Which debit cards are cheapest to use abroad?
Many banks charge a range of fees for spending with your card abroad.
Others may state that their cards are free to use abroad, but will still charge you for withdrawing cash.
Here we reveal the banks that don’t charge any fees when you’re abroad – whether you’re spending on a card or withdrawing cash.
Best banks for spending abroad
Here are the only accounts that are truly fee-free to use abroad, ranked by provider customer score and monthly fee:
Table note: Fees correct as of 8 June 2026. (a) If Monzo is your main bank account, withdrawals in the European Economic Area (EEA) are free; anywhere else withdrawals up to £200 every 30 days are free and above that withdrawals are charged 3% (b) Fee is refunded if you pay in at least £1,500 each month (c) The total fee includes a £5 Club Lloyds fee, which is fully refunded if you pay at least £2,000 into the account each month. For Silver and Platinum accounts, the remaining lifestyle fees (£11.50 and £22.50 respectively) are not refundable. (d) Monthly fee refunded if you either pay in £5,000 each month or have £100,000 in savings and/or investments with Lloyds. Customer Score: Our rating for customer satisfaction, based on feedback from real customers. The score is made up of a customer’s overall satisfaction with the brand, and how likely they are to recommend that brand. We surveyed 6,665 members of the general public in August 2025. Sample size in brackets. Our full table includes scores and star ratings for all banks.
Banks with no fees for spending abroad reviews
Starling
Starling is a popular choice for travellers. Its debit card is fee-free for all purchases and cash withdrawals, unlike rival Monzo. Your account will be operated via a mobile banking app, though there is an online banking service for basic transactions.
of 22 current account providers with a customer score
First Direct
First Direct scrapped foreign transaction fees in June 2023 – previously, the bank added a 2.75% mark-up on both purchases and withdrawals. Now, customers can use their cards just as they do at home in the UK.
of 22 current account providers with a customer score
Monzo
You can use your Monzo card for unlimited foreign purchases without incurring a transaction fee. But, watch out for charges on withdrawals. You’ll pay 3% on withdrawals over £200 every 30 days in non-European Economic Area countries, rising to £400 every 30 days in the UK or EEA countries. This fee is waived if Monzo is your main current account or you hold any any of its packaged accounts.
of 22 current account providers with a customer score
‘Ditch banks that charge foreign debit card fees’
Chiara Cavaglieri, Which? banking expert, says:
You have challenger banks Starling and Monzo to thank for the spike in banks removing debit card fees for spending abroad.
The likes of First Direct, Lloyds and Virgin Money have followed in their footsteps by making sure customers aren’t out of pocket when they use their debit cards outside of the UK.
If yours hasn’t made the same move, consider opening a new bank account to use on holiday – it may sound like a hassle, but it could save you hundreds of pounds.
What will I pay to use my card abroad?
You can use your debit card abroad to make purchases or withdraw local currency from a cash machine just as you would at home (look for the Visa or Mastercard logo), but you may be charged one or all of the following fees:
- For purchases, you’ll usually pay a non-sterling transaction fee for converting the local currency, which applies every time you use your card to pay.
- The worst debit cards add a non-sterling purchase fee on top, often of fixed value (eg £1.50), but can also be a percentage of what you spent.
- Cash withdrawals at a foreign ATM incur a non-sterling transaction fee for the conversion, plus a non-sterling cash fee (as a flat fee or a percentage).
Avoid using a debit card to make lots of small payments, as the charges can quickly escalate (unless you have one of the fee-free cards in the table above).
As an example, a standard TSB debit card incurs fees of 2.99% plus £1 per transaction and 1.5% for cash withdrawals (minimum £2, maximum £4.50). So making two £50 purchases and three £50 cash withdrawals would result in charges of £15.48.
Should I pay with a credit card instead?
A credit card comes in handy if, when booking, your hotel or car hire firm asks to temporarily hold a specific amount of the available balance.
This is known as pre-authorisation – no funds are debited from your account, but companies use this to ensure that you’ll be able to settle the bill if you incur any additional charges.
There are several specialist travel credit cards that are far cheaper than the average debit cards.
A credit card can be handy when you’re abroad. As with debit cards, you typically get a better exchange rate than when exchanging cash, and purchases over £100 and up to £30,000 are covered by Section 75 (meaning the credit card company is jointly liable if the product or service is inadequate).
The downside is that you’ll typically be charged interest as soon as you withdraw cash from an ATM until you pay it back.
- Find out more: best travel credit cards