link
The best credit cards for international travel
- Barclaycard Rewards – The best credit card to use abroad
- Halifax Clarity – Former top pick and still one of the best
Before we get started though, just a little reminder that up to 5m GHIC cards expire every year. The Global Health Insurance Card is free and entitles the holder to free or discounted medical care in 28 EU countries, plus a few others. To get a new or replacement card visit the EHIC website.
| Card Name | Card Type | Rate Type | FX Fee | ATM Withdrawal Limit | Key Perks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading 212 Money | Debit | Interbank | 0% fee | £200 / month free, thereafter 2% | True interbank rate; no monthly fees; instant app plus 0.5% cashback |
| Currensea | Prepaid | Interbank | 0.5% fee | £500 / month free, thereafter 2% | Links to your existing UK current account. £10 cashback via our link |
| Monzo | Debit | Mastercard | 0% fee | £400 in EEA or £200 elsewhere / day, thereafter 3% | £10 signup bonus; instant spending notifications |
| Starling Bank | Debit | Mastercard | 0% fee | Unlimited free up to £300 / day, then 3% | In-app “Spaces” savings; round-ups |
| Halifax Clarity | Credit | Mastercard | 0% fee | £500 per transaction (within credit limit) | No annual fee; chip & PIN fraud cover |
| Barclaycard Rewards | Credit | Visa | 0% fee | £0 fee up to £600 / month | 0.25% cashback on all purchases¹ |
Top Debit Cards for Fee-Free Travel
Trading 212 debit card – highest cashback rates, and the best exchange rates
A trading platform being listed as one of the best accounts for spending abroad might raise some eyebrows, but since the launch of its new debit card, Trading 212 is truly one of the best accounts around for travel.
You need to open a Trading 212 invest account (which is completely free), but there’s no need to invest or engage in any share dealing at all. Just deposit/add money to account and move it to your spending pot and you’re ready to go.
Key features
You’ll get a Mastercard Debit card, 0.5% cashback on spending (up to 1.5% with promotions), 3.8% AER interest on deposits, and the ability to hold up to 9 different currencies.
FX fees
Trading 212 account doesn’t use the Visa or Mastercard exchange rate. Instead, it uses the live interbank exchange rate. Often beating the Visa and Mastercard exchange rate by as much as half a percent.
ATM withdrawals
There’s also a £400 a month fee-free ATM withdrawal limit. Withdrawals over this will be charged at 1%.
Verdict
Nothing beats this at the moment, and if you sign up using our link below, or promotional code MSA212, you’ll also get a free share worth up to £100. See our full Trading 212 debit card review for more, or click here to open a Trading 212 account.
The 212 Card is connected with an INVEST Account. When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results. You may receive a certain percentage of the purchase amount back in cash when making a transaction using the Card. Terms Apply
Monzo – best for unlimited withdrawals
Monzo is the UK’s largest digital bank, and only bettered by Trading 212 for foreign spending. Monzo offers fee free ATM withdrawals up to £400 or equivalent per day in the UK and EEA, but a disappointing £200 limit will still apply outside of the EEA.
Key features
- No fees on foreign spending
- Unlimited ATM withdrawals (if main account)
- Best in business app
FX fees
Monzo uses the Mastercard exchange rate. It doesn’t add any fees or markup on overseas spending, but the Mastercard rate is usually a little lower than the interbank exchange rate.
ATM withdrawals
Monzo customers enjoy fee free ATM withdrawals up to £400 a month in the EU/EEA, and £200 worldwide. Withdrawals over these limits are charged at 3%.
If you use Monzo as your main bank account though, the £400 limit is removed and you can make unlimited ATM withdrawals in the EU/EEA.
Monzo considers itself your main bank account if you’ve paid in over £500 during the last 35 days, paid a direct debit. You also receive a student loan into the account, or DWP payments.
Verdict
The unlimited ATM withdrawals and Mastercard exchange rate, make Monzo the best ‘bank account’ for travel. You’ll miss out on the cashback, high interest and unbeatable exchange rates offered by Trading 212, but gain full FSCS protection, and an app that’s the best in the business.
If you open a Monzo account using our link you’ll get a £10 bonus so long as you sign up and use your Monzo card at home or abroad within 30 days.
Chase Bank (UK) – Best for visiting USA
Chase is now the UK’s second largest digital bank behind Monzo. It’s a top choice when it comes debit card spending abroad, and is the best card to use in USA.
Key features
1% cashback on spending (UK only on limited items), 5% interest on rounded up savings, Mastercard exchange rates
ATM withdrawals
Chase customers benefit from fee-free foreign ATM withdrawals up to £1,500 a month. It also goes one further in allowing customers to use Chase ATMs in the US for free. A great way to avoid ATM fees over there, which can often be up to $5 a time.
