Short version. Take a debit card with low foreign fees. Find an ATM that belongs to a real bank. Choose the local currency. Withdraw a bigger amount, less often. Done.
Now the detail, because the mistakes are all in the detail.
Rank your options
There are only a handful of ways to turn your money into notes in another country. Here’s how they stack up for most travellers.
| Method | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Debit card at a bank ATM, local currency | Usually best | Rate set by your card network and bank; fees are knowable in advance |
| Cash ordered from your own bank before you go | Fine for a small starter amount | Convenient; rate varies, so compare |
| Exchange desk in town | Acceptable in a pinch | Look at the rate and the total, not the commission claim |
| Airport exchange desk | Skip | Surveys keep finding the worst rates here |
| Credit card cash advance | Skip | Fee up front and interest from day one |
| Street changer | Skip | No receipt, no protection if it goes wrong |
Which? advised in July 2024 to avoid costly ATMs such as those at airports and use local bank branches’ machines instead. A US consumer article updated in August 2025 reached the same ranking: airports at the bottom, banks near the top.
Three fees, stacked
An ATM withdrawal abroad can carry up to three separate charges. People notice one and miss the others.
The machine’s fee. Some ATMs add a flat charge for foreign cards. The amount is set by whoever runs the machine. In Thailand, for example, one travel guide reports a fee of 220 baht per withdrawal at most machines and 150 baht at AEON machines (found mostly in big supermarkets), as of September 2026. Fees change and differ by country and operator, so treat that as an example, not a rule. Many machines show the fee on screen before you confirm. Read it.
Your bank’s fee. Debit cards often charge a percentage for converting currency and sometimes a cash-withdrawal fee on top. Which? gave an example in 2024 of a standard debit card charging 1.5% for foreign cash withdrawals, with a £2 minimum and £4.50 maximum, and said some travel-oriented cards charge nothing. Credit cards are worse: roughly 3% with a minimum, plus interest from the day of withdrawal, according to the same article.
The exchange rate. Normally the card network’s rate, which sits close to the market rate. Unless you accept conversion at the machine, which brings us to the next section.
The screen you must refuse
Many ATMs ask if you’d like to be charged in your home currency. Press no. Choose the local currency.
That offer is dynamic currency conversion: the machine does the conversion at its own rate, which comes with extra fees. Visa’s guidance says declining will not stop you withdrawing cash. A Norwegian bank study cited by the European consumer organisation BEUC found converting at ATMs abroad was on average 7.6% more expensive than letting the bank do it. If a machine insists on conversion and won’t continue without it, use a different one. The separate guide on DCC covers the till as well as the cash machine.
Withdraw less often, take more each time
When the ATM charges a flat fee, the number of withdrawals is the thing you control. Here’s an illustration with made-up round numbers. Say the machine charges 220 baht per withdrawal and you need 6,000 baht for a few days. At an assumed 33 baht to the dollar, that’s about $181.82.
| Plan | Machine fees | In dollars (illustrative) | Fee as share of cash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three withdrawals of 2,000 baht | 660 baht | $20.00 | 11.0% |
| One withdrawal of 6,000 baht | 220 baht | $6.67 | 3.7% |
Same cash, $13 apart. Check USD to THB for the live rate before you go so you know what 6,000 baht is worth to you.
The catch is limits. The machine may cap a single withdrawal; the same Thai guide says most cap foreign cards at about 20,000 to 30,000 baht, depending on bank and machine. Your own bank also sets a daily limit, and Which? mentioned a popular travel card with a £300 daily cash limit. Raise the limit in your banking app before you leave if you can, because you can’t fix it from a pavement in another country.
One more constraint: a big wad of cash is a risk of its own. The right amount is “enough for a few days”, not “everything”.
Which card to carry
Pick a card that doesn’t add a percentage for foreign use or for cash withdrawals. Ask your bank for its foreign fees in writing, or read the fee table for the account. Don’t guess from the marketing page.
Take two cards, and keep them apart. One in your wallet, one in the hotel safe or a different bag. Cards get swallowed, blocked, lost. A second card on a different network or from a different bank is the cheapest insurance on this page.
Tell your bank where you’re going if it asks you to. Some still flag unusual spending abroad as fraud, and a frozen card on day one is a bad start.
What to skip
Credit card cash advances
Which? says to expect roughly a 3% cash fee, interest starting immediately, and that such withdrawals may show on your credit report. Consumer Reports warns the same, noting interest starts accruing immediately. Don’t.
Standalone machines in tourist streets
Not every one is a trap. But a machine with no bank name, in a busy tourist strip, is the likeliest place to find a big fee and a pushy conversion screen. Walk to a bank.
Paying for currency with a credit card
If you order cash before a trip, Which? says paying with a credit card may add a fee. Use a debit card or a bank transfer, and ask first.
Safety habits and the paper trail
Use machines inside a bank branch or a lit lobby, in daylight if you can. Cover the keypad. Take the card and the cash before you walk away. If a machine looks tampered with, has loose parts, or keeps your card, leave and contact your bank.
Keep a note of your bank’s international phone number somewhere that isn’t the phone you may lose.
And keep the amount in your pocket modest. How much to bring in the first place is its own question, since rules on declaring large sums of cash at borders differ by country. Check the rules of your destination before you travel.
Check the receipt, then the statement
Keep the ATM slip until the withdrawal shows on your statement. Three things to compare: the amount of local cash you received, the amount debited from your account, and any fee line next to it. Divide one by the other and you have the rate you actually paid.
Say you withdrew 6,000 baht and your account was debited $187.50 in total, fees included. That works out at 32 baht per dollar. If the market rate that day was 33, you gave up about 3% all in. Illustrative numbers again, but the habit is real: it takes a minute and tells you which of your cards to use next time. If the debit is far higher than you expected, ask your bank for a breakdown of the exchange rate and fee.
Do the same for a second card if you carry one. After a trip or two you’ll know which card to reach for first.
A routine you can copy
- Before you leave: check your card’s foreign fees, raise your daily limit if needed, take a second card.
- If you want a small starter float, order a modest amount from your bank and compare its rate with the market on a page like GBP to EUR.
- On arrival: pay by card where you can, in the local currency.
- For cash: bank ATM, local currency, one larger withdrawal.
- Read the fee and rate screen. Say no to conversion.
To compare several currencies at once, the rate grid works as a benchmark, and rates are refreshed hourly. Fees and limits belong to your bank and the machine owner, so check with them for your own situation.
Sources
- Spending abroad: the 4 dos and 5 don’ts (Which?)
- Where is the best place to exchange foreign currency? (WTOP)
- Best ways to exchange money while traveling (Consumer Reports)
- Dynamic currency conversion (Visa)
- BEUC position paper on dynamic currency conversion (2017)
- The Complete Guide to ATMs in Thailand (Thailand Starter Kit)
Checked: November 2026
