Best Debit Card for Overseas Travel Australia 2026: Ranked & Reviewed

The Winner: Wise Multi-Currency Account

I’ll cut straight to it. After years of testing, Wise (formerly TransferWise) is the best debit card for overseas travel from Australia in 2026. It’s not even particularly close.

The reason is simple: Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate — the same one you see on Google or XE.com — and adds a small, transparent conversion fee (usually 0.4–0.6% depending on the currency). Every other bank or card either marks up the exchange rate, charges a foreign transaction fee, or both. With Wise, you always know exactly what you’re paying.

I’ve used my Wise card in Vietnam, Portugal, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, Colombia, the UK, and about 30 other countries. It’s been accepted everywhere Mastercard is accepted, the app is excellent, and I can hold and convert between 40+ currencies whenever I want.

Full Comparison Table: Best Travel Cards Australia 2026

Here’s how the top travel debit cards stack up on the fees and features that actually matter when you’re overseas. I’ve focused on the things that cost you real money — foreign transaction fees, ATM fees, and exchange rate markups.

1. Wise — Best Overall Travel Card from Australia

What It Is

Wise is a multi-currency account with a linked Mastercard debit card. You can hold balances in over 40 currencies, convert between them at the mid-market rate, and spend anywhere Mastercard is accepted. It’s not a bank — it’s a financial technology company regulated in Australia by ASIC.

Why I Use It as My Primary Travel Card

I’ve been using Wise since about 2019, originally just for transferring money between my Australian and UK accounts. When I got the debit card, everything changed. I stopped worrying about exchange rates entirely because I knew I was always getting the real rate.

In practical terms, here’s what that looks like. Say I’m buying a bowl of phở in Hanoi for 45,000 VND. With Wise, I get charged based on the actual mid-market rate at that moment, plus a conversion fee of around 0.5%. With a typical Australian bank card, I’d get the Visa or Mastercard rate (slightly marked up) plus a 2–3% foreign transaction fee. On a single bowl of soup, the difference is negligible. Over a month of travelling in Vietnam, it adds up to real money — easily $50–100 AUD saved.

The ATM Situation

Wise gives you 2 free ATM withdrawals per month, up to a combined total of $350 AUD. After that, it’s 1.75% per withdrawal. This is the one area where Wise isn’t perfect — if you’re in a cash-heavy country like Vietnam or Cambodia, you’ll hit that limit quickly.

My workaround: I use Wise for all card payments and keep a backup card (Up Bank) for ATM withdrawals when I need more cash. This combo has worked flawlessly for me across Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe.

Pros

• Mid-market exchange rate — the best rate you’ll find on any card
• Transparent conversion fees (no hidden markups)
• Hold and convert 40+ currencies
• Excellent app with real-time notifications
• Can receive money in AUD, GBP, EUR, USD, and more (great for digital nomads)
• Virtual card available instantly — don’t need to wait for physical card

Cons

• Only 2 free ATM withdrawals per month ($350 AUD limit)
• Not a full bank — no savings account, no lending
• Physical card takes 1–2 weeks to arrive (order before you travel)
• $9 AUD card issuance fee

2. Up Bank — Best Australian Bank for Travel

What It Is

Up is an Australian neobank (backed by Bendigo Bank) that’s become wildly popular with younger Aussies. It’s a full bank account with a Mastercard debit card, and it happens to have genuinely good travel features — specifically, no foreign transaction fees and no ATM withdrawal fees from Up’s side.

Why It’s My Backup Card

Up doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases. That alone puts it ahead of most Australian banks, which typically charge 2–3%. The exchange rate you get is the Mastercard rate, which is decent — usually within 0.3–0.5% of the mid-market rate. Not as good as Wise, but not bad at all.

Where Up really shines as a travel companion is ATM withdrawals. Up doesn’t charge any fees on its end for international ATM withdrawals — no per-transaction fee, no percentage fee, nothing. You’ll still cop whatever fee the local ATM operator charges (and most ATMs in Southeast Asia charge 20,000–50,000 VND or 220 THB), but at least you’re not getting double-dipped by your own bank.

I keep Up as my daily Australian bank account and my backup travel card. If I need cash beyond Wise’s free limit, I use Up. If my Wise card ever gets lost or blocked, Up is there. Having two cards from different providers is just smart travel practice.

