Before you begin
What you need to compare card fees abroad
Enter card spend and cash in euro. The fixed provider rules are added automatically.
Enter cash withdrawn and ATM withdrawals together, or leave both at zero.
Wise is optional because its conversion fee is transaction-specific. Turn it on only when you have the live Wise fee for the amount you entered.
The comparison is for debit/prepaid spending. Credit-card cash advances are deliberately outside scope because card-specific fees and interest differ.
Reading the answer
Understanding what spending abroad costs you
A small cost gap should not outweigh acceptance, support, fraud controls or keeping a second card as backup.
Always choose the local currency at a till or ATM. Dynamic currency conversion can cost more than the provider fee shown here.
Boundaries
Assumptions and limitations
Working assumptions
- Provider rules are the public Irish/EEA terms checked on 24 August 2026.
- AIB and Bank of Ireland per-withdrawal minimums and maximums use equal-sized withdrawals because only the monthly total and visit count are entered.
- The ATM operator's own surcharge is excluded because it is set by the machine, not the card provider.
Where to be careful
- The model does not include exchange-rate movement itself; it compares provider fees and allowances around the rate used by each provider.
- A live Wise quote is required to rank Wise because Wise explicitly says its conversion fee varies by currency and amount.
- Promotions, legacy account terms and third-party ATM surcharges are excluded.
Worked example
The same question, answered end to end
A traveller spends €600 a month in foreign currencies, exchanges 30% at weekends and withdraws €150 over three ATM visits, without adding a Wise quote.
What was entered
- €600 of foreign card spend a month.
- 30% of the card spend is exchanged during Revolut's weekend window.
- €150 of cash is withdrawn over three equal-sized ATM visits.
- Wise is left out because no live conversion quote was entered.
How it is worked out
Revolut Standard is below the €1,000 exchange allowance, so its card-spend fee is only 1% of the €180 weekend share: €1.80.
The €150 of Revolut Standard cash is inside both its €200 and five-withdrawal free limits.
N26 charges no extra fee on the card spend and 1.7% of the €150 cash: €2.55.
Revolut Premium costs its €8.99 monthly plan fee on this small scenario; AIB and Bank of Ireland apply their published purchase and ATM charges.
The lowest fee is divided by €750 of total foreign activity for the effective percentage.
What the tool returns
- Lowest monthly cost
- €1.80
- Lowest annual cost
- €21.60
- Effective cost of activity
- 0.24%
- Foreign activity modelled
- €750
Common questions
Questions about this tool
Why do I have to enter the Wise conversion fee?
Wise says the conversion fee varies by currency and amount. Asking for the live euro fee is more accurate than pretending one percentage applies to every trip.
Why can Revolut Standard be cheaper than Premium?
Premium removes exchange limits and weekend fees but costs €8.99 a month. On light use, Standard's actual fees can be lower than paying for the plan.
What is dynamic currency conversion?
It is the till or ATM offering to charge you in euro instead of the local currency. Decline it and choose the local currency so your own card provider handles the conversion.
Are the rankings sponsored?
No. Commercial relationships never alter a fee, formula or ranking.