Travel cards are one of the safest and most convenient ways to spend when travelling outside the UK. Besides being secure and reliable, they can help you stay on budget more easily during your holiday. If you’re planning a trip to Australia and considering your payment methods, travel money cards can be a good option.
In this guide, we’ll help you find the best travel card for Australia from the UK. We’ll compare their features so you can choose the one that best suits your spending habits and needs. We’ll also provide some general travel tips for Australia.
We’ll also show you an alternative, the Wise debit card. It’s designed for low-cost spending in Australia (and elsewhere), automatically converting your pounds to the local currency at the great mid-market exchange rate, only adding a tiny, transparent conversion fee*.
Learn more about the Wise debit card 💳
| Table of contents |
|---|
Let’s compare a few of the best travel cards for Australia and point out their differences:
| Travel card | No of currencies | Exchange rate | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut Australian Dollar Card¹ | 36 | Revolut exchange rate² | 2% ATM withdrawal fee after 5 withdrawals or £200 £5 per additional card |
| Travelex Travel Money Card³ | 22 | Mastercard exchange rate⁴ | 2% top-up fee for pounds £5 backup card fee |
| Sainsbury's Bank Travel Money Card⁵ | 15 | Mastercard exchange rate | 2% top-up fee for pounds 5.75% foreign exchange fee £6 for cashing out through Card Services |
| Post Office Travel Money Card⁶ | 22 | Mastercard exchange rate | 1.5% top-up fee for pounds (up to £50) 3% cross-border fee for currencies that aren’t supported £1.5 cash withdrawal fee |
Revolut’s card lets you hold and spend in 36 currencies, making it a great option for traveling to Australia. You can also use it to withdraw Australian dollars from any ATM that accepts Visa or Mastercard.
There are no set limits for loading or spending on your card, though you can establish your own spending limits to help you stay on budget. Also, there are other limits and fees which vary depending on the Revolut plan you choose. For instance, you can withdraw between £200 and £2,000 for free each month, depending on your plan.¹
The card is available in both physical and virtual form. For added security, Revolut offers the option to create single-use virtual cards and use them when paying for different travel expenses.¹
Travelex’s contactless travel card is a great option for traveling to Australia, supporting 22 major currencies. It offers free top-ups, ATM withdrawals and foreign transactions. This card can be used at millions of stores and businesses around the world, including in the UK.
Unlike the Revolut card, Travelex’s card has some spending caps. This includes a £500 daily ATM withdrawal limit and a £3,000 spending limit. You can top it up in-store, online or via the Travelex Money app, with a minimum load of £50.³
Order the Travelex Travel Money Card online for home delivery or pick it up at any Travelex store. To apply, you just need to be 18 or older and provide a government-issued photo ID.⁴
Sainsbury’s Bank offers a travel card that allows you to store and use up to 15 currencies at once, including Australian dollars. If you’re in a hurry, you can pick it up the same day from a local in-store bureau, but you can also have it delivered to your address within 8 days. To sign up, simply select ‘order for collection’ on their official website or choose ‘order for delivery’ if you'd prefer it shipped to you.⁵
This card uses the Mastercard exchange rate, but members of Sainsbury’s Nectar programme have access to better rates. There are no foreign transaction or ATM fees, except those charged by third-party banks.⁵
To make things easier for you, the Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money Card app helps you manage your finances while on the go. Plus, the card detects your location and automatically selects the appropriate currency, so you won’t need to worry about it.
Another possible option is the Post Office Travel Money Card, a contactless prepaid Mastercard mainly designed for use abroad. It’s a convenient way to prepare for your trip by securing local currency, like Australian dollars in this case.
You can order the Post Office card in three different ways: in-branch, on their official website or via the Post Office app. If you apply in person, you’ll receive the card the same day. Online orders take 2-3 working days, which is also quite quick.⁶
If you run out of funds on your card while in Australia, adding more money is simple. You can top-up more Australian dollars through the app or the official Post Office website, with a maximum limit of £5,000 at a time.⁶
A travel card is a prepaid payment card loaded with foreign currency, used for purchases and ATM withdrawals abroad. Unlike travel credit cards, which offer rewards and perks, travel cards hold foreign currency and often have lower foreign transaction fees.
The main benefit is security: with a set balance, your funds are protected if the card is stolen. Additionally, spending is limited to the amount loaded, helping you stay on budget.
Before you travel Down Under, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind.
In recent years, cards are more widely used than cash in Australia. While cash is still in use, cards and digital payment methods have become more popular than ever. In fact, debit cards are now the most commonly used payment method in the country.
If you decide to carry a mix of payment methods, make sure you avoid carrying large sums of money. While Australia isn’t particularly known for pickpockets, this risk exists wherever you travel. Since the travel money cards we’ve covered can be used virtually, that may be the safest method for carrying money
With that, we conclude our guide to the best travel card for Australia from the UK. Take another look at the options and see if we've helped you find the best travel card for your needs.
And if you want another option for spending abroad without worrying about exchange rate markups and hidden fees, the Wise debit card could be a great solution.
Open a Wise account online and you can order the Wise card for a one-time fee of £7. You can use this clever card in 150+ countries, including Australia. It automatically converts your pounds to local currency whenever you spend using the mid-market exchange rate, only adding a tiny, transparent conversion fee* – or it’s free if you already have the local currency in your Wise account.
You also get two free ATM withdrawals for up to 200 GBP (or currency equivalent) each month.
Sources used:
Sources last checked on date: 04-Dec-2024
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Maximise your savings by claiming a VAT refund through Australia's Tourist Refund Scheme. Our guide walks you through how to get the most from your GST refund.
Should you pay with cash or card in Australia? A handy guide including cash etiquette, Australian ATMs and using your UK card.
Travelling to Australia? Check out our guide on everything you need to know about the vaccinations required for your upcoming holiday.
Check out our in-depth guide on everything you need to know about buying a prepaid Australian SIM card, including different providers, pricing, and features.
A handy guide on how Revolut works in Australia, including info for UK customers on using a Revolut card abroad.
Whether you call it the Land Down Under or just Australia, the reality is that there are real restrictions when it comes to bringing cash across borders. If...
