Fees for using your card in a foreign currency
Compare fees and charges for using your Nationwide debit and credit cards to make purchases or withdraw cash in a non-sterling currency.
What you'll be charged
This page outlines the Nationwide fees for using your card in a non-sterling currency, such as euros or dollars. This includes if you're buying something or withdrawing cash in a foreign currency, in person or online. It also includes if you're using a card or using your card's details stored in a digital wallet on your phone.
This page does not cover every fee you might be charged. For example, there may be additional charges outside of our control from individual retailers or cash machines when you use your card abroad. We recommend you check before you make a transaction.
Choosing how to pay
When you make a card transaction in a foreign currency, you'll be asked whether you want to pay in a foreign currency or pounds sterling.
Paying in a foreign currency
If you choose to pay in a foreign currency, Visa will convert your payment into pounds sterling using their standard Visa exchange rate (opens in a new window). Then, we’ll deduct the amount in pounds sterling from your account.
Paying in pounds sterling
If you choose to pay in pounds sterling, the retailer or cash machine owner will convert your payment. They may also add on additional charges. This will often cost more than paying in the local currency.
Our fees for using your card in a foreign currency
Some of our debit and credit cards have fees for using your card abroad or in a foreign currency. This includes if you pay in person, online or over the phone.
If the fees apply to your card, you’ll pay them on every transaction you make in a foreign currency.
Fees for debit cards
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| FlexAccount debit card | FlexDirect debit card | FlexPlus debit card | FlexBasic debit card | FlexStudent debit card | FlexGraduate debit card | FlexOne cards (debit/cash) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchases made in a foreign currency | |||||||
| Non-sterling transaction fee | 2.99% of the transaction amount | 2.99% of the transaction amount | No fee | 2.99% of the transaction amount | No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Cash withdrawals in a foreign currency outside the UK | |||||||
| Non-sterling transaction fee | 2.99% of the transaction amount | 2.99% of the transaction amount | No fee | 2.99% of the transaction amount | No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Cash withdrawals in a foreign currency within the UK | |||||||
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter, 2.99% of the transaction amount at non-LINK ATMs |
No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter, 2.99% of the transaction amount at non-LINK ATMs |
No fee | No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter, 2.99% of the transaction amount at non-LINK ATMs |
No fee | No fee | No fee |
Fees for credit cards
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| Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards | |
|---|---|
| Purchases made in a foreign currency | |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Cash withdrawals in a foreign currency outside the UK | |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Cash fee | 2.5% of the transaction amount (min £3.00) |
| Cash withdrawals in a foreign currency within the UK | |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Cash fee | 2.5% of the transaction amount (min £3.00) |
Foreign purchases
You make a foreign purchase whenever you use your card to buy something in a foreign currency. This includes in person or online, whether by contactless, using a digital wallet stored on your phone or with any other method of card payment.
The following examples show how a foreign purchase is converted into sterling and how our fees are applied, based on a purchase of €100 processed with exchange rates.
Visa Exchange Rate on 5 June 2023 was €1 = £0.860621.
Shown on statement as £1 = €1.161951.
Foreign purchases using a debit card
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| FlexAccount debit card | FlexDirect debit card | FlexPlus debit card | FlexBasic debit card | FlexStudent debit card | FlexGraduate debit card | FlexOne cards (debit/cash) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase amount | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 (Foreign purchases not available for FlexOne cash card customers) |
| €100 at Visa Exchange Rate | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) |
No fee | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) |
No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Total charge | £88.64 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
Foreign purchases using a credit card
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| Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards | |
|---|---|
| Purchase amount | €100 |
| Commission-free allowance | n/a |
| €100 at Visa Exchange Rate | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Total charge | £86.06 |
Foreign cash withdrawals
You make a foreign cash withdrawal whenever you use your card to:
- withdraw foreign currency from a cash machine abroad,
- withdraw foreign currency from a cash machine in the UK, or
- buy foreign currency over-the-counter at a bureau de change, bank, or Post Office before you go.
The following examples show how a foreign cash withdrawal is converted into sterling and how our fees are applied, based on a withdrawal of €100.
Visa Exchange Rate on 5 June 2023 was €1 = £0.860621.
Shown on statement as £1 = €1.161951.
We have used the Visa exchange rate in our UK cash withdrawal examples to illustrate the indicative costs of using our cards, which you can then use to compare with other providers. This is not intended to be general information on charges for using any card abroad.
Note:
There may be additional charges from cash machines or banks when you withdraw money abroad or in a foreign currency. Check before you make the transaction.
Foreign cash withdrawals outside the UK using a debit card
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| FlexAccount debit card | FlexDirect debit card | FlexPlus debit card | FlexBasic debit card | FlexStudent debit card | FlexGraduate debit card | FlexOne cards (debit/cash) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash withdrawal amount | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 |
| €100 at Visa Exchange Rate | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | No fee | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Total charge | £88.64 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
Foreign cash withdrawals outside the UK using a credit card
Information:
For credit card cash withdrawals, you'll be charged interest at cash rates from the date the transaction is posted to your account.
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| Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards | |
|---|---|
| Cash withdrawal amount | €100 |
| €100 at Visa Exchange Rate | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Cash fee | £3.00 (2.5% of the transaction amount, min. £3.00 |
| Total charge | £89.06 |
Foreign cash withdrawals within the UK using a debit card
If you can't view the whole table, swipe or scroll to show more > > >
| FlexAccount debit card | FlexDirect debit card | FlexPlus debit card | FlexBasic debit card | FlexStudent debit card | FlexGraduate debit card | FlexOne cards (debit/cash) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | LINK cash machine or over the counter | Non-LINK cash machine | |
| Cash withdrawal amount | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 | €100 |
| €100 at Visa Exchange Rate | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | No fee | No fee | No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter | £2.57 (2.99% of the transaction amount) | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee | No fee |
| Total charge | £86.06 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £88.64 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 | £86.06 |
Foreign cash withdrawals within the UK using a credit card
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| Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards | |
|---|---|
| Cash withdrawal amount | €100 |
| €100 @ an exchange rate set by your supplier | £86.06 |
| Non-sterling transaction fee | No fee |
| Cash fee | £3.00 (2.5% of the transaction amount, min. £3.00) |
| Total charge | £89.06 |
Where to buy foreign currency
We do not sell foreign currency in the UK nor do our cash machines dispense foreign currency.
You can withdraw foreign currency over the counter at a bureau de change, bank, Post Office or non-Nationwide cash machine that dispenses foreign currency.
Your supplier should advise you of the rate of exchange they have used, which may be different from the Visa exchange rate for that day.
Using UK cash machines to buy foreign currency
If you use a UK-based cash machine that dispenses foreign currency and it displays the LINK logo, your transaction will come to us as a pounds sterling cash transaction. This means you won’t need to pay a non-sterling transaction fee.
If you use a UK-based cash machine that does not display the LINK logo, the transaction will come to us in the same way as if the cash machine had been located outside the UK. This means we’ll receive the non-sterling amount of the foreign transaction (along with its pounds sterling equivalent, as converted by your cash machine provider) and so you will need to pay our non-sterling transaction fee.