The AK warns of expense traps when spending money on vacation. In euro countries, vacationers are best off with an ATM card. Attention, withdrawing with the credit card and expenses at some ATMs are also expensive there.

In non-euro countries, there are always charges for plastic money. When changing foreign currency in banks before the holiday, relatively high fees have to be paid and sometimes the exchange rate is worse than in the holiday country. This is shown by a current AK test at eight banks and four credit and debit cards.

Spain, Italy & Co. - in euro holiday countries you are usually "well on your way" with plastic money. Withdrawing cash or paying in business with a debit or credit card is usually free of charge - with two exceptions. "Be careful, withdrawing cash with a credit card is always expensive - regardless of whether it's in or outside the euro area," explains AK consumer advocate Christian Prantner. “And there are special providers of ATMs that charge extra for withdrawals. Therefore, pay close attention to the fee information on the display of ATMs.”

 In non-euro holiday countries, there are always charges for plastic money, i.e. when paying and withdrawing. "This has to do with the fact that there are considerable additional processing or manipulation fees when billing in a foreign currency - between 0,75 and five percent, depending on the card and provider," explains Prantner.

Anyone who prefers to pay “cash” in non-euro holiday countries should consider: “Anyone who wants to change foreign currency in local banks before going on holiday not only pays relatively high fees, but may also get a worse exchange rate than directly in the holiday country,” says the AK Expert. General information for travellers, regardless of whether you pay with plastic money or stock up on foreign currency before the trip: "Don't just pay attention to the expenses, but look at the exchange rates. The larger the exchange amount in foreign currency, the more important it is to find out about the exchange rates. The credit card companies charge their own rates when a transaction is processed in a foreign currency. A perusal of the websites of cardcomplete, Pay Life, Diners and American Express has shown that it takes a lot of intuition to find out rates. Some bank websites do not publish current exchange rates,” advises Prantner. "And be careful - there are also minimum fees when changing and withdrawing!"

This is how high the fees are when paying, withdrawing or changing currency equivalent to 400 euros (exchange rate differences are not taken into account):

Paying, withdrawing money, changing money for or on vacation – you should know this: 

• Pay attention to the exchange rates. Research local banks, such as websites.
• Withdrawing cash with a credit card is always expensive. Pay attention to the minimum expenses for plastic money.
• Exchanging currencies can be cheaper in the holiday country than at local banks. Currency exchange is often only offered to existing customers or not at all – order in advance to be on the safe side!