Organise your finances before travelling

Paying for things while overseas

There are things you should know to help you get the most out of your money while you’re overseas.

Payment methods

There are many ways you can access your money while overseas. Consider having more than one payment option available in case something goes wrong. Some payment methods include:

• travel money cards
• credit cards
• debit cards
• cash.

There are extra fees and charges when using most payment methods. Talk to your bank or card issuer and read the terms and conditions to learn more about costs.

Exchange rates

You should consider exchange rates when withdrawing or trading currency overseas and calculating the true cost of overseas purchases. Keeping an eye on exchange rates can help you get better deals and stick to your travel budget.

Services Australia payments

If you get a payment from Services Australia, you may need to tell them when you go overseas. This will depend on the payment you get and the length of your trip. If you don’t tell them when you need to, your payment may stop unexpectedly or you may get a debt that you have to pay back.

Find out more about getting payments while outside Australia on the Services Australia website.

Other things to consider

There are other financial matters you should consider to help avoid disruptions and disappointments while travelling.

Tell your bank you’re going overseas

You may need to access your bank accounts while you’re overseas. Tell your bank the dates that you’ll be travelling to avoid getting locked out of your account.

Bills, invoices and other payments

You should arrange for all bills, invoices and other payments to be paid before you travel or taken care of while you’re overseas. This will help you avoid late fees and service disruptions.