Using NatWest debit card abroad - is it the best choice?

Sorting out your holiday money? If you’ve got an overseas trip planned, you’ll need to work out the cheapest and easiest way to spend in foreign currency.

For most people, the most convenient option would be to take their everyday UK debit card away with them. But is this a good idea, or an expensive mistake? Do UK-issued debit cards even work in other countries? Read on to find out.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at how NatWest debit cards work abroad, and whether they’re the best choice for overseas spending and ATM withdrawals. We’ll check out the fees, exchange rates and everything else you need to know.

We’ll also show you an alternative, the Wise debit card. It’s tailor made for travel, letting you spend and withdraw cash in 150+ countries, all for low fees and great exchange rates.

But for now, let’s focus on finding out how the NatWest debit card works abroad.

Does the NatWest debit card work abroad?

First things first - can you actually use NatWest debit cards outside the UK?

The short answer to this is yes. NatWest debit cards are issued by Mastercard, so they can be used anywhere that Mastercard payments are accepted. As one of the biggest card providers worldwide (along with Visa), Mastercard can be used in almost every country where cards are accepted.

You can use your NatWest debit Mastercard in shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and transport hubs, both in the UK and overseas. You can use it at overseas ATMs too, as well as for shopping online while you’re away.

However, there are a few things you need to know before spending up a storm on holiday with your debit card. We’ll run through those next.

What you need to know before using your NatWest debit card abroad

Before you jet off on your holidays, there’s some information it could be useful to know about using your NatWest debit card outside the UK:

1: It’s recommended (but not essential) to let NatWest know you’ll be going abroad¹

It isn’t absolutely essential to tell the bank you’ll be using your card in another country, as it’ll still work. Your transactions will still be monitored, but they won’t be automatically blocked when you use your card abroad.

But it could be useful to notify NatWest anyway, just to prevent any potential issues. You can register your travel plans in the NatWest mobile app. Simply follow these steps:

1. Open the NatWest mobile app and sign in
2. Tap your account from the main page, and select ‘Manage my card’
3. Tap ‘Going abroad’ and then ‘Register card’
4. Tap ‘Add trip’
5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

2: You can manage card security in the NatWest app while you’re away

Another useful feature of the NatWest mobile app is its card controls. This is really handy for keeping your debit card and account secure while you’re away.

As well as monitoring spending and transactions, you can also freeze your debit card in just a tap. This is a real life-saver if you lose your card or suspect it’s stolen. It means no one can use it while you look for your card, or contact NatWest to cancel it.

3: You have chargeback protection if something goes wrong

If you buy something with your debit card while on holiday and something goes wrong, NatWest can help. It may be able to help you get your money back through a chargeback.² Contact the bank to find out more.

Fees for using the NatWest debit card abroad

With all the admin out of the way, we now come to the most important question - how much does it cost to use your NatWest debit card abroad?

Unfortunately, there are some fees for spending and withdrawing cash. Like many other banks, NatWest charges what is called a ‘Non-Sterling Transaction Fee’ when you use your card to spend or get cash in other currencies. This is sometimes known as a foreign transaction fee.

However, some NatWest account holders avoid fees for spending. It all depends what type of current account you have. Let’s take a look:²

What exchange rates does NatWest use to convert currency?

It’s not just the fees that affect how much it costs you to use your debit card abroad. You also need to factor in the exchange rate used to convert the currency. Your bank account is denominated in GBP, so there’ll need to be a conversion between that and the local currency in your destination (e.g. EUR or USD).

The great news here is that NatWest uses Mastercard’s exchange rate to convert the currency. This is usually close to the mid-market exchange rate, with little or no margin added on top. So, your money goes further.

NatWest also has a handy tool for checking the cost of an overseas purchase or withdrawal using your debit card.

Head here, then select your currency, spend amount, card type and account type.

The calculator will tell you how much you’ll pay in fees, what exchange rate will be used (valid at the time of using the calculator) and the total cost of the purchase.

A crucial thing to remember with currency conversion fees is that you should always choose to pay in the local currency. The ATM or merchant may offer to do the currency conversion for you, so you can pay in GBP.

But this means that they get to choose the exchange rate, and it’s likely to include a margin on top. The provider makes a profit, but the transaction ends up being more expensive for you.

Are there any limits?

There’s one last thing to check before you pack your NatWest debit card in your travel wallet. This is whether there are any limits for your account, determining how much you can spend or withdraw per day, week or month.

Here’s what you need to know:

Need a higher cash withdrawal limit? You can contact NatWest to ask about this, although it’s not guaranteed that the bank will increase your personal limit.

Spend worldwide for low fees and great rates with the Wise debit card

The Wise debit card is tailor-made for international spending. It’s the perfect holiday companion, as it’s contactless, works worldwide and is compatible with mobile wallets. Best of all, it has no foreign transaction fees.

Your Wise debit card can be used for spending and cash withdrawals in a whopping 40 currencies, in 150+ countries. This means that there’s no need for separate cards for multi-destination trips - you can do it all with just the one card.

Here are all the advantages at-a-glance:

• Open a Wise account online for free
• Get a Wise debit card for a one-time cost of just £7
• No monthly fees
• No foreign transaction fees
• Automatically converts currency at mid-market exchange rates
• Works worldwide, wherever Visa and Mastercard are accepted.
• Withdraw up to £200 a month (max. 2 withdrawals) for free. Fee of 1.75% + 0.50 for withdrawals over this limit.

You can manage your card and account in the handy Wise app, wherever you are in the world. This includes options to freeze your card if you lose it.

Join Wise today

Please see the Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise fees & pricing for the most up-to-date information on pricing and fees.

So, is the NatWest debit card the best choice for spending and withdrawing cash on overseas holidays? It’s not bad, as you’ll get the Mastercard exchange rate and can use your contactless card almost anywhere.

You’ll just need to watch out for those non-sterling transaction fees. This could make spending and getting cash much more expensive, as it’s charged per transaction.

The only exception is if you have a NatWest Black, Reward Platinum, Reward Black or Reward Silver account, as the foreign transaction fee isn’t charged on spending (but it is on ATM withdrawals).

If you’d prefer to skip the foreign transaction fees altogether, check out an alternative such as the Wise debit card.

Unlike debit cards linked to most UK current accounts, it’s actually designed for travel. You’ll get low fees, great exchange rates and worry-free spending wherever you are in the world.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 27-Jul-2023