That perk itself makes Chase the best debit card for use when travelling to USA.
Eligibility
To open a Chase account you will need to be over 18, a UK resident, and provide proof of ID. There shouldn’t be any credit checks.
>> Check out our account review
Starling Bank – The best overall account for travel
Starling has long been one of our favourites when it comes to foreign travel. Check out the video below by former broadcast journalist and travel vlogger/blogger, Pommie Travels to see why.
Starling was the first digital challenger bank to launch its current account nationwide, and continues to impress with its well developed app and current account features. What’s more, the company is committed to fee-less foreign currency. Here’s what it says:
When we say zero fees, we mean exactly that.
We won’t charge you to use your debit card abroad – and we won’t add ATM fees. Just so you’re aware: some ATM providers may charge their own fee.
Great exchange rates.
You’ll benefit from Mastercard’s globally accepted exchange rate…and no, we won’t add anything on top.
You shouldn’t have to pay to access your money.
Unlike some other travel cards, we don’t charge you to deliver your card or to top it up.
Another great feature of the Starling account is that by integrating round-ups and saving spaces you can save whilst you travel, by rounding up transactions in realtime and setting the sum aside in a savings space.
One of the benefits of Starling is that there is no monthly ATM withdrawal limit. Monzo for example only allows £200 (equivalent) cash to be withdrawn in a 30 day period. Over this it charges 3%. There’s no such charge with Starling. Instead you are only limited by a daily ATM withdrawal of £300.
I’ve personally been using it for over half a decade now, see my detailed Starling bank review for more.
More Recommended Debit Cards (Honorable Mentions)
Kroo – Good interest rate and zero fees foreign spending
The Kroo current account offers 2.65% AER on deposits, meaning you can earn interest on your travel money, has no fees on foreign purchases (Visa exchange rate), and no ATM fees on foreign withdrawals.
Kroo’s Visa card stands out, and could make an excellent back up for those who already an account with a Mastercard, such as Starling, or Monzo.
See our full long term Kroo bank review for more.
First Direct
First Direct dropped the 2.75% foreign exchange fee and additional 2% non-sterling cash fee for foreign ATMs. The move initially catapulted First Direct from being one of the debit cards from hell, to one of the best for spending abroad.
Customers now enjoy Mastercard exchange rates, and a £500 equivalent daily ATM withdrawal limit.
First Direct is a top contender, and is backed by award winning customer service. Those moving to First Direct can also enjoy a £175 switching bonus (see our article on bank account switching for more).
Virgin Money M and M:Plus account
The M Plus is Virgin’s standard current account, whilst the Virgin M account is a more basic account. That means it’s super easy to open, and crucially just like the M Plus, offers fee free foreign spending and ATM use worldwide. Actually, we couldn’t really find much difference between the two other than the fact the M Plus pays in credit interest.
Both accounts offer a Mastercard debit card that can be linked to ApplePay and GooglePay and used for fee free ATM withdrawals worldwide, and both are managed via Virgin’s updated banking app.
The M account can be opened with little or no credit history, and non-standard ID is accepted for the application. As such great for international students, or those who’ve recently moved to the UK and might have difficulty otherwise validating their address.
HSBC Global Money Account
The Global Money Account is a multi-currency account exclusive to HSBC current account holders.
It’s free to open, and there no on-going fees or charges. There’s also no fees for ATM withdrawals, or sending payment in foreign currencies. Even the delivery of the card is free.
It also comes with a generous £500 or equivalent daily ATM limit, and a £50,000 transfer limit. Making it one of the best cards for those who like to carry cash or who need to make electronic payments abroad.
Customers can hold funds in some 18 popular currencies including pounds, euro, US dollars, Australian dollars, NZD etc.. card transactions use the VISA daily rate. If manually transferring or exchanging between currencies HSBC does add a mark up, but this is typically less than that seen with Revolut or Wise. Additionally, there is a 1% mark up on currency exchanges when the markets are closed.
See our full HSBC Global Money Account review for more.
Metro Bank – The best highstreet bank for euros (only)
Metro has always faired kindly when it comes to foreign spending. The standard current account doesn’t have any fees at all for using the debit card at the point of sale or for ATM withdrawals whilst in Europe (EU).
Beware though, that outside of Europe Metro charges You’ll pay a hefty 2.99% non-sterling transaction fee, and a £1.50 fee for using ATMs, as such it has fallen down our list.
>> Open a current account with Metro Bank
Top-Rated Credit Cards for Spending Abroad
Halifax Clarity
Still one of the best credit cards to use abroad
A top pick for years, the Halifax Clarity is probably the most well known specialist travel credit card, and our choice as the best credit card for foreign travel. There’s no foreign transaction fees, commission, nor fees for cash withdrawals. What’s more, you get the Mastercard wholesale exchange rate, which tends to be ever-so-slightly better than VISA’s rates.
