The best banks and cards for British travellers

Account	Network	Type	Foreign ATM fees overseas	Foreign currency transaction fees	notes
Starling Bank Current Account	Mastercard	Debit	0	0
Chase Current Account	Mastercard	Debit	0	0
Virgin Money MPlus Account	Mastercard	Debit	0	0
First Direct Current Account	Mastercard	Debit	0	0
Monzo Bank Current Account	Mastercard	Debit	0 in EEA, outside £200 per month free	0	need to use Monzo as your main bank account
Metrobank Current Account	Mastercard	Debit	0 in EEA, outside £1.50	0 in EEA, outside 2.5%
Barclaycard Rewards	Visa	Credit	0	0
EasyFX	Mastercard	Prepaid	0	0	inactivity fee after 12 months without usage

Recommendations:

Get Starling if you can, if not get Virgin Money. If your travels are limited to Europe Monzo and Metrobank are also very good.

The best credit card for low-fee travel is offered by Barclaycard and 118118. All others charge at least interest for cash withdrawals from day one.

If you prefer a prepaid card, get EasyFX.

Notes:

All other banks apart from those listed above charge at least a currency conversion fee, many also add a withdrawal fee on top.
Barclays Bank participates in the Global ATM Alliance which gives free ATM access in a number of countries. Still not a good deal because Barclays does not waive their 2.75% currency conversion fee.
If your’re under 18, good news – Starling is open to anyone 16 and over, Nationwide 11 and over.

Term explainer:

Overseas ATM fee: The fee your own bank charges you for withdrawals when you use a foreign ATM abroad.

ATM surcharge rebate: How much of the fee the owner of the foreign ATM may charge you directly your bank will pay back to you. Not all ATMs charge a fee, but if they do it will show up on the screen at some point during the withdrawal process.

Foreign currency transaction fee: The fee your bank charges you for a transaction in a foreign currency. Unless otherwise noted this fee applies to both, ATM withdrawals and POS transactions in a store/ or on the internet.

Spotted a mistake, or know another card that doesn’t charge? Shoot me an email at webmaster [at] nofeesoverseas.com

Disclaimer

I’m not a financial advisor, everything you read on this website is for informational purposes only. While doing my best, I do not take responsibility for the accuracy of the information. Make sure you read all the fine print before you sign up for any of these products. If you have questions about fees or terms contact the bank/ card issuer.