Understanding fees for using your Monzo card abroad
Are there any fees associated with using Monzo abroad?
You can pay anywhere in any currency using your Monzo card, fee-free. We pass Mastercard’s exchange rate directly onto you, without sneaky fees or extra charges. You can also make fee-free cash withdrawals up to a certain limit (see below).
What is the Monzo cash withdrawal limit when using my card abroad?
Depending on how you use Monzo, you can make fee-free cash withdrawals up to a certain limit. Any fees you may have to pay are partly based on whether you’re in the UK & European Economic Area (EEA) or not. The EEA includes EU countries and also Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Here is a breakdown of any fees you might need to pay.
| UK & European Economic Area (EEA) | Outside EEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Monzo is not my main bank | £400 fee-free every 30 days (3% afterwards) | £200 fee-free every 30 days (3% afterwards) |
| Monzo is my main bank | Unlimited fee-free | £200 fee-free every 30 days (3% afterwards) |
| Monzo Plus | Unlimited fee-free | £400 fee-free every 30 days (3% afterwards) |
| Monzo Premium, Perks & Max | Unlimited fee-free | £600 fee-free every 30 days (3% afterwards) |
The 30-day period for allowances resets exactly 30 days after your first withdrawal, rather than at the start of a new month. Your allowances are shared across any accounts you have. So if you have a joint account, your allowance is split across that account and your personal account.
For example, if you take out £150 on the 2nd of the month and £50 on the 5th, your allowance would reset on the 2nd and 5th day of the next month. If you made a third withdrawal which took the total above your limit before those dates, then we'd charge the withdrawal fee.
Just be aware that some ATMs will charge you a fee for taking out cash (which we don’t receive), so we recommend using a free machine whenever you can.
How do I know if Monzo is my main bank?
If you have a free account and meet any of the below criteria, then we consider Monzo to be your main bank:
At least £500 was paid into a Monzo account in your name over the last rolling 35-day period, and you have at least one active Direct Debit on the same account in the same period.
You’ve received a Department for Work and Pensions or a Department for Communities payment into a Monzo account in your name over the last rolling 35-day period.
You’ve received a student loan payment into a Monzo account in your name over the last rolling 8-month period.
You’re sharing a Monzo Joint Account with someone who has done at least one of the above.
You can also check this on the app by following these steps:
Tap on the three dots at the bottom right of the account on the home screen
Select Fees and allowances
If you're a main bank customer, you will see the UK & EEA allowance showing as "Unlimited".