The card does charge interest on cash withdrawn abroad at 19.9% (21.9%-25.9% for poorer credit scorers), but this amounts to just £1.50 per £100 spent. This is only charged until you’ve repaid the balance, so you can minimise this paying it off as you go along.
Even then, withdrawing the same amounts of cash on a recent trip, we found we got more foreign currency for less, with the Halifax Clarity, than we did with the Barclaycard Rewards card.
Interest isn’t charged on point of sale purchases abroad provided you clear the balance by the end of the statement date.
19.9% APR Representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 19.95% p.a. (variable)
Barclaycard Rewards
The absolute cheapest credit card for overseas spending
The Barclaycard Rewards credit card is a top pick for spending abroad in this category thanks to its 0.25% cashback on spending, and no fees on spending online, at the point of sale, or for ATM withdrawals.
Also it doesn’t charge any interest on overseas spending or withdrawals as long as the balance is paid off in full. This makes one of the absolute cheapest ways to spend spend on holiday, and being a credit card rather than debit card you benefit from Section 75 protection on purchases. Overall, the Barclaycard Rewards is the best card to use abroad full stop.
Unfortunately, on recent trips, we’ve found that exchange rate to be slightly worse than the Halifax Clarity card listed above.
22.9% APR Representative (variable). Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 and a purchase rate of 22.9% p.a. (variable)
The best prepaid travel card and smart cards
Specialist travel credit cards, and bank accounts are all well and good, but what if you’re happy with your current bank, and don’t want the hassle of opening a new account. That’s where prepaid travel cards and accounts come in. These are quick to open, there’s no credit checks, yet still offer great rates for international spending.
Currensea (smart card) – Best for those with traditional bank accounts
Unlike standard prepaid cards, or credit cards, Currensea works as a layer on top of your existing bank card to offer you great rates on foreign spending. That means if you’re happy with your current bank account you don’t need to change it.
Simply add your card to the Currensea app and start spending with the Currensea card. The foreign payment is charged to your Currensea account which then in turn charges your UK bank card in pounds, thus avoiding any fees from your bank.
It currently works with most popular UK bank accounts including Barclays, Lloyds, Natwest, TSB, Santander, HSBC, RBS which are some of the worst offenders for charges on foreign card use.
Opening an account is free but the card delivery is £4.95. In our tests it took less than 5 mins, and a card was delivered within 4 days.
FX fees
Currensea uses the live interbank exchange rate for popular currency conversions, and earns its money by adding a 0.5% fee onto this rate.
That can make ever-so-slightly more expensive than cards using the Visa or Mastercard rate, but because the interbank exchange rate is often better, the difference in real life usage is negligible.
ATM withdrawals
You can withdraw up to £200 a month fee free from foreign ATMs, but a 2% charge is added if you go over that limit.
Verdict
Currensea is the best card for spending abroad for those that want to use their existing bank account. There’s no fuss and no topping up. Opening an account sets up a direct debit to your main bank account. If you open an account using our link below, you’ll get £10 cashback on your first £100 spend.
>> Get a Currensea travel card
Wise (formerly Transferwise)
Wise is a multi-currency account specifically aimed at travellers, digital nomads and those needing to transfer money across borders.
Founded in East London, it grew to prominence as a money transfer service previously known as Transferwise, but it’s the Wise Multi-currency account that will be of interest to holidaymakers and travellers.
The account is free open, and comes with account numbers, sort codes, IBANs, and routing numbers for UK, Eurozone, US, Australia, New Zealand and a number of other countries. Unfortunately it costs £5 to order the debit card which immediately wipes out some of the advantage of using the account over the short term. And while spending online or at the point of sale is free if your account holds that currency. If you need to exchange currencies for example Sterling to Euros there is small fee. Up to two ATM withdrawals are free up to £200 after that fees kick in similar to Monzo and Revolut.
Fees
- £5 ordering first debit card
- 0.35% conversion fee on popular currencies e.g. Euro, USD, (higher on less popular ones)
- 1.75% fee card fee if withdrawing more than £200/month
- 50p card fee if making more than two ATM withdrawals a month
Eligibility
There’s no fee to open the account and no credit checks, but you will need to be over 18 and have proof of address and ID.
>> Get a Wise Multi Currency account
Revolut
Revolut is a mobile app, that came hot on the heals of the ill-fated Travelex Supercard. It was slicker and more user friendly than the competition, and is still adding new features and functionality.
Like traditional prepay cards the Revolut account first needs loading with currency. You can do this via ApplePay/Android pay, bank transfer or credit/debit card. Loading is done in pounds, dollars, and euros and you are able to convert between the three instantly from within the app. Spending is not limited to these currencies though. All in all there are 90 currencies you can spend in, and receive the Mastercard exchange rate.
