Travelex Fees, Exchange Rates, and Travel Cards: A Complete Guide (2026)

*Pricing claim based on comparative data for select airports and passes. Live pricing is subject to exchange rate fluctuations.
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Against the backdrop of volatility in certain destinations, we are also at the height of a digital boom that changes how we plan our trips.

That’s where Travelex¹, a trusted name since 1976, comes in. It still remains a safe, easy, and good value way for Australians to get foreign currency for multiple destinations – offering agility and flexibility when plans have to change due to sudden global shifts or with the advent of a new social media darling.

This guide breaks down how Travelex’s products like how the Travelex Money Card works, the latest Travelex fees, exchange rate margins, and overall charges you can expect in 2026.

We'll also introduce to you Wise Travel Card that can help you save on international transactions with currency conversions at mid-market exchange rates.

What is Travelex and is it legit?

Travelex has been around for 50 years and counting. Founded in London, it has grown into a global foreign exchange company. Its services include the Travelex Money Card, currency exchange, and international money transfers. Today, it supports 45+ foreign currencies with a network of 600+ stores and 600+ ATMs worldwide.

So, is Travelex legit?

Well, yes, Travelex is licensed by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) regulatory body. It also provides services to a number of long-term partners that include airport operators, retailers, travel agents, and financial institutions.

Here, Travelex remains one of the most visible currency exchange providers with 95 stores around Australia. However, its local footprint is much smaller than it was pre-2020. Following financial difficulties during the pandemic and a cyber-attack, a global restructuring was prompted where the company streamlined its operations and reduced physical locations.

What are the services that Travelex provides?

Travelex offers a range of services connected to travel money and currency exchange. Here’s all you need to know about the main services on offer for customers in Australia.

Travelex Money Card

The Travelex Money Card² is a prepaid multi-currency card. You load a selected currency onto your card, and can then use it when you’re travelling to withdraw cash at an ATM, or spend directly in stores and restaurants. Travelex Money Cards are available in 10 major world currencies, including US dollars, Japanese yen, Thai baht, and euros.

Prepaid multi-currency cards are a popular form of travel money because they're usually just as convenient to use as a debit or credit card, but safer. That’s because your bank account is not linked to the Travelex Money Card and there are safeguards that allow you to temporarily lock your card if lost or stolen. Network partner Mastercard also offers a zero liability policy, which means users will not be held responsible for unauthorised transactions if they have been careful to protect their card from loss or theft, while promptly reporting any misuse.

If you’re considering this option for your travels, make sure you check out the costs and charges for the Travelex Money Card, which are set out below.

Travelex Travel Money App

The Travelex Travel Money App³, which was relaunched in 2024, offers another layer of support and functionality. Available on both the Google Play store and Apple App store, it allows users to top up their Travelex Money Card, move funds, check their transaction history to stay on budget, and even instantly freeze and unfreeze their card for added protection.

Travelex international payments

Travelex used to offer an international payment service for customers who wanted to make international money transfers. However, this service was discontinued on 31 March 2024. To facilitate remittance abroad or other similar global payments, consider using Wise, which allows users to send money securely to 140+ countries.

Travelex currency exchange

Currency exchange for Travelex is its bread and butter. It is easy to buy foreign cash online⁴ to lock in Travelex’s best exchange rates, and just collect it from a Travelex or Australia Post store or pick it up at the airport before flying. Selected major currencies can also be converted and stored on your Travelex Money Card.

Those looking to sell⁵ their foreign currency for AUD can also do so, but this service is only available in-store for selected currencies in physical bank notes.

To offer users the best rates, Travelex also has a travel rate tracker⁵ that can send out automated alerts.

Travelex Cash Passport

The Travelex Cash Passport⁶ is the old version of the current Travelex Money Card. While it's no longer available to new customers, if you are still holding onto one of these prepaid currency cards, you can still reload it and manage it via the Travelex website.

What are the currencies that Travelex supports?

The 10 major currencies supported by the Travelex Money Card are as follows:

Money exchange in cash using Travelex can be made in the following 45+ currencies:

Travelex fees and charges

Travelex has different fees and charges for its various services. You’ll need to check out the exact details for the service you want, and compare it against alternative options out there, as Travelex might not offer the best value on the market for your particular needs. More on that later.

Here’s a round-up of the most common Travelex fees and charges⁷ you can expect, to start you off:

Travelex Money Card

Third party fees

Here’s what Travelex says in its Product Disclosure Statement⁸ about additional third-party charges:

“Certain merchants may charge an additional fee if the Card is used to purchase goods and/or services. The fee is determined and charged by the merchant and is not retained by us.”

Is Travelex good for currency exchange?

