Your Australian bank still charges you overseas after 1 October, here's how much

Trek Guide The big four still charge 3% to 3.5% on overseas debit spending. Each bank's fee page, the 0% cards and the AUD till trap, as of October 2026. By Bishnu Adhikari · Oct 9, 2026 Read the full story

As of 9 October 2026, the big four still charge you between 3% and 3.5% every time you use an ordinary debit card overseas, and $5 for most overseas ATM withdrawals. The Reserve Bank's 1 October reforms cut what Australian businesses pay to accept cards and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What changed on 1 October, and what did not

The fee for paying with your card overseas did not change; the rules for paying by card in Australia did. From 1 October 2026 the Reserve Bank removed surcharging on debit, prepaid and credit cards on the eftpos, Mastercard and Visa networks, and lowered the… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What the big four charge on an ordinary debit card

CommBank and NAB charge 3.5% and Westpac and ANZ charge 3%, and all four add a flat fee at most overseas ATMs. We read each bank's own fee page or fee booklet on 9 October 2026. The detail differs in ways that matter once you add a few withdrawals. Two quirks… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The 0% debit and e-money cards, and their catches

Up and Macquarie charge no fees of their own on overseas purchases or ATM withdrawals, while Wise and Revolut are close to free inside their limits. Each figure below comes from the provider's own pricing page on 9 October 2026, Australian accounts only. The… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What a $3,000 trip costs on each card

A standard big-four debit card costs about $100 to $115 in fees on a $3,000 trip; the 0% cards cost between nothing and about $13. Our example: $2,500 of card purchases in US dollars and $500 of cash in two $250 withdrawals from a local bank's ATM, all on… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Dynamic currency conversion can make you pay twice

Always choose the local currency when a card machine or ATM abroad offers to charge you in Australian dollars. That offer is dynamic currency conversion: the merchant's provider sets the exchange rate instead of Mastercard or Visa, and the markup is built… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The verdict

Do not travel on a standard big-four debit card. Their 3% to 3.5% fee on a $3,000 holiday is about $100 to $115, and the 1 October reforms did nothing to it. If you would rather stay with your bank, CommBank's World Debit or NAB's Platinum Visa Debit removes… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

Which travel money card costs less abroad. Why the home-currency button costs more. What changed at the checkout on 1 October. The habits that cut fees on any trip. Sources: CommBank, "Choose the debit card that suits you" (Debit Mastercard and World Debit… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Trek Nepal with local guides

Plan your trek NMA-certified guides · permits sorted · 5,000+ treks since 1998. Plan this trek

Get the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide

Free guide Permits, costs, seasons and routes — the essentials we send every traveller, plus a free, no-obligation trip quote. ↑ Swipe up Read the full report and grab the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide — or ask our Pokhara team for a tailored, no-obligation quote. Read more & get the free guide Plan my trip — free quote