Best debit cards to use abroad 2025

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.

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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:

Banks with no fees for spending abroad reviews

Starling 

• We like: no surprises

Which? Recommended Provider Starling is a popular choice for travellers, because it lets you spend on your debit card abroad without racking up a huge bill.

Starling is fee-free for all purchases and cash withdrawals, unlike rival Monzo (see below).

Starling accounts must be operated via a mobile banking app, though there is an online banking service for basic transactions. 

In our most recent survey, Starling earned the joint highest customer score and was given five stars for its app. It's another challenger bank with a fantastic app, offering instant bill splitting with contacts, spending analysis and savings pots.

First Direct

• We like: customer service

First Direct, another Which? Recommended Provider, scrapped foreign transaction fees in June 2023 – previously, the bank added a 2.75% mark-up on both purchases and withdrawals. 

That means customers can use their cards just as they do at home in the UK. 

In our most recent survey, First Direct was given four stars for customer service overall and five stars for online banking, mobile banking and contacting customer services. 

Monzo 

• We like: nifty tools

Monzo is now a Which? Recommended Provider for its current accounts, having been awarded the joint highest customer score and five stars for its app. 

One of its most popular perks is fee-free debit card transactions abroad. You can use your card for unlimited foreign purchases without incurring a transaction fee, however, Monzo applies a charge of 3% on cash withdrawals over:

• £200 every 30 days in non-European Economic Area countries (rising to £400 for Monzo Plus customers and £600 for Monzo Premium, Perks & Max)
• £400 every 30 days in the UK or EEA countries (unlimited if Monzo is your main current account or you hold any any of its packaged accounts)

All accounts must be operated via a mobile banking app, which was rated five stars by customers in a recent survey. There are lots of features and tools to enjoy, such as instant bill-splitting with contacts, spending analysis and savings pots.

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'll generally 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 a number of 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 between £100 and £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

More on using your card abroad