What will spending abroad really cost on each UK card? Drag the sliders to rank them.
£1,000
Hotels, restaurants, shops & card payments on your trip
£200
Total pulled from ATMs in local currency
7 nights
Used for cards with monthly fees or per-period ATM allowances
Total Fees for This Trip
#
Card
Spend fee
Cash fee
Total
Fees last verified 2026-07-15. Terms change often — always confirm current fees with the issuer before you travel.
Always pay in the local currency
If a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in pounds — called Dynamic Currency Conversion — decline it and choose the local currency every time. DCC bakes in a poor exchange rate (often 3–8% worse) that no card can undo. This is separate from, and usually bigger than, the fees above.
How to Spend Abroad for Less
Fee-free debit cards like Chase, Starling and Monzo use the Mastercard/Visa wholesale rate with no non-sterling loading — the cheapest way to pay on card for most trips.
Credit vs debit abroad: a fee-free credit card (Barclaycard Rewards, Halifax Clarity) adds Section 75 purchase protection on buys over £100, which debit cards don't offer — handy for hotels and car hire.
Cash on a credit card costs extra: even fee-free cards like Halifax Clarity charge interest on ATM withdrawals from the day you take the money out, with no interest-free grace period. Use a debit card for cash and pay the credit card off in full.
Watch ATM allowances: Monzo gives a limited fee-free withdrawal allowance abroad, then charges a percentage; Revolut's free allowance resets monthly and it adds a weekend FX markup. Take out larger amounts less often to stay within limits.