Using Barclaycard abroad: What you should know (2024)

Planning a trip abroad? Then you’ll need to consider the best way to pay for souvenirs and services while away. Using debit or credit cards abroad is often the most convenient and safe option. Though using cards overseas can get expensive due to fees and charges.

If you’re a Barclays customer, have a Barclaycard or hold a Barclays debit card, then you’ll need to get familiar with fees and how to use your card abroad so that you can make your money go further. That’s why we’ve created this helpful guide.

Key takeaways: Using your Barclaycard abroad

• You can use both your Barclaycard and your Barclays debit card abroad
• Different card types (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, Amex) have different fees and currency exchange rates
• Avoid ATMs at airports as these often have unfavourable fees
• When using a Barclays debit card or Barclaycard at an ATM, withdraw local currency to avoid higher fees
• Always use local currency when paying for goods or services on your card
• Stay safe using your card abroad with our handy tips
• The Wise card could be an alternative if you make card payments abroad regularly

There’s also an alternative to using your Barclays credit or debit card abroad, the Wise card from the money services provider Wise. It’s not a credit card, but it is an international debit card which allows you to spend in 150+ countries for low-fees*.

Learn more about the Wise card 💳

More on that later, first, let’s look at whether or not you can use your Barclaycard abroad.

Can I use my Barclaycard abroad?

Yes, you can use your Barclaycard card abroad to make purchases or withdraw cash at an ATM.

If a retailer has the contactless symbol displayed, then you should also be able to use your contactless card like you do at home.

Some countries, however, haven’t fully adopted contactless technology so you may be out of luck, especially in rural areas.

Fees for using your Barclaycard abroad

While you can use your Barclaycard overseas, there may be additional fees to pay.

According to the Barclaycard website, each purchase abroad using your card will cost you an additional non-sterling fee of 2.99%¹.

This means it might be more cost effective to withdraw cash from an ATM.

However, a cash transaction fee, also 2.99% (with a minimum fee of £2.99)¹ also applies when using an ATM to withdraw foreign currency so you’ll need to work out which option is best for you.

We’ll go into more detail on fees later on, including a comparison table. For now, let’s take a look at using a Barclays debit card overseas.

Can I use my Barclays debit card abroad?

Yes, you can use your Barclays debit card abroad to make purchases or withdraw cash.

Depending on where you’re travelling most retailers will display the contactless symbol, so you can use your contactless card the same as you would back home.

Again, be mindful that some countries have a lower contactless technology adoption or may even prefer cash as the main form of payment.

Do some research if you’re heading on holiday somewhere off the beaten track, as it might be a good idea to take some cash with you, too.

We’ve got you covered with some popular destination guides to help you work out whether cash or card is a better option:

• Cash or card in Greece
• Cash or card in Portugal
• Cash or card in Thailand

How much does it cost to use my Barclays debit card abroad?

If you use your debit card abroad for purchases, you will incur fees.

For using your Barclay debit card abroad that fee is 2.99%².

And it’s not just in-person purchases, the fee is also applied when making cash withdrawals in a foreign currency, and even shopping online on a non-UK website.

If using a foreign ATM, depending on the cash machine provider, there may even be additional service charges.

In some cases, you may have a debit card that offers no fees on non-sterling transactions and withdrawals, but you can still be caught out by foreign ATM providers fees.

The cost of spending abroad with Barclays³

Whether you choose to spend abroad using your Barclays debit or credit card, you’re going to incur some fees. There are a lot of reasons why this is.

Firstly, it depends on whether your card is Visa, Mastercard or Amex, as these are companies who process transactions for the bank.

Visa, Mastercard and Amex fees

Although your card is issued by a bank, in the case of Barclays, all their card providers rely on one of these three companies to process transactions for them.

Each has a slightly different approach to calculating the currency exchange rate that will be applied to your purchases while you’re away.

You can find out easily which your card uses by looking for the symbol on the card itself but you’ll find a selection of the different Barclays issued cards below.

Barclays cards and providers

Visa	Mastercard	Amex
Barclays Visa Debit Card	Barclaycard Avios Card	American Express® Platinum Card
Barclaycard Forward Credit Card	Barclaycard Avios Plus Card	American Express® Basic Card
Barclaycard Platinum 12/20/28 Month Balance Transfer Visa
Barclaycard Platinum all-rounder Visa
Barclaycard Rewards Visa

Does Mastercard provide better rates than Visa?

The differences in rates for international purchases are fairly small and will vary depending on which currency you’re spending in. You can see how your card exchange rate compares to the mid-market rate, using an online currency converter.

If you want to find out more, you can find the daily exchange rates being used between different currencies by Visa, Mastercard and Amex on their websites below:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Amex - you will need to have an account and login to view the Amex exchange rates

The handy online tools above will help you work out what you’ll actually be charged on a day-to-day basis if you make purchases abroad using your Barclaycard or your Barclays debit card.

