Travelling Overseas. Which bank has the best fees?
Hi all!
I'll be going to Japan in two weeks. I read that Japan mostly use cash (no card), so I thought to just withdraw money, but I am not sure how much I need yet. I am currently with NAB and Up Bank.
I have a couple of questions:
- Where do I go to convert money currency? In Australia or Japan?
- Should I go via ATM or through a currency exchange booth? Which has the best rate? Banks or places like Travelex?
- For convenience, should I just use card where possible to pay (and cop the transaction fee?) And if so, which bank has the lowest international fee?
I read that Up Bank has 0% international fees and ATM withdrawals. Is this correct? Is there a sneaky fee I must pay? Article 1 and Article 2.
They also have a pre-paid transportation card (Suica and Passmo), also known as MyKi or Opal here in Australia. I thought it would be a pain to keep topping it up via cash at the Station. If I don't have enough (as I need cash for food and other necessities), I'll need to keep withdrawing money (meaning more int. fees that I must pay). But I read that you can just top-up via Apple Wallet Pay directly through a debit card. So, I am thinking of going to Up Bank and hopefully I don't pay the transaction fee as I understand it.
I am new to all this so thank you in advance if you can help me. If you've been to Japan, please also let me know your experience (: