Using your ING Australia debit card abroad. The lowdown

As a current or potential customer of ING Australia (ING) you might be curious about whether or not you can use the ING debit card for your next trip overseas. We’re going to let you know what’s possible and which fees may apply when you use the card abroad.

We’ll also let you know about some alternatives that could be a better option for travel.

💸 Hold 40+ currencies in your account and spend at the mid-market exchange rate with the Wise Debit card while abroad.

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Can you use your ING Australia debit card overseas?

Yes, it’s possible to use your ING debit card abroad but it’s worth considering if you actually want to.¹ To help you decide we’re going to delve into some of the relevant facts and figures so you can make an informed decision on the best way to manage your money while you travel.

What to do before you travel abroad with your ING Australia debit card

Before you lift off, ING suggests it’s a good idea to keep them in the loop with your international travel plans. You can do this via the ING app.⁴

• Open the ING App and login
• Go to Settings
• Select “Use card overseas”
• Input your departure date, return date and destinations
• Hit “Send notification”

It’s important to keep in mind that a travel alert only remains active in the ING system for a maximum of 30 days. As a result, you want to submit the alert close to your departure date and will need to resubmit it if you’re going to be away for more than 30 days.

What are the fees to use your ING Australia debit card abroad

When you use your ING debit card overseas there are some fees that might apply.

Transaction	ING Australia³
International transaction fee	3% of the value of the transaction
International ATM enquiry	No fee
International ATM withdrawal	$5.00 fixed rate fee per transaction Note: Some ATM service providers may charge their fee.

As seen on 3 July 2024

International transaction fee rebate

As an ING customer you may be eligible for a rebate when your ING debit card is used abroad.⁴

Transaction	ING Australia
International transaction fee	Rebate the first 5 eligible ING ATM withdrawal fees made on the account that month
International ATM withdrawal	Unlimited rebate on international transaction fees

Here’s the eligibility criteria you need to meet to be able to take advantage of the rebates.

• Deposit at least $1000 from an external source into any of your personal ING accounts
• Make 5 or more eligible card purchases with your ING card

If you meet the criteria this month, you’ll receive the benefits next month.

The other option is to hold an ING Home Loan, which automatically makes you eligible for the rebates without needing to meet the other criteria.

What is the exchange rate ING Australia uses for your overseas foreign currency payments

When you spend money in a currency other than AUD it’s Visa who handles the exchange for ING.¹ The way it works is they convert the amount you spent into AUD, then ING debits that amount from your account.

This is a bit different to Wise who use the mid-market rate for their customers. If you haven’t heard of it before, the mid-market rate is the middle point between the buy and sell rates on the foreign exchange market, making it a fair way to decide.

To get a sense of how Wise and Visa compare, here's what you would get if you converted $100 AUD to USD.

Visa²	Wise
Exchange rate of 0.667399 $100 AUD = $66.74	Exchange rate of 0.6687 $100 AUD = $66.87

As seen on 3 July 2024

Remember that this is not necessarily what your account would be charged, it’s just what Visa exchanges the currency for. Also, it’s possible that the foreign currency may be exchanged into USD first, before converting to AUD.¹

Wise utilises the mid-market exchange rate with no margins added. With Wise, the rate you see above is what you get once the conversion fee is deducted.

It’s all transparent and you can see upfront what fees you pay and how much you’ll get once you convert your money. Have a quick play with our currency calculator here to see the latest fees and exchange rate.⁶

What are the card spending limits with ING Australia debit card

If you have an ING debit card attached to an Everyday Banking account then the daily limit on transaction at a point of sale using cheque or saving is $50,000.³ With Google Pay it’s $1000 USD per transaction.

Dedicated foreign currency travel cards from ING Australia

Rather than using a normal debit card for trips abroad you could use a dedicated travel card instead. Here’s a few of the travel money cards on the market for Australian customers.

• Commbank Travel Money Card
• Westpac Worldwide Wallet
• Bank of Melbourne Worldwide Wallet
• Travelex Travel Card
• Travel Money Oz Currency Pass

ING don’t have a specific travel money card at the moment, but they do have the ING Orange One credit card which may give you some travel perks and benefits.

Keep in mind before your travel

When it comes to travelling and money, here's a few things to consider before you take off.

• Check the mid-market exchange rate before you leave so you can get a general idea of how much AUD is worth in the local currency where you’re going.
• Having some local currency on hand might be helpful when you arrive at your destination. You could get it by using an airport currency exchange service, ordering it in Australia from a bank or similar, or withdrawing cash from an ATM when you get there.
• To safeguard yourself in the event that something unforeseen occurs while you are travelling, think carefully about purchasing travel insurance.

Blocking your ING Australia card if your card gets lost or stolen abroad

If your ING card goes missing you can go into the ING app and put it on a temporary hold.⁵

• Login to the ING app
• Select the account
• Press the dropdown arrow next to the account name
• Select “Temporarily hold card”

To unblock the card it’s the same process, but you choose to unhold the card at the end.

If you want to cancel the card and order a replacement you can also do this through the app or through your ING online banking.

Here’s the steps to take to cancel it through the ING app.

• Login and choose the appropriate account
• Select “Report lost or stolen card”
• Verify if any transactions seem suspicious
• Confirm the shipping address
• Create new card PIN
• Complete the security codes
• Confirm the order

To cancel and order a new card through internet banking this is what you need to do.

• Go to ing.com.au and log in.
• Go to “Accounts” > “More” > “Report lost or stolen card”
• Choose the account
• Press on “Report a stolen or missing card”
• Confirm whether any transactions seem suspicious
• Complete the security codes
• Confirm the address
• Create a new PIN for your card
• Confirm the order

Contacting ING Australia from overseas

If you have other questions for ING you can reach out to them directly.

• Use the secure messaging function in te ING app and online banking
• Call 133 464 in Australia
• Phone +61 2 9028 4077 from abroad

Travel with Wise

With a Wise Account you can hold money in 40+ currencies and spend it in 150+ countries. You can also order local account details in popular world currencies like AUD, NZD, USD, EUR, GBP to receive local and/or international payments like a local.

Whenever you exchange currencies it’s done using the mid-market rate with a transparent conversion fee shown upfront.

To make everyday spending easier you can order a Wise Debit card for your Wise Account and generate virtual cards as needed. If you have the local currency in your Wise Account the Wise card will use it. If you don’t have local currency converted, it uses smart technology to auto-convert your money at the mid-market rate, for a transparent conversion fee.

The Wise card may suit you better if you’re to spend money that you’ve stored in different currencies within an existing Wise Account, and benefit from 2 or less free cash withdrawals under $350 AU, or foreign equivalent, per month (keep in mind that ATM providers may charge their own fees). You can see our full fee breakdown for ATM withdrawals here.

Join over 16 million customers currently using Wise. It’ll only take a few minutes to register and see what’s inside.

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Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information

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Sources:

1. ING - Orange Everyday Terms & Conditions
2. Visa - Exchange Rate Calculator
3. ING - Orange Everyday fees
4. ING - Using your card internationally
5. ING - What do I do if my Visa Debit or Credit Card has been lost or stolen
6. Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.

Sources checked on: 5 July 2024