Using Your Westpac Credit Card Overseas
You can use your Westpac credit card overseas without any problem because MasterCard, Visa and American Express are readily accepted right across the globe.
AMEX acceptance is less than the other two, most people will have either a Visa or MasterCard with them, and this assures that purchases can be made at more than 28 million locations worldwide, and cash withdrawn from over 900,000 ATMs worldwide.
The only thing you need to remember when using your Westpac credit card overseas is that it’s a slightly more expensive affair. This is not unique to Westpac – this is standard with any credit card. There are costs involved when using a credit card outside its country of issue, and those costs are born by the cardholder.
Fees for using your Westpac card overseas
Westpac charges a fee of 2% of the Australian dollar value of the purchases or cash advances/withdrawals made when using your Westpac credit card overseas when the card scheme converts the transaction from a foreign currency into Australian dollars. This fee is added into the Australian currency equivalent of the transaction which is shown on your monthly statement.
The applicable credit card scheme (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) may also charge Westpac for processing these foreign transactions. Again, these are passed onto the cardholder. The fees are as follows:
- Visa Worldwide PTe LTD fee of 1.0%
- American Express foreign exchange conversion fee of 1.0% for Westpac Altitude and Westpac Altitude Gold and 1.5% for all other credit cards (including Altitude Platinum)
- MasterCard Issuer Cross-Border Assessment fee of 0.8%, plus MasterCard Currency Conversion Assessment fee of 0.2%
The rule when using your Westpac credit card abroad is always to make sure that you pay in local currency. Don’t try to be patriotic and pay in Aussie dollars because this will attract the dreaded Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) fee. This is a fee charged by the merchant for making the conversion and will be far higher than MasterCard, Visa or Amex will charge for doing the same when the transaction reaches them. Always pay in local currency, and remember that it is your right in international law to choose which currency you pay in. Merchants cannot insist that you pay in Aussie dollars, so if you are ever presented with a bill that has been totalled up in Aussie dollars, refuse it and insist you pay in the local currency.
This also applies when using your Westpac credit card overseas in ATMs. Generally, you will be charged in local currency, but some banks can be sneaky and present you with a screen that asks which currency you wish to be charged in. Read this carefully and choose the “YES” or “”NO” option that means you are not charged in Aussie dollars.
Image source: Westpac
Read the official terms and conditions
| Minimum Income | Minimum Age | 18 years of age | |
| Residency | Permanent Australian Resident | Credit Rating Requirement | Good |
| Min Credit Limit | $8,000 | Max Credit Limit | $100,000 |
| Annual Fee | $250 | Balance Transfer Fee | |
| Minimum Repayment | 2% | Interest Charged From | Purchase Date |
| Late Payment Fee | $9 | Over Limit Fee | $9 |
| Overseas Emergency Replacement | $0 | Overseas ATM Balance check | $0 |
| Overseas ATM Withdrawal | $2.5 | Foreign Currency Conversion Fee |
| Rewards Points per Dollar | AMEX:1.5 MCARD:0.5 Point(s) | Points needed for Syd/Mel Return Flight | 16667 |
| Points needed for $100 Voucher | 9000 |
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