When using my Revolut card on a trip to Ireland, I noticed that the exchange rate listed in the Revolut app, was actually better than those shown on XE.com.
ATM fees
Revolut only allows £200 per month fee-free from ATM, and charges a 2% for any withdrawals over that. that’s £20 per every £1000 withdrawn over and above the first £200. Customers have the option of signing up for Premium £6.99 per month, and Metal, £9.99 per month. These allow fee-free ATM withdrawals up to £400, and £600 respectively, as well as host of other benefits, such as medical/travel insurance, priority support, and even cashback (Metal only).
Overall the standard offer is still a great card, but due to the low fee-free ATM limits we prefer Trading 212. Your usage of course might vary though and it’s a great card as a backup, and if you can make use of the insurance and higher spending limits, Metal is a good product.
Visa travel card
It’s worth pointing out that main physical Revolut card is now a Visa. When travelling it’s always good to have both Visa and Mastercard, as sometimes (though rarely) one is accepted where the other isn’t.
This actually happened to me on recent trip. A fuel station I stoped at didn’t accept Mastercard, so my Revolut Visa card came to the rescue. Of course the inverse can also be true, and I’ve eaten at restaurants that didn’t accept Visa but did accept Mastercard.
We have a full long term review of the Revolut account for you to dig a little deeper.
Ready to Travel? Don’t Forget Our Essential Travel Spending Tips they could save you £100s on your holiday spend.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which debit card offers the best free ATM withdrawals abroad?
Trading 212 Money lets you withdraw up to £200 per month fee-free (then 2% fee), while Currensea offers £500 per month fee-free (then 2% fee). Monzo and Starling both provide daily free limits (£200 and £300, respectively) before any charges apply.
2. Are there any cards here that charge a foreign transaction fee?
All our top picks (Monzo, Trading 212) charge 0% FX markup. Currensea has a 0.5% mark up, but that is off-set by the better interbank exchange rate. Most high-street banks (Barclays, NatWest, Santander, etc.) typically add around 3% plus a per-transaction fee, so avoid those when travelling.
3. When should I use a credit card instead of a debit card abroad?
Use a credit card, such as Barclaycard Rewards or Halifax Clarity for purchases over £100 to benefit from Section 75 protection (cover between £100 – £30,000). For everyday spending or ATM withdrawals, a zero-fee debit card is usually the better choice.
4. What’s the difference between a debit card and a prepaid/smart card?
A debit card draws directly from your UK current account, offering standard banking protections. A prepaid/smart card (e.g. Wise) requires you to top up in advance—sometimes in multiple currencies—and isn’t tied to your main bank balance. Both waive FX fees, but prepaid cards do not offer Section 75 protection.
5. How do I avoid dynamic currency conversion (DCC)?
Always choose to pay in the local currency at checkout (e.g., “Charge in EUR, not GBP”). If a merchant offers to bill you in pounds, they’ll use a poorer conversion rate. Refuse DCC every time to avoid extra costs.
6. Will I ever pay ATM operator fees abroad?
Even if your card waives your own bank’s withdrawal fees, many foreign ATMs apply their own surcharge. Research fee-free ATM networks in your destination (e.g., ING or Deutsche Bank in Spain; MB Post Office ATMs in Portugal) to avoid third-party charges.
7. Can I add these cards to Google Pay or Apple Pay for contactless abroad?
Yes, most cards on our list integrate seamlessly with mobile wallets. Contactless payments are faster and more secure than chip-and-PIN, especially for small purchases under local contactless limits.
8. What should I do if my card is lost or stolen while travelling?
Immediately freeze or block it via the app (all digital-first cards support instant blocking). Then request a replacement. Monzo, Starling, Currensea all ship new cards internationally, but fees may apply.
9. Are there any contactless or ATM limits I should know about?
Some countries cap contactless payments (often between €50 – €100). Also check each card’s per-transaction ATM limit versus its daily/weekly allowance to avoid being declined or incurring extra fees mid-trip.
10. Do I get purchase or travel insurance with any of these cards?
Most debit and prepaid cards don’t include travel insurance. Though Monzo does offer travel insurance if you take out its new Monzo Max plan (learn more).
11. Which cards work in specific countries like the United States?
All our recommendations run on Visa or Mastercard networks, so they’re accepted wherever those logos display, including Europe, North America, and beyond. Always select local currency at checkout to avoid poor merchant conversion rates.
12. Are there any eligibility requirements or credit checks?
Debit and prepaid cards (Monzo, Starling, Trading 212, Currensea, Wise, Revolut) generally don’t require a credit check. Anyone with a UK address can apply, and they’ll be soft credit search. Traditional banks such as First Direct and Nationwide will conduct a hard credit search.
All credit cards (Barclaycard Rewards, Halifax Clarity) require a full credit history check.