How to avoid foreign card fees when travelling in Europe: DCC, ATM charges and weekend rates

The quickest way to cut card costs abroad is to always pay and withdraw in the local currency, and to use a card that adds no foreign transaction fee of its own. After that, the main costs left are ATM allowances, fees charged by the ATM operator and, with some providers, a mark-up on exchanges made at the weekend.

The fees you can meet abroad

When you use a card outside your home currency, up to four different charges can apply:

The first one is the easiest to avoid, and often the most expensive, because the shop or ATM sets the exchange rate.

Always choose the local currency

Card terminals and ATMs abroad often ask whether you want to pay in your home currency, for example pounds instead of euros. This is called dynamic currency conversion (DCC). If you accept, the conversion is done by the merchant or ATM operator at a rate they choose. Starling's own travel advice warns that in that case "you'll be given the exchange rate determined by the merchant (likely to be higher)", and tells customers to decline the ATM's optional conversion rate. Revolut gives the same advice: "Always choose the local currency when asked at checkout."

If you choose the local currency, your own card provider does the conversion at the rate and fees set in your account terms.

What EU rules require

Regulation (EU) 2019/518 added transparency rules on currency conversion in the EU:

• Before you pay, an ATM or card terminal that offers conversion must show the amount in the local currency and in your account currency, and tell you that you can pay in the local currency and let your own provider convert it.
• Conversion charges must be shown as a percentage mark-up over the latest euro reference rates of the European Central Bank.
• For card payments and ATM withdrawals in another EU currency, an EU card provider must send you an electronic message with that mark-up (at most once a month per currency), and you can opt out of these messages. These rules have applied since 19 April 2020 and 19 April 2021.

Within the euro area, cross-border payments in euros must cost the same as national ones. The EU's Your Europe portal puts it simply: you should pay the same transaction charges as if you were using your card at home. The EU sets no standard price for converting currencies, though; that remains a commercial decision of each provider.

What the neo banks on our site charge abroad

Fees depend on the provider, the plan and the country of your account. These are the figures each provider publishes for its free plan:

A few details matter:

• Weekend exchange. Revolut's Standard fee document applies a 1% fee to exchanges made between 5pm Friday and 6pm Sunday, New York time. Card payments that need a conversion at that time count too, so if you can, top up your foreign-currency balance on a weekday.
• ATM operator fees come on top. Monzo and Starling both say that some ATMs charge their own fee, which your provider does not receive or control. The machine has to show it before you confirm.
• Monthly allowances reset on a rolling basis. Monzo's 30-day period starts with your first withdrawal, not on the first of the month; Revolut's Standard allowance is also per rolling month.
• Paid plans raise the limits. Monzo's Perks and Max raise fee-free cash outside the EEA to £600, and N26 Go and Metal remove the foreign-currency ATM fee. Check whether you would actually use the extra allowance before paying for it.

Revolut's fee terms differ by country and entity, so check the fees page for your own country in the app before you travel. Compare all providers by your country on our comparison page, or look at the UK accounts with /?country=GB.

A simple checklist before you travel

1. Check your plan's rules for foreign spending and cash, and note the monthly allowance.
2. Always choose the local currency at the till and at the ATM; if the screen shows your home currency, cancel and start again.
3. Use bank-branded ATMs where possible and read the fee screen before you confirm.
4. Take out fewer, larger withdrawals if your provider counts the number of withdrawals.
5. If your provider charges at weekends, convert money in the app before Friday evening.
6. Keep receipts and compare them with the amount in your app; the app shows the rate that was used.

For more detail on individual providers, see our guides to UK neo banks compared and euro-area neo banks: N26, bunq and Revolut.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) 2019/518 on cross-border payments and currency conversion charges
• Your Europe: FAQs on payments, transfers and cheques (European Union)
• Starling Bank: travel and spending abroad
• Starling Bank: how to avoid card charges abroad
• Monzo: understanding fees for using your Monzo card abroad
• N26: save money when you use your debit card abroad
• Revolut Bank UAB: Standard plan fees (applies from 9 July 2026)
• Revolut: how to use Revolut abroad

Prices and features checked on 4 November 2026.

This guide is general information, not financial advice. Fees, features and availability change, so check the provider's own website before you apply. Read how we compare providers and our affiliate disclosure.