Use a Westpac ATM Alliance partner and save on travel money costs when you go overseas.
The excess cost of accessing your money overseas irks every traveller. ATM fees are a particular sore point. Local and international ATM fees, as well as currency conversion fees, can set you back $10 or more for every withdrawal. For the most part, these fees are unavoidable, but there are a few ways you can make an expensive transaction cheaper. There are cards that waive currency conversion fees, but these cards are still going to charge you for using an ATM.
Westpac helps lighten the financial load of travelling overseas through its international ATM alliance. Westpac is partnered with major international banks and waives the fee for overseas ATM withdrawals at 50,000 partner ATMs.
If you have a card issued by a member of the Westpac Group – that’s a credit, debit, travel or EFTPOS card issued by Westpac, St.George, Bank of Melbourne or BankSA – you won’t pay any international ATM fees when you make a withdrawal from a Westpac international ATM alliance partner ATM.
The Westpac Global ATM Alliance only saves you money on the international ATM fee. The currency conversion fee of 2.5%-3% still applies to the transaction as well as the local ATM operator fee, which you will be advised of at the time of the transaction.
Westpac Global ATM Alliance partner banks
The following table shows the banks in different countries where Westpac customers can avoid the international ATM fee. Note that Westpac-issued American Express cards are not included in the Westpac Global ATM Alliance.
| Country | Partner Bank |
|---|---|
| UK, Gibraltar, Africa (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe). | Barclays Bank |
| United States of America | Bank of America |
| China | Bank of Nanjing |
| France, Italy. | BNP Paribas |
| Indonesia, Malaysia. | CIMB |
| Germany, Spain, Poland. | Deutsche Bank |
| Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan. | DBS |
| Singapore | POSB |
| Canada, Chile, Guyana, México, Perú, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica Grenada, Jamaica, St.Maarten, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and the US Virgin Islands. | Scotiabank |
| Ukraine | Ukrsibbank |
| New Zealand | Westpac NZ |
| Fiji, PNG. | Westpac Pacific Banking |
Using your Westpac card overseas
How much can I withdraw at a time?
You can withdraw up to $1,000 per day from your Westpac debit card . You can raise this limit to $2,000 per day by contacting the Westpac customer service team. Credit card cash advance limits may be different.
Do I still pay the ATM fee if I’m making a withdrawal using my Westpac Global Currency card?
If you’re a Westpac Global Currency travel card holder, you can avoid both the ATM fee and the currency conversion fee when you make a withdrawal in a foreign currency (already preloaded onto the card) and use a Westpac Global ATM Alliance partner.
How do I find a Westpac ATM Alliance ATM when I’m overseas?
The easiest way to find your closest partner ATM is to do a Google search. Find the partner bank in the country you’re in using the table on this page and search for ATMs using Google Maps. You can also download the Westpac Mobile Banking Application, which includes an ATM search function, or use the Global ATM Finder tool available on the Westpac website.
Is there anywhere I can’t use my Westpac card?
You can’t use your card in nations with economic sanctions, including: Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, Syria, Sudan and Cuba.
What if I have a problem using my Westpac Group card when I’m on holidays?
If you have a problem with your card, such as if it gets eaten by the ATM machine, contact Westpac overseas customer service on: +61 2 9293 9270. You can place a reverse charge call using Telstra’s reverse charge service if you’d like. Westpac can issue an emergency replacement card as well as give you access to the money in your account while you wait for your card to arrive. Make sure you tell Westpac about your travel plans before you leave Australia as well so that your card is not blocked when you try to use it overseas.
How much can I save using a Westpac ATM Alliance bank to withdraw money?
The standard charges for using an ATM overseas are as follows:
| Fees | Charges |
|---|---|
| Local ATM operator fee | Approximately $2 to $4 |
| International ATM fee | Approximately $5 |
| Currency conversion fee | 3% of transaction value |
| Cash advance fee (credit card) | 2% of transaction value |
| Cash advance interest (credit card) | Approximately 21% p.a. |
By making a withdrawal from a bank that is part of Westpac’s ATM Alliance, you can avoid paying the international ATM fee.
Where can I use my BOM travel card in Ireland
Hi Row,
Thanks for your question! As it says on our page, you shouldn’t have a problem using Visa or Mastercard travel, debit or credit cards at Irish shops and ATMs. All travel cards let you load euros and pounds, the currencies of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Pounds are also used throughout the rest of neighbouring Great Britain, most trips to Ireland also involve trip to the United Kingdom.
Travel cards let you spend without paying extra for currency conversion; however, you’ll pay back and front end fees (reload fees/ATM fees) to use the card and an inflated travel card exchange rate margin. You’re also responsible for maintaining your travel card balance, which can take up to 5 or 6 days if you’re trying to reload your travel card over a weekend or Australian bank holiday.
Travel cards may use a different currency exchange rate to regular debit or credit cards. Depending on the card you use, you may end up with a higher or lower exchange rate. You can check with your providers to see what rates apply and work out the most affordable option (keeping in mind that travel money cards can also help you avoid currency conversion fees).
For more travel money guide for Ireland, you can refer to this page.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
Suddenly my St. George debit card is not accepted any where in Spain even though I have used it in the first few day here.
Hi Hisham,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
I’m sorry to hear that you are having difficulty accessing your St. George debit card in Spain. Since St. George belongs to Westpac group,you may need to contact Westpac overseas customer service on: +61 2 9293 9270 for assistance. If you did not notify your bank that you will be heading overseas, chances are they will block the card from being accessed abroad as part of security measures. You can contact them to let them know that you are the ones using it to unblock it.
You can refer to our article on what to do if your bank account is locked overseas for additional reference.
Hope this is helpful and take care on your trip.
Kind Regards,
Mai
Who is the Westpac Global ATM Alliance partner in Japan?
Hi Robert,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
As a friendly reminder, while we do not represent any company we feature on our pages, we can offer you general advice.
Upon using Westpac’s global ATM locator on their official page, it says that there no Westpac Global ATM Alliance partner in Japan. You may also find your nearest Global ATM Alliance and Westpac Group Partner ATM with the Global ATM Finder, which is also available via the Westpac Mobile Banking app.
I hope this helps.
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Jeni
Hi Axe,
Thanks for your question.
Westpac Global ATM Alliance partner bank in Peru & Chile is Scotiabank. Unfortunately, they don’t have partner banks in Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Should you need to locate Scotiabank ATMs, you can make use of their global ATM finder on their website.
I hope this has helped.
Cheers,
Liezl