Best travel cards for Australian travellers in 2026

Australian travellers have strong domestic options in Up Bank and ING Orange Everyday, plus excellent global options in Wise and Revolut. The key difference: domestic travel uses Australian bank ATMs for free; international travel requires a zero-forex card. Here's the full breakdown.

Up Bank: best for domestic + international

Up Bank is a digital bank built on the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank infrastructure. For Australian residents, it reimburses ATM fees at any Australian ATM automatically. Internationally, Up charges a 1.3% foreign transaction fee — not zero, but competitive versus the typical 3% charged by major Australian banks (CommBank, ANZ, Westpac, NAB). For a single card that covers both Australian and international travel, Up is the most convenient option.

ING Orange Everyday: best free ATM nationally

ING Orange Everyday reimburses all ATM fees in Australia and internationally, with zero foreign transaction fees — provided you make at least 5 card purchases per month and deposit A$1,000+ per month. These conditions are easy to meet for regular users. When the conditions are met, ING is arguably the best all-around Australian travel card: free ATMs everywhere, zero forex fees. The conditions caveat makes it slightly less reliable for infrequent travellers.

Wise: best for international multi-currency

Wise is available in Australia and offers the same mid-market rate product globally. For Australians travelling internationally — particularly to the UK, Europe, USA, and Asia — Wise gives the best exchange rate. Two free ATM withdrawals per month. The Wise AUD account also serves as an excellent receiving account for international payments. For frequent international travellers who manage multiple currencies, Wise is the clear choice.

Revolut Australia: growing but limited

Revolut launched in Australia and is growing rapidly. Zero forex fees on weekdays, competitive ATM allowances on paid plans. As a newer entrant in the Australian market, it has fewer features than Revolut UK/EU but is expanding. For Australians who already use Revolut and trust the brand, it's a workable option. For the best Australian experience, Up or ING remain the primary recommendations.

Card surcharges: the Australian quirk

Australia permits merchants to add card surcharges of 0.5–2% on Visa/Mastercard transactions. This applies to everyone — locals and visitors alike — and is a merchant fee, not a forex fee. A zero-forex card eliminates the currency conversion cost but doesn't avoid the merchant surcharge. In practice, most major retailers (supermarkets, chain restaurants) absorb the surcharge; smaller businesses and some petrol stations add it. It's disclosed on the terminal before you confirm.

The optimal Australian setup

For Australian residents: ING Orange Everyday as the primary domestic card (free ATMs, zero forex when conditions met) and Wise as the international multi-currency card for overseas trips. This covers free ATM access in Australia, free ATM access overseas (via Wise's monthly allowance), and the best exchange rates on international spending.

Key takeaways