Accessing money abroad
There are a number of ways you can access money abroad. You can use your debit or credit card at an ATM or to pay for something. If you are not sure whether your card will be accepted in certain countries, ask your bank, but generally, if it has a Mastercard or Visa symbol, it will be accepted.
Top Tip
Before you go on holiday you should tell your bank, so they don’t cancel your cards while you are away. If they see unusual transactions on your account they may think they are fraudulent and put a freeze on it.
ATM and card fees
If you are travelling in the Eurozone you pay the same ATM, credit, and debit card fees as you pay in Ireland. But if you are going outside the Eurozone, you should check what fees apply with your card provider. In addition to the transaction fees, your bank will also charge you for converting the transaction into euro every time you use your card.
For security reasons, your bank may also reduce the amount of cash you can withdraw each day from an ATM outside the EU. Make sure to check this limit with your bank before you travel.
Top Tip
Check out our current account Money Tool to find out about all the charges that apply when you use your cards abroad.
Another option is to buy a prepaid foreign exchange card. This works the same way as a debit card, but you preload the local currency on to it before you travel. The advantage of this is that you will have the protections offered by a debit card, but also be able to decide when to add local currency to the card and get the best rates.
