Travel hints and tips
Fees and charges
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Fees for using your card abroad

You may be charged for using your debit or credit card abroad to buy something, or withdraw cash in a foreign currency. What you'll pay depends on the transaction you make and the card you use.

On this page you can compare fees and charges, and decide which cards are best for your trip.

You can also compare EEA currency conversion charges while travelling.

Note:

Credit facilities are only available to people over 18 years old.

Our card fees are cumulative. If they apply, you’ll pay them on every transaction.

Choosing how to pay

When making a card transaction – by using your card, or with your card’s details stored in a digital wallet on a device such as your phone – or getting cash out, you’ll be asked whether you want to pay in a foreign currency or pounds sterling.

If you choose to pay in foreign currency, Visa will convert your payment into pounds sterling using their standard exchange rate. Then we’ll deduct the amount in pounds sterling from your account.

If you choose to pay in pounds sterling, the retailer or machine owner will convert your payment.

For more details on this, visit the Visa website (opens in a new window)

Visit our page about charges for converting EEA currency

If you still aren’t sure, there’s more help available on our page called Your financial travel queries answered.

Our fees in detail

Information: These fees also apply when you pay in a foreign currency on the internet or by phone.

Fees for debit cards

If you can't view the whole table, swipe or scroll to show more >>>

Our fees in detail for purchases and withdrawals made with a debit card.
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

Our fees in detail for purchases and withdrawals made with a credit card.
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 n/a
Cash fee 2.5% of the transaction amount (min £3.00)
Cash withdrawals in a foreign currency within the UK
Non-sterling transaction fee n/a
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.

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 1 June 2020 was €1 = £0.90548430.
Shown on statement as £1 = €1.104381.

Foreign purchases using a debit card

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Example showing a €100 foreign purchase converted into sterling and fees for a foreign purchase made with your debit card.
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 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) £2.71
(2.99% of the transaction amount) 		No fee £2.71
(2.99% of the transaction amount) 		No fee No fee No fee
Total charge £93.26 £93.26 £90.55 £93.26 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55

Foreign purchases using a credit card

Example showing a €100 foreign purchase converted into sterling and fees for a foreign purchase made with your credit card.
Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards
Purchase amount €100
€100 at Visa Exchange Rate £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee No fee
Total charge £90.55

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.

Over-the-counter withdrawals include those made at a bureau de change, bank or Post Office. The bureau or cash machine owner may charge you for withdrawing cash.

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 1 June 2020 was €1 = £0.90548430.
Shown on statement as £1 = €1.104381.

Foreign cash withdrawals outside the UK

Foreign cash withdrawals outside the UK using a debit card

If you can't view the whole table, swipe or scroll to show more >>>

Example of charges and fees for a foreign cash withdrawal outside the UK made using a debit card.
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 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) No fee £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) No fee No fee No fee
Total charge £93.26 £93.26 £90.55 £93.26 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55

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.

Example of charges and fees for a foreign cash withdrawal outside the UK made using a credit card..
Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards
Cash withdrawal amount €100
€100 at Visa Exchange Rate £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee n/a
Cash fee £3.00 (2.5%, min. £3.00)
Total charge £93.55

Foreign cash withdrawals within the UK

Foreign cash withdrawals within the UK using a debit card

If you can't view the whole table, swipe or scroll to show more >>>

Example of charges and fees for a foreign cash withdrawal within the UK made using a debit card.
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  £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount) No fee No fee No Fee at LINK ATMs or over-the-counter
 £2.71 (2.99% of the transaction amount)
 No fee No fee No fee No fee No fee No fee
Total charge £90.55 £93.26 £90.55 £93.26 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £93.26 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55 £90.55

Foreign cash withdrawals within the UK using a credit card

Example of charges and fees for a foreign cash withdrawal within the UK made using a credit card.
Member, Select, Nationwide, Classic and Gold credit cards
Cash withdrawal amount €100
€100 @ an exchange rate set by your supplier £90.55
Non-sterling transaction fee n/a
Cash fee £3.00 (2.5%, min. £3.00)
Total charge £93.55

You'll be charged interest at 'cash rates' on credit card cash withdrawals from the date the transaction is posted to your account.

Where you can buy foreign currency in the UK

Nationwide does not sell foreign currency in the UK nor do our ATMs dispense foreign currency. You can withdraw foreign currency over-the-counter at a bureau-de-change/bank/Post Office ®, or at a 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.

About our examples of foreign currency cash withdrawals within the UK

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.

Using a LINK or non-LINK cash machine to buy foreign currency within the UK

If you use a UK-based cash machine that dispenses foreign currency and it displays the LINK logo, then your transaction will come to us as a sterling cash transaction and so no non-sterling transaction fee or charge will be payable.

If you use a UK-based cash machine that does not display the LINK logo then the transaction will come to us in the same way as if the cash machine had been located outside the UK, and we will receive the non-sterling amount of the foreign transaction (along with its sterling equivalent, as converted by your cash machine provider) and so our non-sterling transaction fee or charge will be payable.

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