Best debit cards for international travel

In Australia, most debit cards are issued in partnership with Visa or Mastercard. That means you can use your debit card wherever this payment network is accepted, including at a wide range of retailers and ATMs around the world. You’ll also receive Mastercard and Visa fraud protection. Because of this, debit cards can be an easy way to make purchases or withdraw money while travelling overseas. But make sure you check the fees.

What is a travel debit card?

A travel debit card allows you to make purchases and withdraw funds from your savings while overseas. As you are accessing your own money, this can be a more budget-friendly option than a travel credit card.

Regular debit cards may charge fees when used overseas. This commonly includes international transaction and ATM fees. It is possible, however, to get specific travel debit cards that do not charge these fees.

How can you get a travel debit card?

To get a travel debit card, you will firstly need to open a linked transaction account. Alternatively, you could also potentially use your existing everyday debit card. If you do this, it’s important to check the fees first. For example, Australia’s Big Four banks (ANZ, CommBank, NAB and Westpac) currently charge relatively high fees for international use. According to their websites, they commonly charge at the time of writing a 3%-3.5% international transaction fee and a $5 international ATM fee per withdrawal.

With that in mind, it could be cheaper to open up a new account with no or low fees and use the linked debit card when travelling overseas and making international purchases online.

Canstar’s Travel Accounts Awards

What is the best debit card for overseas travel?

While the best card for overseas travel will vary depending on your individual needs, the best one for you is likely to be one that is low cost and has the features you’re after. When comparing cards, you may want to look for a card with no or low international transaction fees, international ATM fees (for ATMs within and outside of the provider’s network) and account keeping or annual fees. It’s also worth seeing what features are on offer, like an app where you can manage your money or access to a customer service and support team.

To help narrow down your search, Canstar’s experts have assessed and rated travel accounts based on price and features. The following travel debit cards stood out as offering Outstanding Value (listed alphabetically):

Bankwest – Easy Transaction Account

• Comes with a linked Bankwest Platinum Debit Mastercard that has 24/7 Zero Liability Protection

• No annual account fee

• No minimum monthly deposits required

• No international transaction fees

• No overseas ATM access fees (fees may apply when using a non-bank ATM)

• Compatible with the Bankwest App, which allows for alerts for incoming and outgoing transactions, as well as when your account has dropped below a set amount

Read the full T&Cs on Bankwest’s website.

Bankwest – Qantas Transaction Account

• Comes with a linked Bankwest Platinum Debit Mastercard that has 24/7 Zero Liability Protection

• $6 monthly account fee, which can be waived if you deposit at least $2,000 each month

• Earn monthly interest on your account balance (0.01% at the time of writing)

• No international transaction fees

• No overseas ATM access fees (fees may apply when using a non-bank ATM)

• Earn Qantas points on the money in your account, and through everyday transactions, as well as withdrawals made overseas

• Compatible with the Bankwest App, which allows for alerts for incoming and outgoing transactions, as well as when your account has dropped below a set amount

Read the full T&Cs on Bankwest’s website.

Great Southern Bank – Everyday Edge Account

• No monthly account fees

• Unlimited fee-free domestic transactions, including eftpos cash outs

• Rebates on international transaction fees for online or overseas purchases if you meet certain conditions (deposit $2,000 a month from non-Great Southern Bank accounts and make at least five card purchases)

• Rebates on overseas ATM cash withdrawal fees if you meet certain conditions

Read the full T&Cs on Great Southern Bank’s website.

HSBC – Everyday Global Account

• No monthly account, transaction and HSBC ATM fees

• Up to 2% cashback on eligible tap and pay transactions made in Australia under $100 (up to $50 cashback in a calendar month)

• $0 overseas ATM fees (non-HSBC branded ATMs and HSBC Group ATMs in selected countries may charge an ATM operator fees)

• $0 international transaction fees

• Account lets you buy, transfer, hold and spend between 10 foreign currencies: Australian Dollar (AUD), United States Dollar (USD), Canadian Dollars (CAD), Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro (EUR), New Zealand Dollars (NZD), Hong Kong Dollars (HKD), Japanese Yen (JPY), Singapore Dollars (SGD), and Chinese Yuan (CNY— currency restrictions apply to CNY)

• $0 HSBC fee for overseas money transfers

Read the full T&Cs on HSBC’s website.

