Crédit Agricole withdrawal abroad from France: what fees should you be aware of?

Do you love travelling and often visit foreign countries for leisure or work? If so, it’s worth knowing how to reduce the costs linked to currency conversion and local transactions.

As a Crédit Agricole customer, you may be wondering whether your bank offers competitive rates for international withdrawals (outside the eurozone).

In this article, you’ll discover practical tips to reduce the cost of your withdrawals and payments abroad with Crédit Agricole. We’ll also present some smart alternatives to help you save money on withdrawals, such as the Wise card.

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Crédit Agricole’s fees for international transactions

To travel with peace of mind and avoid unpleasant surprises when you return, it’s important to understand the fees your bank charges for withdrawals and payments abroad. In this guide, we’ll focus on the fees applied by Crédit Agricole du Finistère.

Crédit Agricole withdrawal fees abroad

Here are the withdrawal fees charged by Crédit Agricole:¹

Note: In addition to these fees, the bank applies exchange rate margins for currency conversion.¹

Card payment fees abroad

For payments abroad with Crédit Agricole, fees—excluding exchange fees—also depend on the card you use:¹

Essential steps before you leave

Whether you’re heading to London or Istanbul, a few precautions can help you avoid running into payment issues during your trip. Otherwise, you could face uncomfortable situations—like being unable to pay for your hotel or local expenses.

Ensure your card works abroad

Not all bank cards work internationally. This may depend on the card type or on local acceptance in the country you’re visiting. To avoid any problems, contact your bank before you travel to confirm that your card will work abroad.

Inform your bank of your departure (to avoid being blocked for fraud)

There’s nothing worse than being far from home with a blocked card. Many banks may temporarily suspend your card abroad if they detect suspicious activity. To avoid this, let your advisor know your travel dates before you go.

International bank card: Visa or Mastercard?

Visa and Mastercard are the two most widely accepted networks worldwide. Both offer global coverage, partnerships with local banks and merchants, and a variety of payment options.

Generally, Visa tends to be more common in Africa, while Mastercard is often better supported in Asia. The main factor to consider, however, remains the fees—which can vary significantly depending on your card type and destination. Premium cards usually offer more protection, such as insurance and assistance.

Check your withdrawal and payment limits

Not checking your withdrawal and payment limits before travelling is a common mistake. Once you reach these limits, your card may be temporarily blocked.

Crédit Agricole allows you to increase these limits through your online account (approval can take a few days). For Crédit Agricole Finistère, changing your usage limit outside of the online service costs €10.85.¹

Keep emergency contact numbers for card cancellation

Losing your bank card can happen to anyone, even abroad. Always save Crédit Agricole’s emergency contact numbers so you can quickly block your card in case of loss or theft.

Here are the fees charged by Crédit Agricole Finistère in such situations:¹

Check your card’s expiry date

An expired card won’t work! Check the expiry date printed on your card (month/year format) and order a new one in advance if necessary.

How to reduce these withdrawal fees?

Here are a few tips to help you lower your withdrawal and transaction fees abroad with Crédit Agricole.

Use Crédit Agricole network ATMs

Whenever possible, use ATMs within the Crédit Agricole network or from partner banks. Ask your advisor for a list of these partners before you leave.

Make as few withdrawals as possible

Each withdrawal can incur fees, depending on your card and location. To save money, withdraw only what you need for your trip.

International banking packages and options from Crédit Agricole

To avoid fixed fees and commissions on your international transactions, you might consider subscribing to an international card package.

For example, an immediate debit international Mastercard or Visa Classic costs €48.60 per year.¹

For comparison, the Wise card is free (delivery fee: €7) and lets you pay like a local in 40+ currencies.

Prepaid card

A prepaid card can also be a smart option to reduce fees and control your budget while travelling. You simply load the desired amount in the destination currency before departure, allowing you to pay locally without extra conversion or transaction fees.

Avoid hidden fees

Watch out for hidden banking fees when withdrawing cash or making payments abroad.

Choose to withdraw in local currency

When withdrawing cash abroad, some ATMs offer dynamic currency conversion and display the amount in euros. However, this often comes with a less favourable exchange rate. It’s best to choose to be charged in the local currency.

Exchange rate fees

When withdrawing money in foreign currency, conversion fees apply. Most banks add a margin to the interbank rate—the rate used on financial markets—meaning you’ll pay more than the actual market price.

A fair conversion cost should be as close as possible to the mid-market rate.

With Wise, benefit from the mid-market rate on your withdrawals and payments

Wise makes it easier to manage your finances abroad by letting you withdraw or pay in foreign currencies with minimal and transparent fees.

Opening a Wise account allows you to make international transactions at the mid-market rate.

The Wise card (delivery fee: €7) lets you spend in 150+ countries without fees if you already hold the currency in your account and no conversion is needed.

You can also withdraw up to €200 per month for free (limited to 2 withdrawals). Beyond that, the fees remain very competitive.

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This article is a translation of the original article published in French and was translated within 365 days of publication. While the content has been translated for accessibility, the data and sources referenced have not been updated since the original publication date.