If you’re exchanging currency with Travelex, either through the Travel Money Card or by changing AUD for foreign currency at a store, here’s how to make sure that the exchange rate being used is fair.

• Use an online currency converter – exchange rates go up and down all the time, so this is the easiest way to get the right rate for your currency pairing.
• Ensure it uses the mid-market exchange rate – this is important because it’s the only real exchange rate; the one that banks use when trading on global markets. Many banks and currency exchange services do not pass this exchange rate on to their customers. Instead, they add a margin, or markup, and keep the difference as their profit.

Take a moment to compare with the live mid-market rate below:

Before you choose a foreign exchange service or swap your AUD for other monies, you should compare the exchange rate they offer against the real exchange rate and make sure you’re happy about it.

Locking in an exchange rate with Travelex

Travelex also offers the ability to lock in an exchange rate, providing peace of mind against currency fluctuations.

Travelex’s product disclosure statement also mentions:

“If a BPAY top up is booked online via www.travelex.com.au, the exchange rate that will apply to the transaction can be locked in for four hours at the time of booking. Otherwise, the exchange rate that will apply to the transaction will be the prevailing rate set and determined by Mastercard Prepaid at the time the top up is processed.”

A foreign exchange ‘Spend Rate’ rate will apply to foreign exchange transactions in accordance with The Product Disclosure Statement.

Travelex explains: “Spend Rate means the individual foreign exchange rate set and determined by Mastercard Prepaid applicable to foreign exchange transactions and which can be obtained at www.travelex.com.au.”

For unsupported currencies not on the Travelex Money Card, Travelex has a currency-to-currency conversion calculator to estimate the indicative exchange rate that will be applied.

Travelex vs Wise: Which is better for your travel money?

So, is the Travelex Money Card worth it? With so many multi-currency options available nowadays, let’s see how it does against a digital-native product such as Wise.

*Capital at risk. Interest is an investment service offered by Wise Australia Investments Pty Ltd (AFSL 545411). Please refer to our Legal page for more information.

While both have their advantages, it could be possible to save more with Wise when you avoid the hidden markups on the exchange rate.

For example, say you want to purchase the seven-day Japan Rail Pass for an adult, which costs JPY 50,000. This is about $452 at the mid-market rate through Wise, where fees are as low as 0.63%.

Compare this to using a card with an undisclosed markup, which might include fees that go to the network operator, such as Mastercard, and the bank fee. This may amount to anywhere from 1% to over 3%, which could potentially be an additional $5 to $15+ per Japan Rail Pass.

Multiply this by all the other tickets, lodging, and other costs you’ll spend on your holiday – for every $1,000, that’s $10 to $30+ more… half of an omakase lunch!

Is Travelex Good for Currency Exchange in 2026?

So, is Travelex good for money exchange? Overall, it is an established choice, especially as a network to exchange AUD for foreign currencies in cold, hard cash.

For digital transactions via the Travelex Money Card, it is also a pretty solid choice, provided you are only going to be exchanging, spending, and holding the 10 supported major currencies.

Meanwhile, if you need more flexibility with currency choices, the Wise card holds up to 40+ currencies.

Travelex has also ceased its international transfers, so it loses out to Wise in this respect. This is also the case for the hidden markups built into Travelex.

Travel Far, Spend Smart with Wise

The Wise card is a simple way to save up to 4x when you're spending internationally. You can spend in 150+ countries at mid-market rate — basically the rate you see on Google. With no foreign transaction fees and low, transparent pricing, Wise usually gives you the best value for your money.

Simply create a Wise account for free, order a card and top-up AUD to get started. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as make some free ATM withdrawals each month for when you're abroad. You can get digital cards and add to your Google or Apple Pay wallet for instant use. Spend directly with the Wise account in AUD and let auto-conversion do the trick or convert in advance to your desired currency. You can hold and exchange 40+ currencies in your Wise account and spend the currencies you hold for free.

Wherever your travel takes you, the Wise card makes spending money abroad cheaper and easier.

🚀 Get your Wise card

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This general advice does not take into account your objectives, financial circumstances or needs and you should consider if it is appropriate for you. Savings claim based on our rates vs. selected Australian banks and other similar providers in Jan 2026. To learn more please visit https://payout-surge.live/au/compare%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E

Please see Terms of Use and product availability for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

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This advice has been prepared without taking account of your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs

Sources:

1. Travelex AU - About Us
2. Travelex AU - Travelex Money Card
3. Travelex AU - Travel Money App
4. Travelex AU - Buy Currency
5. Travelex AU - Travel Rate Tracker
6. Travelex AU - Travelex Cash Passport
7. Travelex AU - Financial Services Guide
8. Travelex AU - Product Disclosure Statement