Using your Virgin Money card abroad: What you need to know

Going on holiday or travelling abroad soon? If you’re travelling outside the UK, you’ll need to know if you can use your debit or credit card abroad.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using your Virgin Money card abroad. This includes how the bank’s cards work abroad, and whether there are any charges.

We’ll also show you an alternative for convenient travel spending, the Wise card - which lets you spend like a local in 150+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate for low fees*.

Can you use your Virgin Money card abroad or on holiday?

Yes, both Virgin Money debit and credit cards work outside the UK. You can use them for spending in shops, bars, restaurants, transport hubs and anywhere else Mastercard is accepted. According to the bank, this amounts to around 20 million places worldwide.¹

You can also use Virgin Money cards to withdraw cash at foreign ATMs. However, bear in mind that withdrawing cash with a credit card comes with fees, and interest is likely to start accruing right away. We’ll look at this in more detail shortly.

Do you need to let Virgin Money know you’re going abroad?

No, there’s no need to contact the bank to inform them that you’ll be using your card abroad.² You can simply spend and withdraw cash just like in the UK, and your account will continue to be monitored for security purposes.

Virgin Money cards

Let’s take a quick look at the features of each Virgin Money card, and how they work abroad.

Virgin Money credit card features abroad

• Spend with no foreign transaction fees in euros, Swedish krona or Romanian lei within the EEA.¹
• Withdraw cash with no foreign transaction fees in euros, Swedish krona or Romanian lei within the EEA (cash advance fees still apply).¹
• Interest-free or low interest period on spending (introductory, subject to eligibility).³
• Representative 24.9% APR.³
• Manage your card in the Virgin Money mobile app.
• Virgin Money cashback offers.

Virgin Atlantic credit card features abroad

• Earn Virgin Points on spending, which can be redeemed for double points on bookings with Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays. Points can also be redeemed at 200+ other places.⁴
• Use Virgin Points for flight upgrades to Premium or Companion tickets with Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club when you reach the required spending level.⁴
• 3,000 bonus points with first card purchase, or 18,000 bonus points for Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card (annual fee applies).⁴
• Representative 26.9% APR.⁴
• Spend with no foreign transaction fees in euros, Swedish krona or Romanian lei within the EEA.¹
• Withdraw cash with no foreign transaction fees in euros, Swedish krona or Romanian lei within the EEA (cash advance fees still apply).¹

Want to compare all options? Check out our handy guide below.

📚 Read: Best credit cards for travel

Virgin Money debit card features abroad

• Spend and withdraw cash with no foreign transaction fees (limits apply)²
• Manage your card in the Virgin Money mobile app
• Virgin Money cashback offers

📚 Read: Travel-friendly debit cards

Are there charges for using your Virgin Money card abroad?

Virgin Money doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees for spending or withdrawing cash using its debit card. This is regardless of the currency or destination.²

But if you use a Virgin Money credit card, there’s no foreign transaction fee only for spending and withdrawals in euros, Swedish krona or Romanian lei within the EEA.

If you spend in a different currency or are outside the EEA, you’ll pay a fee of 2.99%. Look in the terms and conditions or summary information for your card and you’ll find it listed as a Non-Sterling Transaction Fee.⁵

Overseas ATM withdrawals using Virgin Money credit cards also have a cash advance fee of 5% - this is charged regardless of the currency or country.⁵

How does Virgin money convert currency abroad?

Virgin Money uses the live Mastercard exchange rate to convert currency when you spend abroad. Search the site for the latest Mastercard exchange rates.

Make sure you choose to carry out the transaction in the local currency (rather than letting the merchant or ATM convert it to GBP) and you’ll get this rate.

An alternative to the Mastercard exchange rate is the Wise card. Wise uses the mid-market rate for only a small, transparent fee*.

You can check the mid-market rate using our currency converter below.

A great alternative for low-cost spending abroad - the Wise card

The Wise card is the ideal travel companion, as it lets you spend and withdraw in the local currency in 150+ countries.

This clever international debit card automatically converts your pounds into the local currency using the mid-market exchange rate, only adding a small, transparent currency conversion fee*.

Alternatively, it’s free if you already have the foreign currency in your Wise account.

Open a Wise account online and you can order your own Wise card for a one-time cost of just £7.

Your Wise card awaits 💳

📚 Read: How the Wise card works abroad

FAQs about using Virgin Money card abroad

Still have questions about using your Virgin Money debit or credit card outside the UK? Take a look below.

Are there any transaction limits with Virgin Money?

Yes, you can spend up to £10,000 a day overseas using your Virgin Money debit card. The limit for foreign ATM withdrawals is £350 a day.²

For credit card limits, you’ll need to check the terms and conditions received when you signed up for a card.

What ATMs can I use with a Virgin Money card on holiday?

You can use overseas ATMs that display a Mastercard symbol. You’ll just need to check whether the ATM operator charges its own fee.

Does Virgin Money still offer a prepaid travel card?

Virgin Money is in the process of discontinuing the Virgin Money Prepaid Mastercard and the Virgin Money Prepaid Travel Mastercard. As of 30 September 2020, these cards are no longer able to be topped up.⁶

What happens if my prepaid card expires?

If your prepaid Virgin Money card has expired, you should still be able to claim your outstanding balance for six years from the card expiry date.

Looking for a new card? Get the Wise card for a one time fee of £7, for spending in 150+ countries. It’s super easy to renew too - you can simply order a new one in just a few taps in the Wise mobile app.

Sources used:

Sources last checked on date: 19-06-2024