What's the Best Debit Card to Use Abroad For British Travellers?

Are you planning to use your debit card on your next trip abroad from the UK? Well, depending on your bank or card provider, get ready for a few potential headaches: many debit cards out there come with unexpectedly high fees for tapping and withdrawing cash while travelling overseas.

Fortunately for you, there are a few alternatives to choose from if you prefer low-cost holiday spending. In this post, we walk you through the fees and exchange rates you'll meet when using your debit card abroad and offer savvier alternatives to use instead. So, no matter whether you're planning a weekend getaway to Paris, a business trip to Singapore, or a dream vacation to Mauritius, read on to learn how to make the most of your card spending while abroad!

Starling Bank: Best All-Round

Starling Bank is a fully-authorised, FCA-regulated bank in the UK that's well known for its fee-free current account. According to our analysis and experience, Starling's debit Mastercard is the best UK debit card to use abroad because it charges no fees for foreign currency spending. It also provides an excellent current account, ranked as the best online bank in the UK in our rankings.

• Account fee: £0 /month
• Multi-currency balances: No
• Foreign exchange margin: 0%
• Foreign exchange: 0%
• ATM withdrawal fee: 0%
• What it's good for: A complete bank account alternative
• More info: See our reviews of the bank, the card, or visit the site

Revolut

Revolut's debit card is another useful one to use abroad outside of the UK because it allows you to pay in over 150 currencies with no hidden fees, real-time exchange rates, and additional features like budgeting tools and, on paid plans, travel insurance. Take a look at our explainer to using Revolut's card abroad to learn more.

• Account fee: £0 /month (not a bank)
• Multi-currency balances: Yes (available in 35 currencies)
• Foreign exchange margin: 0%
• Foreign exchange fee: 0.5%
• ATM withdrawal fee: 2%
• Best for: Foreign cash withdrawals, especially under £200 per month
• More info: See our Revolut review or visit the website

Wise

Wise's fee-free debit card is an excellent way to spend money abroad from the UK because it allows you to pay in foreign currencies with no hidden fees and offers competitive exchange rates. It's almost always a far better deal than debit cards from high street banks for overseas spending, and you can use it next to your primary bank account whenever you leave the UK.

• Account fee: £0 /month
• Multi-currency balances: Yes (available in 56 currencies)
• Foreign exchange margin: 0%
• Foreign exchange fee: 0.2% - 1%
• ATM withdrawal fee: 1.75%
• More info: See our Wise review or visit the website

Monzo

Like Starling, Monzo is an FCA-regulated UK bank and probably the country's most famous online-only account. An excellent choice if you're looking to escape the high fees of traditional banks, Monzo charges no fees for day-to-day card use, including on cashpoint withdrawals (with limits) and card payments in the UK and abroad.

• Account fee: £0 /month
• Multi-currency balances: No
• Foreign exchange margin: 0%
• Foreign exchange fee: 0%
• ATM withdrawal fee: £0 up to £200 (3% thereafter)
• More info: See our Monzo review or visit the website

Monese

Monese is a mobile-only fintech offering fully-fledged checking accounts to more than two million European and UK customers. Because Monese doesn't require you to prove your residence to meet creditworthiness standards to open an account in the UK, we think Monese is especially well-suited for new arrivals to the UK from the European Economic Area (EEA) and offers excellent low-cost card spending options for converting between the British pound and three European currencies: the euro, the Swedish krona, and the Romanian leu.

• Account fee: £0 /month
• Multi-currency balances: Yes (available in GBP, EUR, and RON)
• Foreign exchange margin: 0%
• Foreign exchange fee: 0%
• ATM withdrawal fee: 0.5%
• More info: See our Monese review or visit the website