Wells Fargo foreign transaction fee: full guide

Carrying foreign cash when you travel is inconvenient and risky — so if you plan to go on vacation you may be wondering: can I use a Wells Fargo debit card internationally?

If you have a Wells Fargo credit or debit card, this guide is for you. We’ll cover the Wells Fargo foreign currency transaction fee, and tips for using Wells Fargo when going abroad.

Can I use my Wells Fargo debit card internationally?

Yes. You’ll be able to use your Wells Fargo card when you travel — just check the network your card is issued on — usually Visa or MasterCard — is accepted by the merchant or ATM you pick.

Wells fargo gives a couple of handy hints to consider before using their cards overseas:

• Insert your chip card into the merchant’s terminal, or tap to make contactless payments where you can — overseas merchants may not support swipe payments
• You’ll need a 4 digit PIN — if you don’t have this yet you can get one set up by visiting a Wells Fargo branch

Wells Fargo debit card foreign transaction fees

Let’s start with debit cards. If you want to use a Wells Fargo debit card abroad, you’ll probably find yourself having to pay the fees you’ll find below. ATM fees will be dealt with separately later on.

Your particular account might have a different breakdown of fees charged. If you think that might apply to you, check with Wells Fargo¹.

Wells Fargo debit card transaction	Fee
Withdraw cash at non-Wells Fargo ATM overseas	5 USD + fees may be charged by the ATM owner/operator
International Purchase Transaction Fee — make a purchase in a foreign currency	3% of the amount
Over the counter debit card cash disbursement — internationally	3% of the amount

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Wells Fargo credit card foreign transaction fees

If you’re looking for information about the Wells Fargo Cash Wise foreign transaction fee you’ll want to know that this card has now been discontinued.

However, it’s been replaced by the Wells Fargo Active Cash card — and we’ve got the details you need to know about that, and Wells Fargo’s other live credit card options, coming right up.

Wells Fargo Active Cash²

The Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card is a popular option, with no annual fee.

Here’s what you should know about this card’s overall fees and the Wells Fargo Active Cash Visa foreign transaction fee:

Fee type	Wells Fargo Active Cash fee
Annual fee	No annual fee
APR	0% APR introductory rate, followed by variable APR of 15.74% - 25.74%
Foreign transaction fee	3%

Wells Fargo Reflect³

The Wells Fargo Reflect credit card has no annual fee, an 18 month 0% APR offer, and the opportunity to get a slightly lower APR than some other Wells Fargo cards.

However, you’ll still pay a premium for any spending which is in a foreign currency. Here are the details.

Fee type	Wells Fargo Reflect fee
Annual fee	No annual fee
APR	0% APR introductory rate, followed by variable APR of 13.74% - 25.74%
Foreign transaction fee	3%

Are there Wells Fargo no foreign transaction fee cards?

There are a couple of active Wells Fargo cards which have no foreign transaction fees — well worth considering if you’re a frequent traveler.

Wells Fargo Hotels.com Rewards Visa⁴

The Wells Fargo partnership card with Hotels.com could be a good choice if you’re looking for a Wells Fargo card with no foreign transaction fee. However there’s no 0% APR offer with this card. Here are the details.

Fee type	Wells Fargo Hotels.com Rewards Visa fee
Annual fee	No annual fee
APR	Variable APR of 15.74% - 23.74%
Foreign transaction fee	No fee

Bilt World Elite MasterCard⁵

Another good option if you want a no annual fee card which is good for travel — the Bilt World Elite MasterCard has no foreign transactions fees, and a range of different APRs depending on your situation. Here’s what you should know:

Fee type	Bilt World Elite MasterCard fee
Annual fee	No annual fee
APR	Variable APR of 16.99% - 24.99%
Foreign transaction fee	No fee

Wells Fargo Propel credit cards

Unfortunately, the Wells Fargo American Express credit card series stopped taking applications for new customers, although you may be able to use your card still if you already hold one.

The good news here is that there is no Wells Fargo Propel foreign transaction fee, making this a good card for international spending if you’re lucky enough to still have an active account.

Other Wells Fargo international fees to keep in mind

ATM fees are hard to be precise about, because it’s not just Wells Fargo that might charge you: the ATM operator could end up charging fees as well.

Here are the Wells Fargo fees you should know¹ — but remember this may not be all you pay when you use your Wells Fargo card abroad.

ATM service	Fee
Cash withdrawal from an international non-Wells Fargo ATM	5 USD plus fees may be charged by the ATM owner/operator
Balance inquiry from an international non-Wells Fargo ATM	2.50 USD plus fees may be charged by the ATM owner/operator
Transfer funds between your Wells Fargo checking account and savings account service only available at select ATMs internationally	2.50 USD

Dynamic currency conversion (DCC)

You can usually get a decent exchange rate by using your debit card in a foreign ATM. However, if you’re ever asked whether you’d like to pay in the local currency, or US dollars, you should always choose the local currency.

That’s because of dynamic currency conversion, or DCC for short. If you choose US dollars, the exchange rate won’t be set by the card network, but rather by the ATM provider or bank. And it won’t be a good rate. At all. At ATMs, the best exchange rate is always the local one.

And, don’t forget to check Wells Fargo’s exchange rate before you travel.

Tips and tricks for using ATMs and paying by card abroad

Whatever your travel plans, there are always a few tips to remember to get a decent deal.

• Tell your bank before you go. If you don’t, they might assume your card’s been stolen or you’re the victim of fraud.

• Take a second card if you have one (and store it separately), and make sure you know how to get in touch with Wells Fargo while you’re abroad.

If you don’t have a second card
get a Wise one

• Shorten your PIN. A 4-digit PIN is a safer bet when traveling abroad. If yours is 6 digits, consider shortening it.

• Avoid exchanging currency at the airport. You’re very unlikely to get a decent exchange rate at the airport, so try and sort some cash out before you go, or wait until you’re at your destination.

• Be on the lookout for extra fees. If you find out an ATM is charging you half way through a withdrawal, don’t be afraid to cancel it and hunt down another ATM.

• Pay like a local: you might have to. Not everywhere in the world has the same culture when it comes to making payments. While card payments are very common in most of Europe, for example, in Germany they’re less common and not every place accepts debit card payments — so it’s always useful to carry cash.

• Not sure what something’s worth? Use an online currency converter. If you find yourself unsure how many dollars something’s worth, check out an online currency converter. That’ll show you the current mid-market rate.

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Good luck during your trip, and make sure you know how to make your Wells Fargo card work for you.

It pays to know the details on how to spend money abroad — so that when you travel, you can concentrate on the thing that really matters: enjoying yourself in a new place.

Wondering what’s the right travel card for you? Check our guide on the best travel credit cards

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Sources:

1. Wells Fargo - Banking fees
2. Wells Fargo - Active Cash terms
3. Wells Fargo - Reflect terms
4. Wells Fargo - Hotels.com Rewards Visa terms
5. Wells Fargo - Bilt World Elite MasterCard terms

Sources checked on 06.03.2022