Guides

Understand what you're actually being charged

Plain-English explainers on the costs behind overseas purchases — including fees on AUD payments, currency conversion and rate markups — so the numbers in our calculators make sense.

Rate sources How cross currency rates work The formula behind AUD conversions derived via USD and why both source times matter. Read the guide → Cash withdrawals How overseas ATM fees work Separate operator fees, issuer charges and exchange-rate effects before taking out cash. Read the guide → AUD payments Can you be charged a foreign transaction fee in AUD? Why an overseas AUD purchase can still incur a card fee, with a worked example and a checklist for your card terms. Read the guide → Card fees How foreign transaction fees work What the fee is, when it applies, and how to find it in your card's terms — plus a few ways to avoid paying it at all. Read the guide → At the terminal "Pay in AUD?" at the terminal: what it means How dynamic currency conversion works, who actually sets that exchange rate, and why declining it is usually the better call. Read the guide → Exchange rates Exchange rate markups, explained Why the rate on your statement is never quite the rate you looked up, and how to tell how much margin you're paying. Read the guide →