Using your Westpac debit card abroad. The lowdown

Debit cards have made making purchases easy all across Australia. If you are about to head overseas, you are probably wondering if you can take and use your debit card as usual.

We’ll give you the lowdown about using the Westpac Debit card from Westpac bank abroad, including any extra fees and things to keep in mind before you go.

Learn more about the
Wise Account and card

Can you use your Westpac debit card overseas?

Yes, you can use your Westpac debit card wherever Mastercard is accepted worldwide.¹

What to do before you travel abroad with your Westpac debit card

When you travel abroad, you may be thinking of solely relying on your Westpac debit card to access your money. This is fine to do, but your debit card can be blocked if you don’t organise some things before you set off on your adventure. You should:

• Let Westpac know where you intend to travel through the Westpac app²
• Check what sort of payment method is preferred in the country or countries you are visiting
• Organise an international data roaming plan or research local sims

Doing these three things will help stop you from finding yourself stranded with no access to any cash.

What are the fees to use your Westpac debit card abroad

It’s common to have a few extra fees when using your card abroad than if spending locally in Australia. Here are some of the fees that can come with using your Westpac debit card overseas.

As seen on 26 September, 2023

You won't incur any ATM withdrawal fees when using any of the major ATMs in Australia. You can also avoid this ATM withdrawal fee when you find and use an ATM within the Westpac Global ATM Alliance and partner ATMs. It may be possible that overseas merchants or ATM providers may charge you their own fee.³

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

When you make an overseas payment using your Westpac debit card in a different currency, the conversion will use the current Mastercard exchange rate. This will first be converted into USD first (unless already denominated in USD) then into AUD.³ Westpac or Mastercard does not specify if there are any added margins included during the conversion process.

Let’s have a look at an example transaction when making a purchase of 100 USD using the Mastercard conversion calculator for transaction and an alternative provider called Wise.

As seen on 26 September, 2023

As you can see, if you were to make the same purchase using the Wise Debit card available with WIse, you’ll save just over $5 on the transaction.

What are the card spending limits with Westpac debit card

There is an $8,000 daily spending limit when using your Debit Mastercard for a variety of transactions including in store, online, or via phone. When you need to make an ATM withdrawal, there is a daily limit of $1000.

You can increase this limit to a maximum of $2000 through the Westpac App.¹

Dedicated foreign currency travel cards from Westpac

If you want a card that is more travel friendly - aka a card that helps you avoid paying the 3% transaction, Westpac offers the Worldwide Wallet. This card is free to load money to and can be used as your primary payment method abroad, or in conjunction with your debit card.⁶

Keep in mind before your travel

Although we have already touched on a few things to do before you take off abroad, you can never be too prepared. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

• Check your card expiry
• Organise extra payment methods that can be used
• Make sure your daily limits match your budget or needs
• Get to know your pin number or numbers if you have multiple cards
• Monitor your account frequently or set up transaction notifications
• Get to know how to manage your cards security features
• Learn how to contact Westpac in case of an emergency

Westpac also recommends that you choose ‘Credit’ when you use your card overseas.

Blocking your Westpac card if your card gets lost or stolen abroad

If you've lost your card, but are not sure if it’s been stolen, you can put a temporary lock on your card. This lock can last up to 15 days while you search. You can do this two ways⁷:

Westpac App

1. Click on "Cards" in the menu bar.
2. Swipe to pick the card.
3. Tap the "Lock card temporarily" button.

Online Banking

1. Log into your account
2. Find card services
3. Click lock a card temporarily

Whether you lock your card through the app or on the online browser, you can reverse this by following these steps again and pressing Unlock. If your card does get stolen, you should lock your card immediately and report it to Westpac immediately.

Contacting Westpac from overseas

If you ever need to contact Westpac directly, you can:

• Call 132 032 from within Australia
• Call +61 2 9155 7700 from outside Australia

It is also possible to contact Westpac support through the Westpac App.