Pros

• 0% foreign transaction fee
• No ATM fees from Up’s side (overseas or domestic)
• Full Australian bank account — great for everyday use at home too
• Excellent app (one of the best banking apps in Australia)
• Instant spending notifications
• Round-up savings and other handy features
• Apple Pay and Google Pay

Cons

• Uses Mastercard exchange rate, not mid-market (slightly worse than Wise)
• No multi-currency account — everything converts from AUD
• Local ATM operator fees still apply overseas
• Must be an Australian resident to open an account

3. YouTrip — Best for Southeast Asia Spending

What It Is

YouTrip is a multi-currency prepaid Mastercard that launched in Australia in recent years. It offers wholesale exchange rates with no foreign transaction fees on card payments in over 150 currencies. Think of it as a travel-focused spending card.

Why It’s Worth Considering

YouTrip’s main selling point is the wholesale exchange rate with zero markup on card payments. In my testing, the rate has been very close to the mid-market rate — sometimes even slightly better than Wise on certain currency pairs. For tap-and-go and online purchases overseas, it’s genuinely excellent.

The catch? It’s a prepaid card, not a debit card linked to a bank account. You top it up from your Australian bank account before spending. And critically, it doesn’t support ATM withdrawals — it’s a card-only product. In countries where card payments are widespread (Japan, most of Europe, urban Southeast Asia), this is fine. In cash-heavy countries, you’ll need another card for ATM access.

Pros

• Wholesale exchange rate with 0% foreign transaction fee
• Supports 150+ currencies
• Multi-currency wallet — hold 10+ currencies
• No monthly fees
• Good app with real-time tracking

Cons

• No ATM withdrawals — card payments only
• Prepaid card — must top up before spending
• Not a bank account — no interest, no savings features
• Relatively new in Australia — less track record
• Top-up limits may be restrictive for long-term travellers

4. Revolut — Best for Europe

What It Is

Revolut is a global fintech that’s been available in Australia since 2023. It offers a multi-currency account with a Visa debit card, and on the free Standard plan, you get interbank exchange rates on weekday card spending with no foreign transaction fee.

Why It Ranks Here

Revolut’s free plan is genuinely good for travel — during weekday business hours, you get the interbank (mid-market) exchange rate with no fees on card payments. The problem is the weekend markup: Revolut adds a 1% fee on currency conversions made on weekends and public holidays. If you’re doing a lot of spending on a Saturday night in Barcelona, that adds up.

You can avoid the weekend fee by converting currency in advance (during the week) and holding it in your Revolut account. But that requires planning, and honestly, I travel to not think about stuff like that.

Revolut also has a strong presence in Europe, which means things like local IBAN numbers and easy integration with European services. If you’re doing a long stint in Europe, it’s worth having. For general global travel, Wise is simpler and more consistent.

Pros

• Mid-market exchange rate on weekdays (free plan)
• Hold 30+ currencies
• 1 free ATM withdrawal per month (up to $350 AUD)
• Disposable virtual cards for online security
• Strong European integration
• Crypto and stock trading features (if you’re into that)

Cons

• 1% weekend markup on currency conversion (free plan)
• Only 1 free ATM withdrawal per month on free plan
• 2% ATM fee after free limit
• Paid plans ($12.99–$22.99/month) needed to remove weekend fees
• Customer support has a mixed reputation
• Some reports of accounts being frozen for verification

5. ING Orange Everyday — Solid Free Option

What It Is

ING’s Orange Everyday is a fee-free transaction account with a Visa debit card. If you meet their monthly conditions (deposit $1,000+ and make 5+ card purchases), you get fee-free international ATM withdrawals and no foreign transaction fees.

Why It’s Still Worth Mentioning

ING used to be the default recommendation for Australian travellers, and it’s still decent. The key advantage is truly unlimited free international ATM withdrawals — no cap on the number or amount, provided you meet the monthly conditions. For backpackers in cash-heavy countries, that’s genuinely useful.

The conditions aren’t hard to meet: deposit $1,000 AUD into the account each month and make at least 5 settled card purchases (of any amount). If you’re using it as your salary account, this happens automatically. If you’re a long-term traveller without regular income, you might need to set up a recurring transfer from another account.

The exchange rate is the Visa rate, which is fine but not as good as Wise’s mid-market rate. And if you fail to meet the conditions in any month, you lose the fee-free benefits and cop a $2.50 international ATM fee plus a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. That’s harsh.

