Brit tourists urged to ditch Euros for two travel cards with £0 withdrawal fees
UK holidaymakers have been warned over steep ATM fees in Europe which can wreak havoc on your finances.
Gone are the days when Brits would head over to their local travel agent to buy a whole week's worth of Euros for their holiday. Nowadays, most go away with their bank card - and a pocket full of loose change.
However, many high-street banks still charge customers for using their debit cards abroad on non-sterling transaction fees. This can either be as a one-off charge per transaction, or a percentage of the amount you're withdrawing. While a £2 fee, for example, might not sound like a lot - it can soon add up, especially if you're only comfortably withdrawing small amounts of cash each time. Travel experts over at Ionian Island Holidays have therefore urged Brits to dodge the cost with two specific bank cards.
The pros spoke with Laura Bennet, a 34-year-old from Bristol who spent two weeks travelling across the Greek hotspot of Crete and the Cyclades islands. "I used to accept those small £2–£3 ATM fees as normal, but when they started happening regularly, I realised how much I was losing," she said, in a statement sent to the Mirror.
"This year, I came prepared with the right cards and some basic know-how. I kept my Starling card for cash withdrawals and used Monzo for purchases — both worked really well and showed transactions instantly in the app."
Ionian Island Holidays branded cards like Starling and Monzo as 'game-changers' for travellers, adding: "They're widely accepted in Greece and don't penalise you for accessing your money. [It's] something many visitors still don't realise."
While Monzo and Starling both offer free withdrawals on overseas ATMs, both still come with restrictions. For example, Starling only allows customers to withdraw a maximum of £300 a day, with a cap of six withdrawals per day. If Monzo is your main account, you can make unlimited fee-free cash withdrawals within the European Economic Area (EEA). Outside of the EEA, customers will be limited to withdrawing £200 every 30 days. After these limits, a three per cent fee applies.
Even if your bank card isn't charging you for overseas activity, many ATMs in popular tourist areas will charge for withdrawals. Laura sought out machines operated by local banks such as Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank, and Eurobank in Greece, which she says have clearer fee structures and better security.
"I avoided the flashy machines near tourist shops and instead used ATMs located at actual bank branches," she added. "They felt more trustworthy and usually displayed fees upfront."
Remember, if you're using your card abroad - you should always withdraw in the local currency - and not in GBP. As previously reported, this applies even if an ATM is advertising '0 per cent commission'.
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