For example, if you spend EUR 100 in a restaurant during a long weekend trip to Paris, and use your Mastercard Barclaycard, the exchange rate applied may have looked like:

• 1 EU = 0.8879798 GBP (as of 10th May 2024)

Using this exchange rate, plus the non-sterling transaction fee charged by your card provider, you can see that the final bill totalled £88.80. The exchange rate used will fluctuate, of course, so check online tools regularly.

Why not check out our currency converter below, we use the mid-market exchange rate to help you avoid getting hit with higher than necessary fees*.

You can even sign up for alerts to track the exchange rate to make sure you’re getting the fairest rate.

Potential fees for using your Barclays credit or debit card abroad

Depending on whether you use your Barclaycard or your Barclays debit card abroad and how you use it, there are generally five different fees at play. Let’s dig a little deeper and explore each of these.

Fee 1: Foreign exchange rate mark-ups

For example, let’s say you have a Barclays Visa debit card. In this case, the bank will apply the exchange rate being used by Visa on that day in order to convert your purchase into GBP.

The fee is based on the Visa exchange rate on the day your transaction was authorised².

You might notice that there’s a small mark-up added from the exchange rate you find when you search for the currency pair on Google.

This is typical, and these exchange rates are relatively fair if you’re being charged in the local currency. It’s only when you’re charged in GBP that you run into mark-ups, this is called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). But more on that later.

Fee 2: Non-sterling fees

On top of any exchange rate markups, Barclays will then deduct a further cut for itself, which is known as a non-sterling transaction fee, or a non-sterling cash fee².

Fee 3: ATM provider fees

Next, if you’re taking cash out of an ATM, there may also be further charges to pay. For a Barclays debit card, if you don’t use a Global Alliance ATM, you can expect to pay a further £1.50 fee⁴.

Here's a list of cash machines that are part of the Global Alliance ATM network:

Bank	Coverage areas
Bank of America	United States
Barclays	United Kingdom, Worldwide
BNP Paribas	France
Deutsche Bank	Germany
Scotiabank	Canada, Guatemala, Mexico
Ukrsibbank	Ukraine
Westpac Bank	Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands

It’s also worth being wary, as some individual banks or ATM providers might levy their own fees on top of those your bank charges.

Depending on where you’re travelling to, we have some short guides on ATMs, including their locations and potential fees. As a Brit, you’re likely heading to one of these three popular holiday destinations:

• ATMs in Turkey
• ATMs In Greece
• ATMs in Spain

Fee 4: Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)

Earlier we mentioned Dynamic Currency Conversion, but why should you try to avoid it? Well, DCC can be applied nearly anywhere your card is accepted overseas.

For example, you might be asked if you want your purchase at an ATM, restaurant or store to be processed in GBP instead of the local currency wherever you are. Often, this is touted as a convenience, but it should most definitely be avoided. But foreign currency exchange rates using DCC are never as good as those your card provider will give you.

Your bank has an interest in ensuring you’re happy with their services. A foreign provider, whether a local business or ATM provider, however, has no such obligation and will happily mark up an exchange rate so they can pocket the difference.

These providers use their own, mostly poor, exchange rates so you’ll be unnecessarily paying more than you need to for holiday purchases.

Fee 5: Credit card interest rates

If you’re covering your holiday spending with your Barclaycard credit card, the process will be similar. However, you’ll also have to take into account any interest charges you might incur if you don’t pay your bill at the end of the month.

Some credit cards do come with promotional offers which could mean that you have a grace period during which your purchases are interest-free. And the exact fees you’re liable for will be available online or on the back of your card statements.

Overview: Barclaycard and Barclays debit card fees and rates abroad

The below comparison table is a rough guide, as different card types will vary slightly to include promotions and opening offers which may improve the rates available.

Here are the fees you'll be charged to use your credit or debit card while you’re away:

Transaction Type	Barclays Debit Card2	Barclaycard Credit Card (Visa)1	Barclaycard Credit Card - (Mastercard)1	Barclaycard Credit Card (Amex)5
Purchases / Non-sterling Transaction Fee	2.99% (or 2.75% for Business Banking customers)6	2.99%	2.99%	2.99%
ATM Withdrawals / Foreign Cash Fee	Non-Sterling Transaction Fee plus £1.50 if not using a Global Alliance ATM4	2.99%	2.99%	3% of withdrawal amount or £3 (whichever is greater) plus non-sterling transaction fee5

📚 Read more: Barclays Travel Wallet

What if my Barclays credit or debit card gets lost or stolen while I’m overseas?

It’s a nightmare scenario, but it’s worth thinking about how you’ll cope if your card goes missing somehow when you’re on your holiday.

If you lose your card when you’re abroad, you must contact either Barclays Bank, or Barclaycard as soon as you can to report the loss. In both cases, they’ll cancel the card and may be able to issue you a temporary card or some emergency funds to tide you over while you’re away.