Pros

• Unlimited free international ATM withdrawals (conditions met)
• 0% foreign transaction fee (conditions met)
• Full bank account with savings options
• Well-established Australian bank

Cons

• Must meet monthly conditions ($1,000 deposit + 5 purchases)
• Lose all benefits if conditions aren’t met (2.5% FX fee kicks in)
• Uses Visa exchange rate (not mid-market)
• No multi-currency account
• App is functional but not as slick as Up or Wise
• Can’t open from overseas — must set up before you leave

Other Cards Worth Mentioning

Macquarie Transaction Account

Macquarie offers no foreign transaction fees and no international ATM fees on its transaction account. No conditions to meet, unlike ING. The exchange rate is the Mastercard rate. It’s a solid option, but the app and overall experience aren’t as polished as Up or Wise. Worth considering if you want a simple, no-conditions Australian bank account for travel.

HSBC Everyday Global Account

HSBC’s multi-currency account lets you hold 10 currencies and spend without foreign transaction fees in those currencies. The catch is that the supported currencies are limited, and the exchange rates for conversion aren’t always competitive. It’s better suited for frequent travellers to specific countries (US, UK, Europe) rather than backpackers bouncing around the world.

CommBank Travel Money Card (Avoid)

I want to specifically mention this one because it’s heavily marketed to Australian travellers. The CommBank Travel Money Card (and similar prepaid travel cards from the big four banks) typically offer poor exchange rates, limited currencies, and various fees. They exist because the big banks know travellers are looking for solutions, but they’re not actually good solutions. You’ll almost always do better with Wise or Up.

How I Tested These Cards

I don’t write reviews based on spec sheets. Here’s how I’ve actually tested these cards:

• Real spending across 40+ countries — I’ve used these cards for accommodation, food, transport, activities, and everything in between
• Exchange rate comparison — I regularly compare the rate I’m charged against the XE.com mid-market rate at the time of transaction to calculate the true cost
• ATM withdrawals in different countries — testing which cards get hit with double fees and which don’t
• Card acceptance — noting where cards are declined or not accepted
• App reliability — can I check my balance, freeze my card, and get notifications while on dodgy hostel wifi?
• Customer support — I’ve contacted support for several of these providers when things went wrong

I once had my Wise card temporarily blocked while trying to pay for a guesthouse in rural Laos. No card payment backup, limited cash. Thankfully, I had my Up card in a separate bag and sorted it within minutes. That experience cemented my two-card rule: always carry cards from at least two different providers, stored in different places.

What to Look for in a Travel Debit Card

If you’re comparing cards yourself, here are the things that actually matter — in order of importance:

1. Exchange Rate (Most Important)

This is where most of your money is lost or saved. The mid-market rate (what you see on Google) is the real rate. Every card that doesn’t use the mid-market rate is marking it up, even if they claim “0% foreign transaction fee.” A card with 0% FX fee but a 1% rate markup costs you the same as a card with a 1% FX fee and the real rate.

Wise uses the mid-market rate and charges a transparent conversion fee. Most banks use the Visa or Mastercard rate, which is slightly marked up. The difference is usually 0.3–0.8% depending on the currency.

2. Foreign Transaction Fee

This is a percentage fee charged on every overseas purchase. Most Australian banks charge 2–3%. The cards I recommend above all charge 0% (or close to it). This is the easiest fee to avoid — just don’t use a card that charges it.

3. ATM Withdrawal Fees

If you’re travelling in Southeast Asia, South America, or Africa, you’ll need cash regularly. ATM fees come from two sources: your card provider and the local ATM operator. You can control the first (by choosing the right card) but not always the second.

4. Multi-Currency Account

Being able to hold multiple currencies is useful if you’re a digital nomad earning in different currencies, or if you want to convert money when the rate is favourable and spend it later. Not essential for a two-week holiday, but very useful for long-term travel.

5. App Quality and Notifications

Real-time spending notifications are surprisingly important when travelling. They let you instantly confirm a payment went through, spot any unexpected charges, and track your daily spending. Wise and Up both excel here.

My Exact Travel Card Setup in 2026

After years of optimising, here’s exactly what I carry:

Three cards might sound excessive, but each serves a specific purpose, and I’ve needed all three at various points. The ING card has sat unused for months at a time, but the one time I needed it (Mastercard network outage in Portugal), I was very glad to have it.