Macquarie Bank – Transaction Account

• No monthly fee, transaction fees or deposit conditions

• No international purchase fees

• No domestic ATM transaction fees

• No international ATM transaction fees (you may be charged a fee by international ATM operators)

• Stepped interest is payable on deposits into your Macquarie Transaction Account based on your balance (4.75% on balances up to $1,000,000 at time of writing)

Read the full T&Cs on Macquarie Bank’s website.

Read more: Australia’s best bank accounts in 2024

ME – SpendME Transaction Account

• No account fees

• No international transaction fees

• No international ATM fees (ATM operator may charge its own fees)

• No ATM fees when using BOQ branch ATMs, The Big Four banks, and over 2,100 atmx ATMs in Australia

Read the full T&Cs on ME’s website.

Suncorp Bank – Everyday Essentials Account

• Designed for concession and health care card holders and those receiving government benefits

• No monthly fees or overdraft fees and unlimited fee-free Suncorp Bank transactions

• No foreign currency conversion fees for both online and overseas purchases

• No ATM cash withdrawal or balance enquiry fees at Suncorp Bank ATMs, atmx ATMs or any of The Big Four banks’ ATMs in Australia

• No cash advance fees for Visa debit card withdrawals at ATMs outside of Australia (some overseas ATM providers may charge you fees for transactions)

• Prevents most transactions from overdrawing your account

• Open up to nine sub-accounts to help save and accrue interest separate to your main account

Read the full T&Cs on Suncorp Bank’s website.

Suncorp Bank – Everyday Options Account

• No monthly fees or overdraft fees and unlimited fee-free Suncorp Bank transactions

• No foreign currency conversion fees for both online and overseas purchases

• No ATM cash withdrawal or balance enquiry fees at Suncorp Bank ATMs, atmx ATMs or any of The Big Four banks’ ATMs in Australia

• No cash advance fees for Visa debit card withdrawals at ATMs outside of Australia (some overseas ATM providers may charge you fees for transactions)

• Earn interest on you main and sub transaction accounts (0.01% at the time of writing)

• Open up to nine sub-accounts to help save and accrue interest separate to your main account

Read the full T&Cs on Suncorp Bank’s website.

ubank – Spend Account

• No monthly fees

• No overseas or online international fees

• No ATM cash withdrawal fees for both domestic and international ATMs (but some ATM operators may charge a fee of their own)

• Register and instantly use your debit card through Apple or Google Pay before you receive your physical Visa card

Read the full T&Cs on ubank’s website.

Up – Up Everyday

• No monthly fees

• No overseas in-store or online international purchase fees

• No domestic or international ATM fees at most major bank ATMs

• Create multiple Savers accounts instantly within the Up app

Read the full T&Cs on Up’s website.

Is a travel money card better than a travel debit card?

Whether one of these options is ‘better’ than the other will depend on your needs and circumstances, but there are certain advantages as well as disadvantages to a travel money card. With a travel money card, you can load foreign currencies onto the card and lock in the exchange rate at the time of loading. Some cards allow you to load multiple currencies onto the card. The card can then be used overseas to make purchases and withdraw cash at ATMs.

A travel money card may be preferable to a travel debit card in certain situations. For example, you can lock in your exchange rate ahead of time. You can also avoid being charged international transaction fees each time you make a purchase, if your debit card does charge an international transaction fee.

The downside is that you can be charged other fees, such as loading and reloading fees, inactivity fees and fees if you decide to cash out your remaining funds at the end of your trip. So it’s worth weighing this up against the cost of a debit card and carefully checking the fees of any card you are considering.

Learn more: Travel money cards vs credit cards vs debit cards

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