You can do this via the app, by phone or online. Below are the 24/7 contact numbers you’ll need:

Barclaycard⁷

• From the UK, call 0800 161 5308 and press option 1
• From abroad call +44 1604 230 230

Barclays Bank⁸

• From the UK, call 0345 7 345 345
• From overseas call +44 2476 842 099

You can also get card protection insurance which could offer additional help if your card is lost or stolen while you’re abroad. However, this will come at a fee. Card protection can be arranged through your bank or by using an insurance company. If you do take this additional protection, make sure you have all your policy details with you when you travel - just in case.

Is it better to use debit or credit cards abroad?

Your personal preferences and spending habits will dictate whether it’s best to use a debit or credit card abroad.

✅ Debit card pros:

• Spend anywhere without needing to change currency
• More secure than carrying cash around
• Often have lower non-sterling transactions fees compared to credit cards
• Access to cash via ATMs if you need it (though this could incur fees depending on the ATM provider)
• Mastercard and Visa offer exchange rates close to the mid-market exchange rate.

⛔ Debit card cons:

• Not all debit cards are fee-free for spending overseas
• Debit cards don’t offer Section 75 protection like credit cards do
• Opening a current account sometimes requires you to pass a credit check.

✅ Credit card pros:

• Spread the cost of your holiday over time
• Spend anywhere without needing to change currency
• Greater security and fraud protection due to Section 75 protection
• Access to cash via ATMs if you need it (though this could incur fees)
• Mastercard and Visa offer exchange rates close to the mid-market exchange rate
• Some credit cards have additional cashback or rewards.

⛔ Credit card cons:

• Requires a credit check
• Risk of late or defaulted repayments affecting your credit score
• Interest rates on cash withdrawals
• Often have higher non-sterling transactions fees compared to debit cards
• Cash withdrawals can also leave a mark on your credit history.

6 Tips for using your Barclaycard or Barclays debit card abroad

Take a secondary card card 💳

It’s well worth having a secondary bank card just in case there’s a problem with your main card such as theft, loss or damage. Also, if your bank does note anything suspicious they may restrict or limit your card. Having a backup card on hand will help to avoid this.

Pay and withdraw in local currency 💱

By now, you will know that it’s always best to pay for purchases and withdraw currency from ATMs in the local currency to avoid unnecessary fees.

Use ATMs in well-lit, secure areas 🏧

Like you would at home, take care at ATMs, and be mindful of your surroundings. Your safest best bet is to use an ATM in a bank.

Track spending on the Barclays app 📱

Monitor your purchases on the Barclays app and while you’re on holiday adjust your settings to include push notifications if you don’t already have them setup. You’ll receive a notification anytime money enters or leaves your account so you’ll know exactly what you’re spending and will be alerted to anything suspicious. Another bonus of tracking spend is that you’re less likely to overspend.

Switch international spending on or off 🔛

In the Barclays app, you can also turn off in-store international spending to prevent your card being used abroad for extra safety⁹. Simply select your debit card in the app followed by ‘In-store international spending’ and toggle the switch on or off.

Bring some cash 💶

Keep a bit of cash on you at all times, too, in case you find vendors and stores that don’t accept cards. For example, in some lesser known Greek islands or rural areas cash is preferable as card adoption is lower.

Keep your cards secure 💳

Of course, this may seem obvious, but always keep your cards and cash close to your person, ideally in a purse, wallet, phone case or even a money belt that you can strap to your waist.

Do I need to tell Barclays if I'm going abroad?

No, there’s no need to inform your bank when you travel abroad though they may contact you via mobile while you’re away if they spot anything suspicious, so always make sure your contact details are correct before you leave the UK.

If it’s wrong or you have your phone turned off while you’re abroad, you risk having your account activity limited while they make further checks.

And if you are taking a longer holiday or will be out of the country for a large chunk of time, it might be best to let the bank know in advance.

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Your holiday is no time to worry about money. So, use these tips and make sure before you leave which method of payment is going to be best for you. That way, all you have to do is relax and enjoy!

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Alternatively, why not open a Wise account or treat yourself to a Wise card? With the Wise card, you’ll never have to worry about exchange rate markups,
or high transaction fees* whenever you spend abroad.

And you can use it to withdraw cash from ATMs for free up to 200 GBP in 2 transactions.

Ordering your card is easy and there are no subscription fees, just a one-off payment of 7 GBP for your physical card, plus optional express delivery from 12 GBP.

Order your Wise card now 💳

Or for the same benefits but with added security, there’s the Wise virtual card. It’s the same card, but in digital form and does everything the physical card does so you can spend online, in-store and abroad while saving on currency conversion fees*.

Get your virtual card 💳

Sources used in this article:

1. Barclaycard - fees for using your card abroad
2. Barclays - fees for using debit card abroad
3. Barclaycard - spend abroad comparison
4. Barclays - benefits of using Global Alliance ATMs abroad
5. Amex UK - transactions fees abroad for Amex cards
6. Barclays - travelling with a debit card overseas
7. Barclaycard Help - 24/7 contact number for stolen, lost, or damaged cards
8. Barclays Help - 24/7 contact number if your debit card is stolen, lost or damaged
9. Barclays Mobile Banking - details about the Barclays app